Lesson 3.3

Interviews

Las entrevistas

Typical Interview Questions

How would you describe yourself?

What interests you about this position?

Why did you choose this career?

Explain what you did in your last job.

Why did you leave your last job?

Can you explain this gap in your employment history?

What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

Do you prefer working alone or in teams?

How do you work under pressure?

What are you expectations regarding promotions and salary increases?

What are your long-term career objectives?

Describe the best boss you ever had.

Why should we hire you?

What qualifications do you have that would make you successful in this position?

Have you ever been fired or forced to resign?

Do you consider yourself a leader?

Sample Interview

Mrs. Jones works at the Seaside Restaurant and is interviewing James for a waiter position.

Mrs. Jones:

Hello. Nice to meet you.

James:

Hello. Yes, it’s nice to meet you too.

Mrs. Jones:

Well, James, I have looked at your résumé and I wanted to ask you a few questions.

James:

Yes, of course.

Mrs. Jones:

Please explain what you did in your last job and why you left.

James:

Mrs. Jones:

Did you serve people at tables at Sam’s Deli or only prepare the food?

James:

Sometimes when we were short on wait staff I would serve customers at the tables.

Mrs. Jones:

What would your last boss say about you?

James:

I think he would say that I was a very hard worker, responsible and very friendly with everyone at the Deli.

Mrs. Jones:

You also worked at a bakery a few summers ago. Tell me about that.

James:

Yes, I worked two summers in a row at the bakery. I had direct contact with the customers all day and I really enjoyed it.

Mrs. Jones:

What about your studies? Are you still in school?

James:

Yes, this coming year will be my last year at university. I’m finishing my degree in Marketing.

Mrs. Jones:

That’s an interesting field. What hours are you available during the week and on the weekends?

James:

Starting on the 15th, I will be studying Monday to Friday in the mornings from 9:00 to 2:00 and I will be available to work anytime after 2:00. On Saturdays and Sundays I am available all day.

Mrs. Jones:

Good, we mostly need waiters for the dinner shift.

Mrs. Jones:

Tell me why you think I should hire you for this position.

James:

I am a very responsible and hard-working person and I have really good customer service skills. I think I am a very friendly person and the customers will be happy with my service.

Mrs. Jones:

Well, it was great to meet you and I will be in touch in the next week about this position, ok?

James:

Yes, okay. Thank you very much.

Typical Interview Questions (Preguntas típicas en una entrevista)

How would you describe yourself?(¿Cómo se describiría a usted mismo?)

What interests you about this position?(¿Qué le interesa de este puesto?)

Why did you choose this career?(¿Por qué escogió esta carrera?)

Explain what you did in your last job.(Explíquenos lo que hacía en su último puesto de trabajo.)

Why did you leave your last job?(¿Por qué dejó su trabajo anterior?)

Can you explain this gap in your employment history?(¿Puede explicar este espacio vacío en su historial de empleo?)

What do you see yourself doing five years from now?(¿En qué puesto se ve usted dentro de cinco años?)

Do you prefer working alone or in teams?(¿Prefiere usted trabajar en solitario o en equipo?)

How do you work under pressure?(¿Cómo trabaja usted bajo presión?)

What are you expectations regarding promotions and salary increases?(¿Cuáles son sus expectativas en lo que se refiere a ascensos y mejoras salariales?)

What are your long-term career objectives?(¿Cuáles son sus objetivos profesionales a largo plazo?)

Describe the best boss you ever had.(Describa al mejor jefe que usted ha tenido.)

Why should we hire you?(¿Por qué deberíamos contratarle?)

What qualifications do you have that would make you successful in this position?(¿Qué aptitudes tiene usted que lo ayudarían a tener éxito en este puesto?)

Have you ever been fired or forced to resign?(¿Ha sido usted alguna vez despedido o forzado a renunciar?)

Do you consider yourself a leader?(¿Se considera a sí mismo un líder?)

Sample Interview (Ejemplo de una entrevista de trabajo)

Mrs. Jones works at the Seaside Restaurant and is interviewing James for a waiter position.
El Sra. Jones trabaja en el Seaside Restaurant y está entrevistando a James para un puesto de camarero.

