外企面试最常见的36个英文问题

2013-01-02

声明：本博客欢迎转发，但请保留原作者信息!
作者：[罗勇] 云计算工程师、敏捷开发实践者
博客：http://yongluo2013.github.io/
微博：http://weibo.com/u/1704250760/

对外企的英文面试应该按照以下步骤来进行准备：

(1) 预测问题。这个环节不但能帮助你克服听力困难， 而且能缓解你在面试时候的紧张情绪。想象一下， 如果总是Pardon, Excuse me， 你怎么可能镇定自若？

(2) 书写答案。英语8级的牛人也会在英文面试时出现逻辑不清的情况， 因为流利和井井有条绝对不是同义词。笔者的亲身体会是， 越是英语流利的牛人， 越容易在面试的时候废话连篇， 逻辑混乱。

(3) 背诵答案。背诵三遍以内是结巴， 背诵十遍以内是流利的背诵， 而背诵二三十遍以上就不再是背诵， 而是滔滔不绝的自由表达！

(4) 若有所思。面试的时候， 在流利做答之前， 别忘了做思索状， 再加上个well， let me see……

衡量一个回答是否精彩， 只有一个标准： 这个回答中， 体现了申请人的什么特征？这些特征是优点还是缺点？如果是优点， 是否刚好适合所申请职位的优点？

一、 Personal Information 关于个人信息的问题

1. What’s the meaning of your English name? 你的英文名字有什么含义么？

问题分析： 有些申请人的英文名字不合常规， 比如叫King， 或者Sushi， 或者Monk等等。面试官询问这些申请人名字的含义， 主要有几个目的： 第一， 缓解面试的紧张气氛； 第二， 面试官也有一点点好奇心； 第三， 给申请人一个展示自己独特个性的机会， 因为敢于给自己起独特名字的人往往具有很独特的个性， 这些人希望引起别人的注意。

普通回答： Actually, Sushi is my nickname. My friends gave me this name because I like to eat the Japanese food sushi.

点评： 这个回答体现出你是个什么样的人呢？在中国吃寿司价格不菲， 如果吃寿司吃到了朋友给你起了“寿司”这个外号的地步， 这个申请人一定不会是囊中羞涩的人。同志们想一下， 我们在面试的时候， 是把自己伪装成“艰苦朴素”， 还是“锦衣玉食”呢？即使现如今寿司已经跌价到人尽可食的地步， 你这个回答也只是在告诉面试官： 嘿， 我可是个好吃的人啊！比较一下以下的这个回答， 你就知道哪个更胜一筹了。

回答示范1： As a matter of fact, Sushi is a nickname my friends gave me, because I like sushi and like to make sushi. I can make about ten different kinds of sushi! My friends say that my personality is a bit like sushi, simple but good, hehe.

点评1： 与刚才的回答相比， 这个回答体现出你是个什么样的人呢？一个擅长制作寿司的女孩子一定是动手能力比较强的， 而且喜欢做一些琐碎小事的人。同时， 把寿司的优点引申成自己的个性优点： 简单而美好， 真是一个不错的比喻。

回答示范2： The name King may sound a bit aggressive, I hope it won’t make you feel uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, I chose the name King simply because it sounds like my Chinese name Jing. But, there is also a hidden meaning in it, that is, I wish to conquer diseases like a King!

点评2： 如果你给自己起了一个类似“国王”这样比较aggressive的名字， 就得想好怎么样解释才能让面试官知道你并不是一个过分aggressive的人。这个回答体现了该申请人热爱自己医生职业的特点。

回答示范3： My given name in Chinese is Meng, so I chose Monk to be my English name. I admire the spirit of monks, you know, abstinence and tolerance.

