E06 你最大的弱勢是什么？

2020.12.17

夏鵬

課程導讀

面試繼續進展的過程中，許多應聘者都會害怕遇到這個問題“你認為自己的缺點是什么”。你是否因為這個問題而感到不知所措，不知道該如何回答？面對這個犀利的問題，到底該如何回答最給力呢？一起來聽本節課程的講解。

英文原文

E06 What are your greatest weaknesses?

The Real Question: Am I right in thinking X about you? And are you going to give me the same old evasive and lame answers that everybody else did, or are you going to level with me?

Top-line Tactic: If you’ve been invited for interview, chances are that the interviewer is seeking affirmation of predicted weaknesses, not information about new ones.Here’s how you can do that and remain attractive to them:

1)Tell them what they already know.By sticking only to weaknesses apparent on your CV, you’ll avoid introducing a new monster-under-the-bed that the interviewer hadn’t spotted.2)Make it abundantly clear you know what your weaknesses are, and that they don’t perturb you.Answer like you’re giving your name and address, not a forced confession.Speak with the confidence of someone who knows that their weakness isn’t going to be a deal-breaker.3)Cite evidence to show you’re working on your weaknesses.A life-long learner is better suited to today’s rapidly changing workplace than someone born with a natural but narrow talent that they rest on.4)Talking about gaps in your CV is a lot less subjective and disaster-prone than talking about what you or others see as moral failings in your character.— Example

I’d say that my greatest weakness so far as you’re concerned is that I’ve been out of the workforce for a couple of years in order to raise my family.I didn’t drop out of the industry altogether during that time, though.My contacts book is up to date and I’ve kept up with industry trends.For example, I enrolled for online professional development courses with [give examples].That’s something I wouldn’t have had time to do if I’d been at work, so in a way being out of the workforce has done me some good.Also, I’m a regular on most of the [industry name] blogs and forums.If you take me on, I certainly don’t think I’ll need retraining.In my last job, our KPIs measured all things great and small, and I didn’t hit every target I was set, so that’s perhaps a weakness.I did hit all the KPIs that counted the most, though.Was there anything on my CV that especially concerned you?

E07 你喜歡什么樣的管理風格？

2020.12.17

夏鵬

課程導讀

當面試官想要進一步試探，應聘者是否與公司管理氣質相符合。他們很有可能會拋出這樣的問題“你喜歡什么樣的管理風格”。作為應聘者，作答時需要注意的點都有什么？怎樣回答可以直戳面試官的內心？一起來聽本節課程的講解。

英文原文

E07 What is your preferred management style?

The Real Question: Are you and I going to get on?

Top-line Tactic: Aim to be the boss and the subordinate you always wanted for yourself, even if nobody’s perfect.The blueprint for answering this question is predictable enough.Bosses want to see someone who can work under their own steam but who also recognizes that a workplace is hierarchical.Bosses want to feel that their style of communication is such that they can brief you to do the job without actually spelling it all out for you.Bosses want to hear that you are always prepared to take good and bad news with equally good grace, and that, perhaps as a manager yourself, you can give out bad news with respect and humility, and give off enough good energy to pep the troops.Future Boss will also want to see you have some degree of sympathy with their trials and tribulations as a manager.After all, managing people can be a thankless experience – too many subordinates forget that.— Example

Good question.I think that half the trick of managing people is not being scared to ask them what they think – like you’ve just asked me.It seems to me that being a boss is straightforward in principle.It’s about clear goals, clear communication and clear rewards.Ideally, I’d like a boss who knows when to intervene and when to let me get on with it, but obviously we won’t always agree about that, which is as it should be.It’s not easy, being a boss, I appreciate that.You have to lead by example, even when you’re not sure what the best thing to do is, and you’re going to get it wrong occasionally.I don’t expect perfection in a boss, but I do like one with a sense of humour when things don’t go to plan, and that goes for the team as well.E08 你五年后的工作規劃是什么？

2020.12.17

夏鵬

課程導讀

除了應聘者與公司管理風格是否一致，其后期的穩定性也是企業非常關心的一個問題。因此應聘者們常被問到“你五年后的工作規劃是什么“。如果你不曾做過長遠規劃，該如何回答這個問題呢？本節課程將為你解答疑惑。

英文原文

E08 Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

The Real Question: Are you after this job or just any job? How soon will you need a new challenge? Do you have a realistic sense of what we can offer you?

