PROJECT UNIT 1

Preparing for a job interview

Project Introduction:

This project helps students prepare for job interviews by improving their English language skills
and understanding of the interview process. Conducted over four days in 30-minute online
sessions, the project includes interactive activities, peer feedback, and reflections, culminating
in a presentation.

Indicators:

• Students will demonstrate understanding of common job interview questions and

appropriate responses.
• Students will use job-specific vocabulary in context.
• Students will practice and improve their speaking and listening skills in an interview
setting.

Daily Activities

Day 1: Introduction to Job Interviews

Objective: Understand the basic structure and purpose of a job interview.

Warm-up Discussion
Discuss their previous experiences with job interviews (if any) and share their thoughts on
what makes a good interview.

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Presentation
JOB INTERVIEW

A. match the job interview questions (1-5) with their answers (a-e)

1. How many jobs have you had since a) I now have more responsibility and
leaving university? work longer hours.
2. Why have you changed jobs so b) Well, I lead the sales team. I’m also
often? chairperson of a local business
association.
3. What have you done that shows c) I wanted to earn more money.
leadership?
4. In what ways have your job changed d) Well, the boss in my last company
since you joined the company? wasn’t easy to work with.
5. Have you ever worked with a difficult e) I’ve worked for six companies.
person?

B. Complete these interview questions using the present perfect form of the verbs in
brackets.

1. How _________ you _________ over the last five years? (change)
2. What other jobs _________ you _________ recently? (apply)
3. What _________ you _________ recently? (have)
4. What kind of people _________ you _________ with? (work)
5. What sort of bosses _________ you _________from your other jobs? (have)
6. What _________ you _________ from your other jobs? (learn)
7. What sort of problems _________ you _________ with? (deal)
8. What _________ you _________ that shows your leadership? (do)

C. Answer the questions in exercise B about yourself.

TO HAND IN THE FINAL PROJECT PORTFOLIO

Homework:
Students write down what they found challenging and what they want to improve, then share
their reflections next class.

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Day 2: Job-Specific Vocabulary and Phrases

Objective: Learn and practice using job-specific vocabulary and phrases.

Vocabulary / Reading

PREPARATION TASK
Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8).

Vocabulary Definition
1. …… to deal with a. causing worry because something is difficult to do
something b. not related to what is being discussed or what is
2. …… nerve-racking important
3. …… hypothetical c. an important skill that is needed to do a job
4. …… irrelevant d. to handle something; to take action in response to
5. …… to be the perfect something
fit for something e. to remember a past event
6. …… competency f. imagined and not necessarily real or true
7. …… to recall g. to not be working that day
8. …… to be off work h. to be exactly what is needed

JOB INTERVIEWS

Job interviews can be a nerve-racking experience, especially when you don’t feel prepared
for them. And with the variety of interview questions that can be asked these days, it’s hard to
know what type of questions you should prepare for.
Here are three types of interview questions that you should practice answering before that
important job interview.

1. Common interview questions

• Tell us about yourself.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do you want to leave your current job?

These questions are for the interviewer to get to know you and to see if you’re the best person
for the job. Don’t simply list things like your hobbies, your strengths or your work
experience. Instead, give examples and use them to show your personality and the
characteristics you have that make you perfect for the job. Your interviewer may want to ask
questions about certain areas of your CV, so use this opportunity to link your experience to the
job you’re applying for.

Avoid: Giving a detailed life history or telling long stories that are irrelevant to the job or to the
company.

2. Competency questions
• Tell me about a time you had to work as a team.
• Tell me about a time you had to use your creativity to solve a problem.
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 • Tell me about a time when you experienced conflict with a colleague and how you
handled that situation.

Here, the candidate is asked questions about situations they have faced in the past that can
demonstrate a particular skill they have. These could include skills like critical thinking,
influencing, problem solving or flexibility. Interviewers often want to hear about challenges
you’ve had, not just about times when everything went smoothly, so be ready with examples
such as how you resolved conflict in your team or dealt with someone who was not working
well. This will demonstrate that you can handle difficult situations.

When preparing for the job interview, read the job description carefully for the required skills
and abilities and try to recall situations where you had to use these skills. Then use the STAR
technique when talking about these examples:

• Situation – Give details about the context of your example and what you were trying to
do.
• Task – Describe your responsibilities and the challenges you faced.
• Action – Describe what steps you took to deal with the situation.
• Result – Talk about the end result and how you contributed to this outcome.

Avoid: Going in unprepared and having to think up examples, or saying you’ve never faced
any challenges at work.
3. Hypothetical questions
• What would you do if you had a different opinion from your boss about how to do
something?
• How would you deal with a large volume of work with several staff members off work?
• What would you do if you had to introduce a new policy that you knew was going to be
unpopular in your team?

Hypothetical interview questions are similar to competency questions except that instead of
asking you to talk about an experience you’ve had in the past, they present you with an
imaginary situation that you might face in your new job.