点评3： 回答得妙呀， 不仅仅真实， 而且展现了自己的独特个性， 告诉面试官自己身上有和尚般的优秀品质： 克制欲望、 容忍。面试官只要不想嫁给你， 就一定会喜欢这样的回答。

1. What’s the meaning of your email address? 你的电子邮件地址有什么寓意么？

问题分析： 当代青年男女个性张扬， 所以连email地址也颇为独特。令笔者或迷惑或微笑的email 地址有很多， 比如neverlazy, bighead, lazyfish, 52n52n, yulovehong等等。与上一个问题一样， 善于交流的面试官往往乐于给你一个机会展示自己的个性。

较差回答： Lazyfish? Oh, I admire the goldfish for living an easy life. Compared to goldfish, human beings live a fast-paced life. So I chose this email address to make me feel a bit relaxed.

点评： 个性倾向于过慵懒的生活， 唉！

较差回答： 52n52n? oh, it means “I love you, I love you,” because 5 sounds like “I” in Chinese, and 2 for “love”, n for “you”. I registered this address to please my girlfriend, hehe.

点评： 公开示爱？啧啧， 除了他的女朋友会觉得甜蜜蜜， 别的人一律会露出特虚伪的笑容或胃里泛酸。唉！

回答示范： Neverlazy? Oh, I want to encourage myself never to be lazy! You know I am a hardworking person. So, it’s my slogan!

点评： 在email地址中都要给自己励志的女子， 一定是个超级工作狂， 好呀！ (这名女子如愿进入了宝洁公司的CBD部门。)

1. Where are you from? Where is your hometown? 你是哪里人？家乡在什么地方？

问题分析： 很多老外在中国工作居住多年， 甚至自诩为中国通， 他们可能会顺便问问你是哪里人， 拉近和你的距离。

回答示范1： I was born and raised in the city of Wuhan. As far as I know, our company has a branch office near Hanzheng Street, and it’s quite a big office.

点评1： 这个回答说出了该公司在武汉的地址， 展示了一下自己提前所做的功课。

回答示范2： Well, my hometown is a small town which you probably have never heard of. The name of the town is Dehui, which means “good moral” in Chinese. The town is located in the middle of China’s Northeast. When you look at the map, it looks like the eye of the rooster. You know, China looks like a rooster on the map, and the Northeast region looks just like the head of the rooster. My hometown “Good Moral Town” is unknown to most people because it’s quite poor. The average income for a family is less than one thousand RMB per month.

点评2： 绝妙的回答！一方面生动地告诉外国面试官， 你的家乡是东北这个鸡头上眼睛部位的一个小县城， 另一方面， 让他知道你家乡的人们平均一个月才不到1,000元的收入， 令日入斗金的老外颇为欷觑。让他欷觑了， 你就被记住了。被记住， 是被录取的前提。

二、 Education 关于教育背景的问题

1. Why did you select your major area of study? 你为什么选择了这个专业？

问题分析： 外国面试官更喜欢提“为什么”的问题， 他希望申请人是一个有主见的人。

回答示范1： I was quite good at mathematics and physics back in high school so I chose a related major, Telecommunications. I also applied for the major of computer science. You know, these two majors are the hottest these years.

点评1： 实话实说。

回答示范2： As a matter of fact, I didn’t select the major of Geography Education at all, because I have never wanted to be a teacher. I had chosen Business Administration, Economics and Logistics Management when I applied to Zhongshan University, but unfortunately I failed to get into these hottest majors. The score I got on the College Entrance Examination was about ten points less than the minimum requirement. The school allocated me to a cold major, Geography Education, hehe. Luckily, I could select a second focus. I chose Public Relations Management to be my minor area of study. What was that saying? “When God closes the door, he opens a window.” Hehe.