Top-line Tactic: If you don’t know, calmly say so, as if not knowing were the most natural thing in the world – because it is.If you’re one of those superhuman types with a well-mapped-out career plan, one that doesn’t sound too prescriptive and presumptuous, then by all means wheel that plan out when you’re asked this question.Employers may not expect to hear ruthless or driving ambition.‘I want to be doing your job!’ is usually an instant fail – for many interviewers it’s far too confrontational.— Example one

It’s common knowledge that your company has the highest programming standards and the best software engineers in the industry, so if that’s still the case five years from now, I hope I’ll be working here.— Example two

Five years from now I hope to have learned enough to be training other people, maybe managing them too – if the opportunity arises.— Example three

A home nurse’s job is all about helping patients get back on their feet after illness, so in five years I hope to still be doing that, one way or another – whether as a nurse in the field or a team leader in the office.E09 你對這份工作有什么計劃安排？

2020.12.17

夏鵬

課程導讀

面試過程中，如果應聘者對于目標公司提前做了功課，并且讓面試官們感受到你對于接手工作有一定的規劃，那必定是特別加分的。當被問到對這份應聘工作是否有具體計劃安排時，該怎樣作答呢？一起來聽本節課程的講解。

英文原文

E09 How would you approach this job?

The Real Question: How well do you know us? What’s your take on what we need? What’s your preferred style of working?

Top-line Tactic: Talk about diplomacy before talking about your plans.This question may give you a chance to talk about your experience and skills that are relevant to the role, but you can’t know how a company really functions until you’ve started working there – so don’t be wrong-footed into making sweeping statements.You can answer by referring to previous successes in your current job.Describe your way of working there and what you achieved, taking care to relate everything to the vacancy on offer.Say you’d like to replicate those successes if you are offered the role.You can also use this question to show your ability to adapt to the company you hope to join.You should acknowledge that all companies are different, so you would use your first few weeks on the job to learn systems and get to know colleagues before creating your departmental plan.This will show the interviewer that you are planning for success in the new role but that you don’t have a completely rigid idea of how the company should operate.— Example

Well, the best way to do this job won’t become clear until I join the company, so the first thing I’ll be doing is getting to know my colleagues, listening, taking notes, building relationships, helping them out where I can.And it never hurts to ask colleagues what they’re expecting from me.I’d also hope my manager will tell me about the unwritten rules and conventions here – every workplace has some of those.After I’ve done all that I’ll be able to come up with a plan of action.In my last job I got good results by …

E10 你之前取得過什么成就？

2020.12.17

夏鵬

課程導讀

在之前的課程中，我們了解過了關于詢問自身優勢的問題的作答方法。然而面試中還有另一個類似的問題，“你之前取得過什么成就”。應對這個問題，怎樣的回答會是面試官想要的呢？一起來聽本節課程的講解。

英文原文

E10 What have you achieved elsewhere?

The Real Question: What’s the very best that we can expect from you? Is it what we need?

Top-line Tactic: Keep it recent, work-related and well-rehearsed.Permit yourself to sound confident – they want you to be.Don’t be afraid to include dramatic effects such as jeopardy, doubt, conflict, growth and transformation.— Example

I’d say my greatest achievement at work was last year’s launch of W—— snack bars.It’s the first-ever health snack to sell a million units in the UK in under twelve months.W—— was well known in America but had no UK distribution.We weren’t the strongest candidate to win the distribution deal, since both the company and I were relatively inexperienced, but W—— had a product I believed in and I made that clear both to my directors and to W——.W—— gave me three months to make it work, saying that if I didn’t get some traction in that time, they’d reassign the distribution rights to a rival firm.Obviously, I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, because that would have looked awful on my CV, but there were times when I thought it might.Sales were slow to start with, but I was determined to see it through.I just worked all hours and tried everything I could think of – I must have called literally hundreds of independent food shops trying to get them to stock W—— products.It wasn’t easy, but by doing that I got to know those customers a lot better and they got to know my company better too.Building those bridges is what really made the product take off.Plus, a lot of my customers discovered there was a good profit to be made from health products, which they hadn’t realized before, so everyone was happy.W—— is my best achievement to date, not least because I’ve turned an underdog product into a household name.I couldn’t have done that selling Coca-Cola or iPads.E11 上份工作你喜歡/不喜歡的地方是什么？

2020.12.17

夏鵬

課程導讀

面試是雙方探索的過程，面試官不僅僅可以了解應聘者是否與自己的公司文化或對應崗位相匹配，也可以通過一些問題來了解公司是否適合應聘者，比如”上份工作中你所喜歡或不喜歡的地方是什么“。具體該如何作答，一起來聽本節課程的講解。

英文原文

E11 What did you like and dislike about your last job?

The Real Question: What do you want from us that the last lot couldn’t give you? Can we give it to you?

