Episode 0250

My name is Catherine and as you've probably noticed on our website, this is one of many different parts of a series all about having an interview in English. This is a job interview and at this point we're at about part seven.

That's right. So today what we're going to talk about is the key question whenever you're having a job interview is they ask you to describe your key strengths. And this is our word of vocabulary preview today. So let's take a look at it.

Okay, so you might have heard the word strength before. This is something that you're good at. And so key strength or key strengths plural would be things that you think are most important about you as far as the things that you do well.

That's right. So as we mentioned, your boss or your potential boss might ask you to describe your key strengths. So you're going to mention a lot of adjectives, positive adjectives saying how how good of a worker you are. So, why don't we listen to our dialogue, let's see what Rebecca has to say about her key strengths and uh, we'll look at those in a little bit.

Okay, Rebecca, now you've given me a good idea of your work and academic background, but what about you as a person? How would you describe your key strengths?

Well, Mr. Parsons, as I mentioned before, I'm someone who needs new challenges. I'm very focused and hard-working. I think my academic results prove this.

Yes, true. But how about other personal qualities?

What would you say is your most positive quality?

Hmm, that's a tough question. But I would have to say my passion. I'm really passionate about journalism and passionate about my career.

All right, so she obviously has a lot of good key strengths. Why don't we analyze a couple of those on language takeaway.

So one of the first things that Rebecca mentions is that she's really focused. Okay, so this this word focused, what does this mean?

All right. So if a person is focused, uh basically you're saying that you concentrate on your work.

That's right. And someone who's focused might be very good in a noisy office or in a place that is full of distractions like you said, because they don't stop their work and think about the noise or move around or go talk to people. Someone who is focused just sits down and can do a lot of work all at once.

That's right. So she describes herself as focused and hard-working.

So hard-working means basically what it sounds like. That someone works very hard. That means they put in a lot of hours, they can um, they get their work done, they're really, really dependable.

That's right. So as you as you can see, we use the word hard-working together. So if you work hard, you don't say I I work hard. You can say that but if you want to use it as an as an adjective, you say I am hard-working.

The opposite, of course, would be lazy.

That's right. Okay. So, uh, we're focused, we're hard-working and she also said that she is a good team player.

Okay, this is a really key phrase here because it's something that employers, so people who are hiring new staff like to look out for because most jobs you don't work alone. You work with other people. And so a team player is someone who works well in a group or works well with others.

That's right. So a team player. Everyone wants to have a good team player working for their team, for their company. And apart from being a good team player, you also want to be enthusiastic.

That's right. Okay. So an enthusiastic person, not only can be about working. You can be enthusiastic about anything about uh, I don't know, painting your house about uh going on a trip.

All right. And our last word for language takeaway is also a good quality to have if you are passionate about what you do or what you're doing.

So someone who is passionate about something really, really likes that thing. That means that they uh love to do it or love to see it. Um passion is the opposite of not interested. Okay. So you're really, really emotional and excited and interested in something.

That's right. So you are passionate about something. Uh, it comes from the noun passion. So you have a passion for painting maybe. You love to paint. So you're very passionate about painting.

Mhm. So a lot of great adjectives there to describe yourself in a good way. Why don't we listen to our dialogue again and we'll be back with fluency builder.

Okay, Rebecca. Now you've given me a good idea of your work and academic background, but what about you as a person? How would you describe your key strengths?

Well, Mr. Parsons, as I mentioned before, I'm someone who needs new challenges. I'm very focused and hard-working. I think my academic results prove this.

Yes, true. But how about other personal qualities?

What would you say is your most positive quality?

Hmm, that's a tough question. But I would have to say my passion. I'm really passionate about journalism and passionate about my career.

All right. So on fluency builder today, we've picked out three key phrases. Let's take a look at the first one. When Rebecca said, I'm someone who needs new challenges.

Okay, so this this structure I'm someone who is something that you hear a lot of and you can actually fill in the end of that sentence with a number of different phrases. So in here, we heard, I'm someone who needs new challenges. We could also say, I'm someone who needs structure.

All right. So we can also change the verb, right? From needs to, I'm someone who likes a challenge.

Mhm.

Or maybe Tracy is someone who requires a lot of attention.

Right. So this is a a way to introduce a characteristic of yourself. Uh, so you're telling people something about yourself.

Okay, very good. So, uh, moving on we also saw that Rebecca said that she is fun to work with. I'm fun to work with.