点评2： 这个回答似乎很长， 但是却不得不这么长。这是一个典型的中国特色， 如果你的分数够不上第一志愿， 学校就把你打入某一个“冷宫”专业去， 而你为了进入这所一流的大学不得不屈服。这种怪现象制造出很多感觉自己比窦娥还冤的“冤男怨女”， 学着“地理教育”却痛恨从事教师职业， 学着“国际政治”却连国际新闻都懒得看！这个回答的优点在于： 第一， 向外国面试官普及了一下中国特色； 第二， 强调了自己对商业和管理一贯的热诚； 第三， 告诉对方其实自己高考只差10分才没进去最热门的专业； 第四， 自己是个不轻言放弃的人， 主修学不成用辅修来弥补； 第五， 把上帝拉进来， 显出你的幽默。

回答示范3： I selected Business English as I was quite good at English back in high school. Apart from this, my high school teachers recommended that I select a major related to business, since I showed some good qualities for business management at a young age. So, I chose this major, business plus English, two in one, hehe.

点评3： 这个回答强调了自己的两大优点： 第一， 英语好； 第二， 早在高中就已经是老师心目中适合从商的人。自夸而不着痕迹， 实在是高哇！

1. What subjects were your favorite? Why? 你最喜欢的课程是什么， 为什么？

问题分析： 与中国面试官一样， 对于应届毕业生， 外国面试官经常问问有关学业方面的问题。面试官喜欢的申请人， 是对自己专业的优缺点分析得头头是道的人。

回答示范1： I liked Marketing Principles and Sales Management because the two courses provided us with the most up-to-date information on marketing and sales, including the origin and development of some famous brands, Pepsi, Nestle, and the local brands, Lining, Wang-lao-ji and so on. I felt that I already stepped into the business world when studying these courses. They were fantastic!

点评1： 喜欢的专业和自己申请的职业有紧密关联， 而且提到知名品牌的名字， 很容易使人产生共鸣。

回答示范2： I like the subjects that include lots of experiments, for example, CAD and Circuit Design. I found that I can learn more quickly by doing experiments than only studying the theories. I guess it’s partly because I am good with my hands, and doing experiments gives me a chance to learn in a creative way.

点评2： 利用课程说到自己“善于动手”和“有创造力”的优点， 不错。

回答示范3： My favorite courses are mostly in my minor area of study, Public Relations, as my major Geography Education is not really my interest. I like the courses of PR Crisis, Corporate Image and Media Relations not only because their content is interesting and useful, but also because they are taught in a very interactive way. Most teachers have an overseas MBA degree so they taught us as MBA students. It’s really cool, you know, we usually did the case studies on our own first, and then presented our opinions in front of the whole class. I loved those subjects!

点评： 的确有很多同学并不喜欢自己的主修课程， 那么， 请像这位同学一样， 告诉面试官你真正的兴趣在哪里。

1. What subjects were your least favorite? Why? 你最不喜欢的课程是什么？为什么？

问题分析： 外国面试官往往更加辨证， 在问完成功经历后一定要追问失败经历， 问完喜欢什么科目之后也要问问不喜欢什么科目。

回答示范1： My least favorite courses include Marxism and Revolutionary History of China. I don’t like these subjects not because I am not a patriot─actually I love my country and I am fascinated by its revolutionary history. However, these subjects turned out to be disappointments as the textbooks and the ways they were taught were nothing but a repetition of the history subjects in our secondary school.

点评1： 在和老外面试的时候， 要注意文化差异， 他可能很难理解中国学生为什么不喜欢学“马哲”和“中国革命史”， 所以你需要解释一下， 这并非是我们不爱国， 而是这两门课程几十年如一日的老面孔， 学生在高中就已经学过， 老师也不愿意对教学法进行创新。

回答示范2： I found Macroeconomics and Microeconomics disappointing as well, for the reason that their information fell behind the times. For example, the exchange rate between RMB and USD stilled remained 8.3 : 1 in the text! You can imagine how disappointed we were. So I spent more time listening to the lectures on economics organized by the Student Union.