Top-line Tactic: Start with a long list of what makes you happy, then let them know that you don’t expect perfection in any job.— Something you can share

? meet interesting people

? opportunities for progress

? work independently

? atmosphere of trust, honesty and integrity

? overseas travel

? varied tasks

? constant learning

? requires or rewards creativity

? likeable co-workers

? face-to-face contact

? caring for others

? customer interaction

? clearly defined role

? close to management

? developing people

? positive impact on the community

? supportive culture

? playing with cool technology

Just make sure that your answer demonstrates grit and a strong work ethic.— Example

There was a lot about the job I enjoyed at my last company.I loved being out of the office, working on site, which put me in close contact with our customers and my colleagues.I felt like I was at the sharp end of the industry, in a way that I wouldn’t have done sitting in an office.But there were a few drawbacks.Being on site all the time often meant leaving home before breakfast and getting in after dark, so my family life was suffering.I had to do it, of course, in order to keep our promise of next-day service.I became so focused on the job that in the end I stopped thinking about the time of day.That’s not really how I want to live.I know the job I’m applying for will occasionally mean working unsocial hours, but I’m happy to accept that, since it’s not something I’ll be doing day in, day out.E12 講述你在團隊中的工作情況

2020.12.17

夏鵬

課程導讀

在工作中，職場人所必不可少的能力是團隊協作能力。因此在面試過程中，面試官會較為傾向詢問應聘者之前在團隊中的工作情況。針對這個問題，身為應聘者的你具體應該從哪些方面去描述呢？一起來聽本節課的講解。

英文原文

E12 Tell me about a time you worked in a team

The Real Question: No one achieves anything on their own – and you know that, right?

Top-line Tactic: Find a recent, real-world example where you’ve played successfully with others.— Example

Last summer the company I’m currently working for relaunched its website with several important new features.It was a big project involving IT, several designers and marketing.My portion of the project – helping to develop a content-marketing strategy – was completed but a bug in the software accidentally deleted all the images for the redesign from the database the night before the big relaunch.As you can imagine, it was pandemonium, but we all said we’d do whatever it took to fix it.Several of us from marketing were there half the night uploading the new pictures the designers had come up with while the IT people tried to fix the code – and we also ordered the pizzas to keep everyone going.I volunteered to keep management up to date on our progress to relieve some of the pressure on the technical team.We managed to get the website launched on time and traffic is now up more than 20 per cent after the redesign.Of course, it would have been better if that last-minute problem hadn’t happened, but I actually feel the experience really bonded me to my teammates.Some key words relating to team work

? communication

? adaptability

? empathy

? ability to appreciate the perspective of others

? sense of humour

E13 你的同事是如何評價你的？

2020.12.17

夏鵬

課程導讀

前面課程里出現過的問題，都是由應聘者站在自己的角度來進行作答的，或許可能存在一定的不真實性。所以面試官們也會通過詢問其他人對于應聘者的評價來進一步了解他們。如果是你遇到了這個問題，你會選擇分享哪個對象給予你的評價呢？一起來聽本節課的講解。

英文原文

E13 What do your co-workers say about you?

The Real Question: Do you sound calm or wary about this question? Are you

self-aware or just self-conscious?

Top-line Tactic: Testimonials, not adjectives.For maximum points, go through your contacts book to see if you can obtain a testimonial from an employee of a trade body or regulatory authority.A testimonial there willshow that you’ve been thinking globally, beyond yourself and your immediate job description, and will definitely mark you out from the average candidate.The main thing they’ll want to hear other people say about you is:

? You can do the job.? You won’t be a burden to manage.? You’re hungry for whatever it is the firm is offering.E14 你如何面對壓力和失敗的？

2020.12.17

夏鵬

課程導讀

面對競爭、大量的任務、緊迫的時間，職場人們幾乎都感受過壓力。所以面試官們也同樣會特別關心應聘者們處理壓力的方式，詢問他們是如何面對壓力的。你是否擁有自己獨特的處理壓力的方式？面試的時候又該如何去分享呢？一起來聽本節課程的講解。

英文原文

E14 How do you deal with stress and failure?

The Real Question: When the pressure increases, will you turn into a monster, a useless blob of jelly or someone who sets a good example?

Top-line Tactic: Don’t pretend you live in a stress-free bubble.Instead, give

concrete examples of the steps you take to handle pressure.You only need to convince the interviewer that you won’t crumble at the slightest hint of pressure.As with all successful answers, the key to doing that is detail.Replace generalities with specific practices you’ve used to cope with stress, such as:

? exercise

? Analyzing the source of the stress

? prioritizing the tasks

? delegating

? re-conceptualizing pressure as motivating

? deep breathing

? taking short breaks

? laughter/letting loose after work