This might seem difficult to prepare for, but remember that your answers are meant to
demonstrate the skills needed for the job. When preparing for the interview, consider the
qualities that the interviewer might be looking for, qualities like conflict management, time
management or people skills. Then think about how you can demonstrate those qualities in a
range of situations. Start with situations that you’ve experienced and move on to other possible
situations that you might encounter in the role you’re applying for.

Avoid: Going off-topic, changing the subject and not answering the original question.
Whatever type of questions they ask, interviewers want to find the right person and are keen
to give you the opportunity to demonstrate what you can do. With some preparation, you can
show them that you’re the perfect fit for the job.

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TASK 1
Are the sentences true or false?

1. The main message in this article is that you should spend time preparing for a job interview
if you have one coming up.
2. If the interviewer asks you about yourself, you should make sure all the information you give
is relevant to the job.
3. You should avoid talking about personal things like your hobbies.
4. If the interviewer asks you about an item on your CV, you can give more detail and say how
it is connected to the job you’re applying for.
5. The STAR technique can be used to organize your story when answering competency
questions.
6. You should never talk about difficulties you’ve experienced at work.
7. You can’t prepare for hypothetical interview questions.
8. It helps to think about the skills and qualities that the interviewer is looking for when
answering interview questions.

TASK 2
Put the questions in the correct groups.

Describe a difficult decision Why do you want this job?

What would you do if a team
you’ve made. member was performing?
badly?
Tell us about a time when you What would you do if your Do you consider yourself
led a team to achieve an project goals suddenly successful? Why?
objective. changed?
What would you do if you What motivates you? Tell us about a new skill that
became dissatisfied with your you’ve learned for work.
job?

Common interview Competency questions Hypothetical questions

questions

TO HAND IN THE FINAL PROJECT PORTFOLIO: Preparation task, Task 1 and Task 2

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Day 3: Mock Interviews

Objective: Apply knowledge and skills in a simulated job interview.

Preparation
Students prepare for a mock interview, choosing a job they would like to apply for and writing
down potential questions and answers.

Mock Interviews in Breakout Rooms

Students conduct mock interviews in pairs or small groups, taking turns being the interviewer
and the interviewee.

Day 4: Final Presentation and Reflection

Objective: Present interview skills and reflect on the learning process.

Final project:
Students present their reflections on the project, what they learned, and how they have
improved.
Final Project: Job Interview Preparation Portfolio

Project Overview:
Students will compile a portfolio demonstrating their preparation and progress throughout the
4-day project. The portfolio will include reflections, practice responses, vocabulary exercises,
and a final reflection.

Portfolio Components: TO HAND IN

1. Introduction:
A brief introduction (30 words) explaining the purpose of the portfolio.

2. Practice Responses:
Answers from exercise C page 2 using appropriate vocabulary.

3. Vocabulary and reading Exercises:

Preparation task, Task 1 and Task 2 form pages 3-5

4. Final Reflections:
Students write a final reflection on their learning journey and future goals (50 words)
summarizing the overall experience and insights gained. Take into account the following
questions:
- What are the most common job interview questions?
- How can I effectively respond to interview questions in English?
- How can I improve my confidence when speaking English?

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Submission Instructions:
Compile the portfolio (4 parts) into a single PDF document. Upload the file on Classroom by
the deadline.

Rubric for Evaluating Job Interview Preparation Portfolio

Criteria Exemplary (5) Proficient (4) Developing (3) Beginning (2) Incomplete (1)
Clear
Clear, concise,
introduction, Introduction is Introduction is Missing or
and well-written
Introduction but may lack present but lacks minimal and incomplete
introduction.
some detail. clarity or detail. unclear. introduction.
(30 words)
(20 words)
Answers are Answers are Answers are Answers are
clear, accurate, mostly clear present but may minimal and Answers are
Practice
and use and use lack clarity or lack clarity or incomplete or
Responses
appropriate appropriate appropriate appropriate unclear.
vocabulary. vocabulary. vocabulary. vocabulary.
Vocabulary Vocabulary and Vocabulary and
Vocabulary and
Vocabulary and reading Vocabulary and reading reading
reading
/Reading exercises are reading exercises exercises exercises are
exercises are
Exercises mostly may have errors. contain several incomplete or
accurate.
accurate. errors. missing.
Conclusion is
Clear, concise,
clear but may Conclusion is Conclusion is Conclusion is
and well-written
Conclusion lack some present but lacks minimal and incomplete or
conclusion. (50
detail. (30 clarity or detail. unclear. missing.
words)
words)
Portfolio is Portfolio is
Portfolio is well- Portfolio is Portfolio is
present but may minimal and
organized, free organized and disorganized or
Presentation have some disorganized
of errors, and mostly free of has many
organizational with several
easy to follow. errors. errors.
issues or errors. errors.

Total Score: ____ / 25 (25 x 2 = 5.0)

Grading Scale:

• 4-5 points: Exemplary

• 3-4 points: Proficient
• 2-3 points: Developing
• 1-2 points: Beginning
• 0-1 points: Incomplete

This rubric provides a clear, concise, and structured way to evaluate the final project, ensuring that
students are assessed fairly on all components of their work.