点评2： 这个答案相比而言更好一些， 因为它体现出了申请人对知识的渴望， 以及在课堂上得不到知识时如何去自我进修。

1. Other than the courses you studied, what is the most important thing you learned from your college experience? 除了学习方面， 你在大学里面最大的收获是什么？

问题分析： 外国面试官的思维往往非常直接， 他坚持认为， 只有在大学里面有巨大收获的人， 才能在工作岗位上取得巨大收获。所以说， 千万不要天真地说： 我在大学里学会了自理， 学会了安排自己的生活！晕， 这是baby的成就， 绝对不能拿到大学里面来说了!

回答示范1： Well, I think the most important thing I have learnt in university is how to set appropriate goals and see them through. You know it is so easy for university students to waste time if they don’t set goals, so I set demanding goals to motivate myself. One is that I decided to get scholarships each year, the other one is that I decided to be the leader of a club on campus. Neither was easy, but in more than three years, I managed to achieve both. (点评： 面试官一定会追问你是怎么实现两个目标的。) Getting scholarship wasn’t quite difficult for me. Running for Presidency of a club, however, was more difficult than I expected as there was so much competition. To achieve the goal I changed my strategy. I transferred from the Student Union to a newly-founded union. And within 6 months, I acquired more than 20 members and organized a few eye-catching activities. As a result, I became the leader of that club. I think I’ve learnt not only to set a demanding goal, but also how to overcome all the difficulties to achieve it.

点评1： 这是一个很漂亮的回答， 体现了自己的优点： 既能够给自己设立比较高的目标， 也擅长克服困难， 实现自己的目标。面试官最喜欢的人选， 就是这种“目标导向型”的申请人。

回答示范2： My biggest achievement in my college life, I think, is that I have learnt to make choices. You know, there are various activities and part time jobs on campus, each sounds attractive. I’ve carefully chosen some of them which can help to achieve my long term career goal. I have said “no” to lots of invitations, like the dancing contests each year. I only participated in one of them and decided that rehearsals occupy too much time. In my opinion, nothing is more important than making the right choice.

点评2： 这个回答符合我们一贯强调的“个性化”和“夸赞自己”两个原则。

1. How did you finance your college education? 你大学的费用是怎么样支付的？(家里供还是自己打工？)

问题分析： 很显然， 和中国面试官相比， 老外更加青睐在大学就有赚钱能力的候选人， 并坚持认为他们的独立性和能力比完全依赖父母的候选人要强得多。

回答示范： So far, my tuition and living expense are around 40,000 RMB. My parents offer two thirds of it and I pay the rest of it. I have been granted scholarship three times, making 5,000 RMB in total. Teaching and other part-time jobs made another 5,000.

点评： 很真实的回答， 同时也体现了自己的学习成绩好和社团活动很积极的优点。

三、 Experience 关于工作经验的问题

1. Would you briefly describe this company to me? 介绍一下你的原单位， 好吗？

问题分析： 当老外提出这个问题的时候， 他心里的疑问是： “这个公司我从来没有听说过， 是否是个名不见经传的小公司？”所以， 在向老外介绍自己工作单位的时候， 要着重强调公司的优点， 规模大的强调规模， 人数多的强调人数。如果你所在的公司业务总量很小， 你可以告诉面试官， 业务总量不大但是平均到每个员工的业务量却相当惊人！

回答示范： “广盛发”， the name means “a big, prosperous company”, hehe, although it’s not really a very big company. But, it’s true that the company is quite prosperous. It specializes in exporting women’s shoes. With only 10 employees so far the turnover last year was up to 15,000,000 RMB. I am one of the three customer service officers, with the responsibility of order taking, tracking and general customer service roles. Due to the limited number of staff, we all work more than 10 hours a day, 7 days a week in busy season.