Okay, so let's just treat this like a little fixed phrase. Um, we say this about people all the time. He's fun to work with, she's fun to work with or this group is really fun to work with. They're all really fun to work with.

So that means that uh, it's not serious that you really enjoy doing it. So it's a little fixed phrase that you can use to say that, you know, it's nice to work with with uh Rebecca or that she's very, you know, not serious, not a not a mean person.

That's right. And finally, we have a a phrase at the end, Rebecca gets a hears a question. She thinks it's very difficult. She calls it a tough question. And so a tough question is something that is very hard to answer.

That's right. She says, that's a tough question. So she's basically acknowledging the fact that the question is difficult, a tough question. Now we can combine this word tough with other things.

That's right. You can say it's a tough situation. That means it's a hard situation to handle. You could also say he's having a tough time. That means that right now in his life, there are many things that are difficult for him. And so tough means difficult or hard or unpleasant.

Okay, very good. So a lot of good stuff coming from Rebecca, uh mentioning all the positive things about her. Why don't we listen to our dialogue one last time.

Okay, Rebecca, now you've given me a good idea of your work and academic background, but what about you as a person? How would you describe your key strengths?

Well, Mr. Parsons, as I mentioned before, I'm someone who needs new challenges. I'm really focused and hard-working. I think my academic results prove this.

Yes, true. But how about other personal qualities?

What would you say is your most positive quality?

Hmm, that's a tough question. But I would have to say my passion. I'm really passionate about journalism and passionate about my career.

All right. So talking about key strengths. I I think it's always difficult to talk about yourself and still sound a little bit humble, right? To not sound like arrogant, like saying I'm the best.

Right. Well, that's the key here, I think. You want to say really good things about yourself because you're a salesperson and you're selling your personality. But at the same time, you don't want to sound like a jerk. Like I'm the best, I'm so smart, I'm so clever. That's a little bit off-putting. It makes people uncomfortable. So I think the trick is a balance.

Right. And I guess if you use uh words such as this like, you know, I'm focused, I'm hard-working. I uh I'm independent, I have a passion for this. It makes you sound like uh, you know, like you're a really good worker but you're not arrogant. You're not saying, oh, well, you know, I'm I'm the best of what I do or something like that.

Right. So you're basically saying these are my skills, but, you know, obviously I'm not the only person who has these great skills.

That's right. Okay. So that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to join us uh next week. We're also going to have kind of part two of this when we talk about our weaknesses. So this this time we talked about our strengths, then we'll talk about weaknesses.

That's right. So we hope that you will check out our website englishpod.com. If you have questions or comments, leave them there for us and we'll be in touch very soon.

The English Pod audio review.

Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.

A quality that makes someone effective or useful.

Strength.

Giving attention and effort to a specific task.

Focus.

Worked hard.

Hardworking.

Show the truth by some evidence.

Prove.

Group of people who work together to achieve a common goal.

Team.

Person taking part in a sporting event.

Player.

Good.

Positive.

Have a lot of interest in or passion for a particular.

Passionate.

Enthusiasm that one has when doing things.

Passion.

Let's try that faster.

Show the truth by some evidence.

Prove.

Giving attention and effort to a specific task.

Focus.

Group of people who work together to achieve a common goal.

Team.

Enthusiasm that one has when doing things.

Passion.

Have a lot of interest in or passion for a particular.

Passionate.

Person taking part in a sporting event.

Player.

A quality that makes someone effective or useful.

Strength.

Worked hard.

Hardworking.

Good.

Positive.

Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.

Strength.

Many companies shifted strategies to focus more on their core strengths.

Strength.

Our company is making great progress, removing from strength to strength.

Strength.

Bill's greatest strength is his ability to solve problems.

Focus.

Everyone, please, I need you all focus on the work at hand.

Focus.

Don't distract Lillian, she's really focused on getting the report finished by dawn.

Focus.

Keep your eyes focused on my finger as I move it.

Hardworking.

John makes up for his lack of experience by being hardworking.

Hardworking.

The HR department is looking for two hardworking engineers.

Hardworking.

Ants are extremely hardworking insects.

Team.

Some basketball stars are really talented, but they're not team players.

Team.

We need someone who can both work independently and be a good team player.

Team.

I'm just not sure Ryan has the ability to work as a team player.

Passionate.

Jane is really passionate about human rights issues.

Passionate.

How could anyone be passionate about accounting?

Passionate.

Their relationship was passionate, but not long-lasting.

English Pod audio review.