Category Archives: Job Interviews

BEP 90 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Job Interviews: Greatest Weakness

Continuing our Business English Podcast series on job interviews, we look at another very common question you’ll likely be asked when interviewing for jobs in English: What is your greatest weakness?

Talking about your weaknesses tests a unique skill: It investigates your ability to present a drawback as an advantage. Thus, the theme of this episode is be positive, and that’s the main point that we’ll be focusing on.
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BEP 87 ADV – Job Interviews: Talking about Accomplishments (Part 2)

In this Business English Podcast lesson, we examine another good example of how to respond to questions about your previous experience and, in particular, how to describe your accomplishments and proudest achievements.

We’ll look at someone with a little more job experience: Yala Santos is an HR specialist who is working in a manufacturing company. She now has an opportunity to interview for an HR manager position in a business unit of a fast moving consumer goods company, Fun Beverages International. Let’s listen to how Yala deals with talking about her greatest achievement.

Listening Questions:

1) What was the project Yala was working on?

2) What was her role in it?

3) What did she do?

4) What was the outcome?

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MP3 free download business English podcast lessons - workplace English training dialogs, examples phrases, explanations and ESL speaking practice Podcast BEP 87 ADV – Accomplishments 2 – Listening Quiz
  BEP 87 ADV – Accomplishments 2 – Gap-fill Exercise
MP3 business English review podcast - practice dialog, useful phrases and ESL speaking practice Phrase-Cast BEP 87 ADV – Accomplishments 2 – Dialog & Vocabulary
  BEP 87 ADV – Accomplishments 2 – Personal Characteristics
PDF Lesson transcripts, dialogs, useful language, example phrases, and ESL language practice exercises Study Notes BEP 87 ADV – Accomplishments 2 – Setting the Context
  BEP 87 ADV – Accomplishments 2 – Describing Accomplishments
MP3 business English review podcast - practice dialog, useful phrases and ESL speaking practice Groups BEP 87 ADV – Accomplishments 2 – Structuring your Example
Email for info BEP 87 ADV – Accomplishments 2 – Review the 4-Step Structure
    BEP 87 ADV – Accomplishments 1- Vocabulary Practice
    BEP 87 ADV – Accomplishments 1 – Flashcards

BEP 86 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Job Interviews: Talking about Accomplishments (Part 1)

This is the first in a two-part Business English Podcast series on talking about your accomplishments in job interviews.

We’ll be listening to a bad and good version of a recent graduate discussing his greatest accomplishment. In this episode we’ll focus on language for providing examples of the positive personal characteristics that our previous success demonstrates. Then, in Part 2 of this series, we’ll hear another good example of someone with more job experience, and we’ll examine a four-part structure for telling our success stories.

Listening Questions:

1) Does Alex put his success into an organized, articulate story?

2) Does he present his accomplishment in a way that provides examples of skills and qualities that will be useful at his new job?

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MP3 free download business English podcast lessons - workplace English training dialogs, examples phrases, explanations and ESL speaking practice Podcast BEP 86 ADV – Accomplishments 1 – Listening Quiz
  BEP 86 ADV – Accomplishments 1 – Gap-fill Exercise
MP3 business English review podcast - practice dialog, useful phrases and ESL speaking practice Phrase-Cast BEP 86 ADV – Accomplishments 1 – Dialog & Vocabulary
  BEP 86 ADV – Accomplishments 1 – Individual Characteristics
PDF Lesson transcripts, dialogs, useful language, example phrases, and ESL language practice exercises Study Notes BEP 86 ADV – Accomplishments 1 – Teamwork Characteristics
  BEP 86 ADV – Accomplishments 1 – Useful Phrases
MP3 business English review podcast - practice dialog, useful phrases and ESL speaking practice Groups BEP 86 ADV – Accomplishments 1- Vocabulary Practice
Email for info BEP 86 ADV – Accomplishments 1 – Flashcards
     

BEP 83 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Job Interviews: Previous Experience (Part 2)

This is the second in a two-part Business English Podcast series on discussing previous experience in workplace English job interviews. It is one of an ongoing sequence of ESL podcasts that covers the whole interview process.

In this lesson we listen to a better interview performance by someone who has prepared to talk about their previous experience more effectively. In this good example, Sherry Shen, from Hong Kong, is interviewing with a multinational accounting company for her first job after graduating with a Master’s in finance.

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Study Notes

Phrases & Practice
BEP 83 ADV – Job Interviews – Listening Quiz

BEP 83 ADV – Job Interviews – Gap-fill Exercise

BEP 83 ADV – Job Interviews – Dialog & Vocabulary

BEP 83 ADV – Job Interviews – Highlighting Experience

BEP 83 ADV – Job Interviews – Preposition Review

BEP 83 ADV – Job Interviews – Turning Weaknesses into Strengths

BEP 83 ADV – Job Interviews – Useful Phrases

BEP 83 ADV – Job Interviews – Vocabulary Review

BEP 83 ADV – Job Interviews – Flashcards


Listening Questions:

1) Does Sherry let her guard down, or does she answer briefly and to-the-point with an appropriate level of formality?

2) Does Sherry seem well-prepared to talk about her experience?

3) How does Sherry account for the gap in her resume?

BEP 82 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Job Interviews: Previous Experience (Part 1)

This is the first in a two-part Business English Podcast series on discussing your previous experience in a job interview. It is one of a longer sequence of ESL podcasts that will focus on the complete job interview process.

In this episode, we’ll be examining a bad example of what not to do. Since previous experience usually comes up at the beginning of an interview, we’ll look at the casual discussion that takes place when an interview starts.

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Study Notes

Phrases & Practice
BEP 82 ADV – Previous Experience 1 – Quiz

BEP 82 ADV – Previous Experience 1 – Gap-fill

BEP 82 ADV – Previous Experience 1 – Dialog & Vocabulary

BEP 82 ADV – Previous Experience 1 – Language 1

BEP 82 ADV – Previous Experience 1 – Language 2

BEP 82 ADV – Previous Experience 1 – Language 3

BEP 82 ADV – Previous Experience 1 – Language 4

BEP 82 ADV – Previous Experience 1 – Flashcards

Listening Questions:
1) Is everything Alex says clear and to the point?

2) Does he seem overly friendly or informal at times?

3) How does Alex account for the gap in his resume?