点评： 很明显， 这个回答既体现了自己原来的公司的规模， 也暗示了自己能够适应繁忙工作的特点。

1. Would you describe your typical working day? 请你描述一下自己典型的一天的工作吧。

问题分析： 在这个问题上， 面试官希望捕捉到的信息点是： 第一， 这个家伙原来干的工作和我们现在这份工作到底有多少是类似的？第二， 他在原来工作单位表现到底怎么样？所以， 在描述自己的工作内容时， 要注意突出两个信息点： 第一， 用事实突出自己繁忙并且业绩不错的优点； 第二， 要着意强调一下和所申请工作类似的内容。

回答示范： Yes. I would arrive at office half an hour earlier as my boss often gives me a lot of work once he comes in, and I have to be ready for it. My responsibilities are mainly to assist the sales manager and representatives with order tracking, stock reporting, document preparation and translation, using Excel, Word and PowerPoint. When the reps are on a business trip, I will deal with their share. Two thirds of my work involves computers, working on tables and forms precisely and quickly. The rest of time is to take care of the managers and reps, you know, do what they need me to.

点评： 用事实说明自己是个敬业的人。在描述工作内容的时候， 有细节性描述， 也有总结性描述， 非常清晰。

1. Why do you want to leave your job? 你为什么要离职？

回答示范1： To be honest, the reason I quit is that I am not pleased by my current job. My current work is in a vocational high school. Maybe I have to explain a bit more here. In China, vocational high schools are designed for the less-advanced students or the ones wanting work instead of going to university to further their education. As a result, the social status and the pay in vocational high schools are not at all satisfactory. I can never become a professor in this school. So, although teaching makes me happy, I have to leave this job because I can’t have long-term career development here.

点评1： 相当一部分申请人辞职的原因都是为了“长远的职业发展”， 因为在目前的工作中“看不到前途和未来”或者“缺乏挑战和创新”。这些其实都是合理的理由， 但是， 务必要把看不到前途和未来的原因解释清楚， 要让面试官知道， 没有前途不是你个人能力缺乏所致， 而确实是客观因素使然。此外， 在涉及中国特殊现象的时候， 比如职业高中教育， 比如中等专科学校教育等等， 要把具体的情况解释清楚， 否则， 老外绝对不会了解中专教师为什么不像大学教师那么爽。

回答示范2： Mainly for the higher pay. I have been serving as an accountant for this joint venture for nearly 3 years and my salary increased from 1,800 to 2,300, a fair raise actually. In the last two performance evaluations, I got two Bs in a row. I can earn 3,000 only by becoming a director, which is almost impossible because the current one is stable and performs well; he is not likely to leave. But of course, I am not working only for money. Changing jobs is asking for trouble. I am doing so for my career. This position is similar to my current one, and the company is a quite large, suitable one for long-term development. So, here I am.

点评2： 一个中肯的回答， 既诚实地告诉面试官自己似乎为钱而跳槽， 也告诉了他自己在原岗位上没有拿到更高的薪水并非是工作表现不好， 而是受到了公司规章制度的限制。同时， 也强调了自己已经在原单位效忠3年的良好记录。不错！

回答示范3： The former company hasn’t done well in the past 2 years, they have to make some redundancy and our department is lucky enough to be one of them. What a pity.

点评3： 公司裁员很少发生， 不过如果事实如此， 你需要解释出自己被裁减的原因是因为整个部门被关闭， 而不是你个人表现欠佳而被裁减。同时， 展示了一下自己的幽默， 很好。

回答示范4： Frankly speaking, I want to leave the job simply because I’m attracted by the position you offer. Compared with my current employer, Global Market is so much more renowned, offering a secure job and a long-term development. My current employer now offers an okay salary, but the career opportunities here are very limited because the size of business is relatively small. I think you can understand my choice.

点评4： 很真实， 90%的人都是为了“更好的发展”而离职， 不妨实话实说也罢。

回答示范5： I quit the job to study English. In my last job I should use English to communicate with foreigners but frankly speaking, my English wasn’t good enough. I knew I could perform better if my English was better. Finally, after two years of struggling with English, I decided to quit the job and recharge myself. I went to New Oriental School to study English.

