For A1-A2 Levels

Please, review the vocabulary related to the topic. It will help you feel more confident when role-playing and – if you find any words that are entirely new to you, make sure you write them down and use them in the Conversation Club meeting.

Part 1: Warm Up

Asking for Opinions

How do you feel about that?
What is your point of view?
David, I would really appreciate your view.
Have you got any thoughts on this?
Do you have any views on this?
Does anyone have any other comments?

Questions

At what age do people usually begin to work in your country?

At what age do people usually retire in your country?

At what age would you like to retire?

What do you think you will do after you retire?

How much money do you think you need to retire with your lifestyle?

Responding to Opinions

I see what you mean.
You’ve got a point there.
That’s a very good point.
That’s a great suggestion.
That’s one way of looking at it.

Part 2: Job Interview Practice

Interviewer: Why Should We Hire You?

To say that you are the right person for the job, you can say,

I think I am a good fit for this job

I think I am a good match for this job

This job suits me down to the ground

I think this job ties in with my future plans

Interviewer: What do you bring to the table?

In order to show your enthusiasm and also show you want to help the company be successful, you can say,

I am excited to showcase my skills

I am eager to make a contribution 

I am sure I can bring a lot to this job

Interviewer: Please, describe your current position and your main duties,

• I’m in charge of ________
• I’m responsible for ________
• It’s down to me to ________

I’m in charge of the company’s marketing strategy. That means, I’m responsible for setting our marketing goals. On top of that, it’s down to me to make are we meet all our marketing goals

Q. Explain how you overcame a major obstacle.
A. The interviewer is likely looking for a particular example of your problem-solving skills and the
pride you show for solving it.

Q. How do you handle pressure and stress?
A. This is sort of a double whammy, because you’re likely already stressed from the interview and the
interviewer can see if you’re handling it well or not. Everybody feels stress, but the degree varies.
Saying that you whine to your shrink, kick your dog or slam down a fifth of Jack Daniels are not
good answers. Exercising, relaxing with a good book, socializing with friends or turning stress into
productive energy are more along the lines of the “correct” answers.

Q. Where do you see yourself five (ten or fifteen) years from now?
A. Explain your career-advancement goals that are in line with the job for which you are
interviewing. Your interviewer is likely more interested in how he, she or the company will benefit
from you achieving your goals than what you’ll get from it, but it goes hand in hand to a large
degree. It’s not a good idea to tell your potential new boss that you’ll be going after his or her job,
but it’s okay to mention that you’d like to earn a senior or management position.