Mrs. Jones:

Hello. Nice to meet you.
Hola. Encantado de conocerlo.

James:

Hello. Yes, it’s nice to meet you too.
Hola. Sí, encantado igualmente.

Mrs. Jones:

Well, James, I have looked at your résumé and I wanted to ask you a few questions.
bien, James, he mirado su currículum y quería formularle unas preguntas.

James:

Yes, of course.
Sí, por supuesto.

Mrs. Jones:

Please explain what you did in your last job and why you left.
Explíqueme sus funciones en su último puesto de trabajo y ¿por qué lo dejó?

James:

I was working at Sam’s Deli preparing sandwiches and other food orders for customers. I really enjoyed preparing the food, but what I liked most was the direct contact with the customers. When the summer season ended, my boss didn’t need as much staff. Now I am looking for a position serving customers as a waiter.
Estaba trabajando en Sam’s Deli preparando bocadillos y otros platos para los clientes. Me gustaba preparar la comida pero lo que más me gustaba era el contacto directo con los clientes. Cuando la temporada de verano se acabó mi jefe no necesitaba tanto personal. Ahora estoy buscando un puesto de camarero sirviendo clientes directamente.

Mrs. Jones:

Did you serve people at tables at Sam’s Deli or only prepare the food?
¿Servías gente en las mesas en Sam’s Deli o solo preparabas la comida?

James:

Sometimes when we were short on wait staff I would serve customers at the tables.
A veces cuando teníamos menos personal yo servía clientes en las mesas.

Mrs. Jones:

What would your last boss say about you?
¿Qué diría su último jefe sobre Ud.?

James:

I think he would say that I was a very hard worker, responsible and very friendly with everyone at the Deli.
Creo que diría que soy muy trabajador, responsable y muy amable con todos en la Cafeteria.

Mrs. Jones:

You also worked at a bakery a few summers ago. Tell me about that.
También trabajó en una panadería hace unos veranos. Descríbamelo.

James:

Yes, I worked two summers in a row at the bakery. I had direct contact with the customers all day and I really enjoyed it.
Sí, trabajé durante dos veranos seguidos en la panadería. Tuve contacto directo con los clientes todo el día y me gustó mucho.

Mrs. Jones:

What about your studies? Are you still in school?
¿Y los estudios? ¿Aún estás estudiando?

James:

Yes, this coming year will be my last year at university. I’m finishing my degree in Marketing.
Sí, este año que viene será mi último año en la universidad. Estoy acabando mi licenciatura en Marketing.

Mrs. Jones:

That’s an interesting field. What hours are you available during the week and on the weekends?
Ese es un interesante sector. ¿Qué horas tiene disponibles durante la semana y el fin de semana?

James:

Starting on the 15th, I will be studying Monday to Friday in the mornings from 9:00 to 2:00 and I will be available to work anytime after 2:00. On Saturdays and Sundays I am available all day.
Empezando el día 15, estaré estudiando de lunes a viernes por la mañana de 9:00 a 14:00 y estaré disponible para trabajar a cualquier hora a partir de las 14:00. Los sábados y domingos estoy disponible todo el día.

Mrs. Jones:

Good, we mostly need waiters for the dinner shift.
Bien, sobre todo necesitamos camareros para el turno de la cena.

Mrs. Jones:

Tell me why you think I should hire you for this position.
Dígame ¿por qué debería contratarle?

James:

I am a very responsible and hard-working person and I have really good customer service skills. I think I am a very friendly person and the customers will be happy with my service.
Soy una persona muy responsable y trabajador y tengo muy buen trato con el cliente. Creo que soy una persona muy amable y que los clientes estarán contentos con mi servicio.

Mrs. Jones:

Well, it was great to meet you and I will be in touch in the next week about this position, ok?
Bueno, ha sido un placer conocerlo y estaremos en contacto la próxima semana sobre este puesto, ¿vale?

James:

Yes, okay. Thank you very much.
Sí, vale. Muchas gracias.

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Complete the exercises in order to update your progress

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