点评5： 确实有很多人辞职学英语。如果你要使用这个万无一失的答案， 请务必确定一点： 你的英语一定已经相当合格了！否则无疑是自暴其短。

1. Describe the employee you most enjoy working with. 你最喜欢和什么样的同事一起合作？

问题分析： 在这个问题上， 面试官希望了解的是： 第一， 这份工作是否会令你开心； 第二， 你所欣赏的人往往就是你的影子(心理学家如是说)， 比如说， 如果你说自己欣赏爽直的人， 往往你就是这样一个人！

回答示范1： I enjoy working with straightforward people, partly because I am a straightforward person myself. I hope my colleagues will offer their honest suggestions and even criticisms to me. Frankly speaking, I am not very comfortable with those people who are too sensitive and always hesitate to express themselves.

点评1： 突出了自己的直爽的性格， 很好。

回答示范2： I enjoy working with positive-minded people who don’t complain too much. I find it uncomfortable to work with those who always complain. In my opinion, we either need to make improvements or accept the facts. Complaining is a total waste of time.

点评2： 这是一个令人喜欢的回答， 因为任何一个公司里都有大量的“怨男怨女”， 令人反感却无可奈何。如果能多招聘几个“阳光男女”进公司， 岂不美哉。

回答示范3： I enjoy working with those who are action makers. I don’t like to work with big talkers or those who are very slow to react. I am a quick person myself, so I prefer to work with the people of the same kind.

点评3： 大家都喜欢风风火火的人， 只要不忙中出错就好。

回答示范4： Well, I like to work with those who are good at planning because they can always make a strong team with me. I am a detail person, and I need to work with big picture planners to achieve the best results.

点评4： 善于利用别人的长处弥补自己的不足， 不错。

1. What is an ideal boss like? 你最喜欢的老板是什么样子的？

问题分析： 和上个问题一样， 面试官希望了解的是： 第一， 这份工作是否会让你满意？第二， 你一定会效仿你的老板， 如果你说自己喜欢的老板是能吃苦耐劳的， 那么你往往是一个吃苦耐劳的人； 如果你说喜欢自己的老板是高屋建瓴的， 那么你往往也是一个颇为注重宏观规划的人。要格外注意的是， 如果面试你的人恰恰就是你未来的老板， 那么这个问题可要小心了， 如果你所做的描述和他的个性风马牛不相及， 可能令面试功亏一篑。

普通回答： I like democratic bosses. They can give me enough room to develop on my own, rather than giving instructions to me for every small detail.

点评： 这个回答比较危险， 明显地表现出该申请人追求“自由化”的性格特点， 会令很多面试官觉得心里一沉。所以说， 在回答这个问题的时候， 要走“保守主义”路线， 尽量不要给人一种“初生牛犊不怕虎”的感觉， 而要表现出谦虚谨慎、 积极、 诚恳等特点。再者说， 这个回答明显在给老板提要求， 当你对比下面这个回答示范的时候， 你就会明白一个道理： 给老板提要求， 远远不如请老板给自己提要求令人喜欢。

回答示范1： Ideal boss? Well, I prefer strict bosses. Although working with strict bosses means a lot of pressure, I can grow fast with them. For new graduates, nothing is more important than developing our abilities as fast as we can.

点评1： 主动请老板为自己加压， 多么可爱可敬的人， 善哉！工作经验有所欠缺的申请人， 不妨向面试官表表这样的态度。

回答示范2： Ideal boss? Let me see. Well, in my opinion, an ideal boss can effectively motivate his or her subordinates by encouraging good performance and punishing poor performance. I will feel highly motivated to do a good job if I know my boss would reward me for excellent performance.

