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situation
Your careers advisor is running workshops on job interview skills.
To get you started, the careers advisor will teach you how to
handle job interview questions.

What you will learn:

• how to predict interview questions
• how to prepare responses to interview questions

Note The careers advisor gives you a sample job advertisement. Read the advertisement.
A curriculum vitae, or
CV for short, is also
called a résumé, and The Department of Health is accepting applications for the position of
refers to a document
containing the details YOUTH HEALTH AMBASSADOR
of your qualifications
and work experience.
This exciting position will involve promoting healthy living in Hong Kong to
residents living in all parts of the territory.
Applicants must:
• have a friendly, polite and confident personality
• be outgoing and energetic
• speak fluent Cantonese, English and Putonghua
• practise the principles of healthy living
• be prepared to travel to different areas of Hong Kong to appear at
events and workshops, or conduct interviews
Please send your CV and covering letter to [email protected].
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a group interview.

To make sure you have a good idea of what is expected of applicants, answer the following questions briefly.

1 What personal qualities will the interviewer be expecting to see from candidates?

2 What skills will the interviewer be expecting to see from candidates?

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3 What specific knowledge should candidates have?

4 What could an applicant do to stand out at the group interview?

The careers advisor wants you to learn how to predict job interview questions and how to prepare
responses to them. Read the following information he gives you.

Predicting job interview questions

One way of preparing for a job interview is to make a list of possible interview questions and
prepare answers for them. Before you can do this, you have to predict what questions will be asked.
This can be done using clues that reveal what interviewers will expect of applicants. Below are some
questions that might be asked during an interview for the Youth Health Ambassador position:

Sample question 1
Sample question 3
We require an outgoing and
energetic person for the job. You say you practise the
In what ways are you principles of healthy living. Can
outgoing and energetic? you give us some examples?

•Q
 uestions asking for proof of
 uestions related to job
•Q the skills or qualities that you
requirements listed on the . claim you have might be asked.
advertisement might be asked

Sample question 2 Sample question 4

What qualities do you have Suppose you’re at an anti-drugs
that make you suitable to event at a school. How would you go
be a health ambassador? about explaining the negative effects
of drug abuse to your audience?

 uestions about qualities

•Q • P ractical questions abou
t im
that make you suitable for scenarios and problem-solvi agined
the job might be asked. might be asked. ng
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Preparing responses to interview questions

Prepare answers to your list of possible interview questions in point form. As a rule of thumb,
no matter what the question is, you should use your response to show your strengths, the
advantages of hiring you and that you are confident about your abilities.

Read the following suggested responses to the sample questions on the previous page. Match each
response to the question by writing the correct number (1–4) in the space provided.

Response to question Response to question

As a teenager, I’ve known a few Certainly. One thing I insist on
friends who have experienced drug doing every day is having
abuse. So one thing I would do as breakfast. I believe starting the
a health ambassador is to tell day with a good, healthy meal is
stories about the horrible things very important for our well-being.
they’ve been through, and how The other thing is regular exercise.
they regretted doing drugs before I ride my bicycle to school every
they got clean. day, which takes 30 minutes, even
though I could take a 10-minute
bus ride.

Response to question Response to question

I think my biggest strength is that I’m outgoing and energetic. My
I can communicate easily with favourite weekend activities are
people around my own age. If I hiking and canoeing. In fact, I’m
became a health ambassador, I the chairperson of my school’s
would use my experience to Canoeing Club. We have regular
encourage my peers to live meetings and once a week go
healthily, like I do. canoeing in Sai Kung. I believe my
active lifestyle sets a good example
to my peers.

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Your turn
The careers advisor wants you to try predicting job interview questions and preparing responses to them.
He gives you the following job advertisement.

Greenwood Youth Centre is hiring Summer Interns (admin clerks)

Applicants must be at least 16 years old, be fluent in Cantonese, English and Putonghua,
have a strong knowledge of computers, including document and spreadsheet processing,
and have the ability to interact with others in a friendly, welcoming manner.
Interns may be required to hold summer homework help groups and assist instructors at
tutorial sessions. Tutoring experience is a plus.
The job is part-time and interns can choose to work from 11 am to 4 pm or 1 pm to 6 pm.
Please send your application letter and CV to [email protected].

Form groups of 4–6. Discuss what questions might be asked during the interview and make a list. Then
discuss the best responses to the questions. Before you start, read the following information and learn
how to check understanding and ask for explanation during your discussion.

Checking understanding
Developing Skills: Speaking  and asking for explanation
When we speak, we sometimes need to check others’ understanding and whether they
need us to repeat anything. Similarly, if we do not understand what someone is talking
about, we should politely ask for explanation. The following are some common expressions
used for these two purposes:
Checking understanding Asking for explanation
Do you understand what I mean? (Sorry.) What do you mean by …?
Do you see my point? Could you explain that to me, please?
What I’m trying to say is … Sorry, I didn’t get that. Would you mind
saying/explaining that again, please?

At the end of your discussion, practise your responses to the predicted questions in a role play.
Take turns to be the interviewer and the interviewee. 55