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Lesson planB265 minsNew. New: checked automatically for level, grammar, facts and originality; a teacher's review is still to come. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Tell Me About a Time When…: job interviews
Students learn to answer common job interview questions, talk positively about their strengths and weaknesses, and structure "Tell me about a time when…" answers with Situation, Task, Action and Result.
Skills · Business · Interviews · Careers · Work
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Plan at a glance
Aims
- Practise job interviews
- Learn and use 14 words and phrases in 2 sets: Interview words, Presenting yourself positively
- Read for detail: the interview
- Writing task: your STAR answer
Stages · 65 min
- 5 minLead-in: Pairs talk about business and share ideas with the class.
- 5 minVocabulary: Ex. 1
- 5 minLanguage focus: Go through the grammar notes together and check understanding.
- 15 minControlled practice: Ex. 2–3
- 10 minAccuracy practice: Ex. 4–5
- 10 minReading: Ex. 6
- 15 minWriting: Ex. 7
Printables
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Download all (ZIP, 4 PDFs)Grammar notes
The STAR answer
- Situation: set the scene briefly. In my last job… · Last summer…
- Task: say what you had to do. My task was to… · I was asked to…
- Action: say what you did (use I, not we). I prioritised… · I called…
- Result: say what happened, with a number if you can. In the end… · As a result…
Strengths and weaknesses
- Strengths with an example: I'm good at… For example, …
- Weaknesses with a plan: I sometimes find it hard to… so I've been working on it by…
- Experience: I've worked in sales for three years (still true) · I won an award last year (finished time).
Asking the interviewer
- I'd like to know… · Could you tell me what the next steps are?
- Indirect questions: subject before verb (what the next steps are, not what are the next steps).
Study tips
- Prepare three short STAR stories before an interview: one about a problem, one about teamwork and one about taking the initiative.
- Practise saying your answers aloud and keep each one under two minutes.
Glossary
- Interview words8 items
- Presenting yourself positively6 items
Complete the exercises, then check your answers.
1
Interview words
Match each word with its meaning. There is one extra word.
Tap an item…
…then its match
2
Building a STAR answer
These sentences come from two answers to 'Tell me about a time when…'. Is each one the Situation, the Task, the Action or the Result?
- a
In my last job, our biggest customer said they wanted to leave us.
- b
I prioritised the urgent work and asked a colleague from another team for help.
- c
I was asked to find out why they were unhappy.
- d
Last summer, two people in my team were off sick at the same time.
- e
We kept the customer, and their orders went up by ten per cent.
- f
We met the deadline, and my manager asked me to train new staff.
- g
I called the customer and listened carefully to every complaint.
- h
My job was to make sure we still finished the project on time.
3
Answering the classic questions
Complete what the candidates say with the words in the box. There is one extra word.
Word box
Tap a gap, then a word, or type the answer.
- a
I'd say my greatest is staying calm when there's a lot of pressure.
- b
My main is public speaking, so I've joined a course to improve.
- c
I have a in marketing from Harbourside College.
- d
Nobody asked me to do it, but I took the and created a new filing system.
- e
When everything is urgent, I the tasks that affect customers.
- f
In my current role, I have for training new staff.
- g
I'm really by new challenges, and I love learning.
- h
We interviewed twelve people, but only one had the right experience.
4
Say it more positively
Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first but sounds more professional in an interview. Use the word given and between two and five words, including that word.
- a
I'm bad at saying no to people.
WORKING
I'm saying no when I need to.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- b
I've managed people for three years.
EXPERIENCE
I have three managing people.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- c
In that job I had to train new staff.
RESPONSIBLE
In that job I training new staff.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- d
Why do you want to leave your current job?
REASON
What is leaving your current job?
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- e
I was the person who organised the whole event.
WAS
It organised the whole event.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- f
Can I ask a question about the team?
LIKE
I'd a question about the team.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
5
Find and correct the mistake
Each sentence from an interview has one mistake. Write the correction.
- a
I am working here since 2021.
- b
I'm very good in working with numbers.
- c
I have a lot of experiences in sales.
- d
Last year I have won an award for customer service.
- e
Could you tell me what are the next steps?
- f
She is a reliable candidate who never misses deadline.
6
Read: the interview
Read part of a job interview. Choose the best answer.
Interview for Team Leader, Northgate Logistics Tom (interviewer): Thanks for coming in, Priya. Let's start with your experience. Why do you think you're a good candidate for this role? Priya: I've worked in customer service for four years, and for the last eighteen months I've been responsible for a team of five. I'm very motivated by helping people solve problems, and I enjoy training new staff. Tom: Can you tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult situation? Priya: Yes. Last winter our booking system stopped working for a whole day. My task was to keep our customers informed. I prioritised the customers with urgent deliveries, phoned them myself and asked two colleagues to update our website every hour. In the end, we didn't lose a single customer, and my manager used my plan for future problems. Tom: That's impressive. And what would you say is your main weakness? Priya: I sometimes find it hard to let other people do tasks, because I want everything to be perfect. I've been working on it by giving my team more responsibility, and it has helped them grow. Tom: Great. Do you have any questions for us? Priya: Yes. I'd like to know what training you offer new team leaders, and when you're hoping to make a decision.
- a
How long has Priya been in charge of a team?
- b
What was Priya's task when the booking system stopped working?
- c
Which part of her story is the result?
- d
How does Priya talk about her weakness?
- e
What does Priya ask about at the end?
7
Write: your STAR answer
Write your answer to an interview question.
An interviewer asks: "Tell me about a time when you took the initiative." Write your answer (130–160 words). Use the STAR structure: describe the situation, your task, the action you took and the result. Finish with one sentence about a strength your story shows. It can be about work, study or volunteering. Word box: candidate · strength · weakness · qualification · initiative · prioritise · responsibility · motivated
Suggested minimum: 130 words
0 words · aim for at least 130
Spotted a mistake in this lesson?· tell us the exercise and item
Revise with a game
This lesson's own words and questions. Play on your own, or in teams on the classroom screen.
- Step UpAnswer the lesson's questions to climb to the top.
- Pair UpMatch the lesson's words to their meanings against the clock.
- SnapA word and a meaning: do they go together? Answer fast.
- Fix ItFind the mistake in each sentence, then correct it.
- Quiz BoardTeams choose questions worth 100 to 500 points.
- Retro arcadeWord Invaders, Word Snake, Word Maze and Word Crossing: classic arcade games with the lesson's words.
Glossary
The 14 words and phrases this lesson teaches, in 2 sets.
Interview words
- candidate
- a person who is being considered for a job
- strength
- something you are especially good at
- weakness
- something you are not very good at and want to improve
- qualification
- an exam you have passed or a course you have finished, for example a degree
- initiative
- the ability to decide what to do and act without being told
- prioritise
- to decide which tasks are most important and do them first
- responsibility
- a duty or task that is part of your job
- motivated
- keen to work hard and do well
Presenting yourself positively
- I'd say my greatest strength is
- introduces your best quality in a modest way
- took the initiative
- says you acted without waiting to be told
- was responsible for
- says what part of a job belonged to you
- years' experience
- says how long you have done a kind of work
- In my last job
- starts the situation in a STAR answer
- My job was to
- explains the task in a STAR answer
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