点评2： 好！一个希望老板能“奖惩分明”员工， 往往是很自信能够做出优良表现的员工。

1. What were the best aspects of your last job? 在上一份工作中， 你最喜欢的是什么地方？

问题分析： 在这个问题上， 面试官要捕捉的信息点是： 第一， 这个申请人是个什么样的人？如果你是一个小秘书却喜欢有挑战， 那么你很可能还停留在好高骛远的不成熟阶段； 如果你喜欢原来的老板给你很大的自由发展空间， 那么你很可能是个“自由派”， 不太喜欢约束， 等等； 第二， 你所申请的工作到底是否会让你满意？如果这一份工作内容和你最喜欢的工作内容大相径庭， 比如说， 你喜欢有挑战而偏偏这份工作很细节， 那么面试官可能会因为“自惭形秽”而拒绝你的申请。所以， 你所强调的最喜欢的地方一定要在新工作中Yesterday once more才行。

回答示范1： The best aspect of my last job? Let me see. Well, I think it was the trust of my boss. He gave me lots of room to develop myself, you know, letting me shoulder responsibilities. And I didn’t let him down. I did a good job.

点评1： 一个令前任老板信任的员工， 更有可能赢得未来老板的信任。

回答示范2： The best aspect of my job, well, is that I can learn a lot from others. As you can imagine Carrefour has a team of high-quality staff. When working with these people I can learn a lot, you know, their attitude to see things, the way they work.

点评2： 乐于向别人学习的人， 我们喜欢!

回答示范3： The best aspect of my job? I think it’s the team I work with. As a sales assistant I work with the sales reps on a daily basis. It’s so interesting to work with them, as you can imagine the sales reps are all active and humorous guys. I can learn so much from them. After working with them for a year and a half, I feel I have “inherited” their good traits. I’m tougher, more positive and a lot better at pleasing others, hehe.

点评3： 很多人都会说自己工作最好的地方是拥有一群好同事， 但是只有在你给出细节之后才能打动面试官。这个答案很棒， 既夸了自己的团队， 也夸奖了自己。

回答示范4： The best aspect of my job? I think it’s the fast pace of it. I’m kept busy by my clients. You know I had two jobs, and compared with the first job, which was dead quiet, I like the second busy job so much better. It makes me feel much more satisfied with myself.

点评4： 用事实说明自己是喜欢繁忙工作的人， 善哉！

1. What were the worst aspects of your last job? 在上一份工作中， 你最讨厌的是什么地方？

问题分析： 这是一个比较棘手的一个问题， 说得虚伪了没有人相信， 说得太真实又唯恐令面试官反感。

回答示范1： The worst aspect of my current job is definitely lack of job security. My pay was delayed twice in the four months since I’ve worked there. I joined this company in hope of helping the boss to grow a small business into a bigger one. However, it proved a lot more difficult than I expected. The boss is very reluctant to invest in promotion. As a result, business has been rather slow.

点评1： 职位不稳定， 薪水不能保证， 这的确是份糟糕的工作。不过， 别忘记告诉面试官， 这可不是你的错儿。

回答示范2： I have to work six days a week in my current job. You know it’s against the Labor Law but it’s the normal practice in many factories in Dongguan. It would be quite alright for me to work on Saturday occasionally, but certainly not every Saturday.

点评2： 很真实的回答。如果是我， 早就从这个每周六都要上班的鬼单位辞职了。人权哪， 同志们， 尤其是珠三角一带的同志们， 让我们齐声高唱： 起来， 起来， 不愿意一周干六天的人们， 冒着老板冷冷的眼神， 辞职， 辞职， 辞职！

回答示范3： The worst part of my current job is that it’s too quiet. As it’s a branch liaison office it only has five people. And I don’t have enough workload. Sometimes I have little to do for the whole week! I really feel bored of working there. I’d like to have a busier job. You know, more responsibilities, more sense of achievement.

点评3： 因为工作太清闲而辞职， 这样的人儿谁不爱？No work, no future. 年轻的你就应该忙碌起来。

1. What were some of your achievements in your last job? 在上一份工作中， 你有哪些成就？

问题分析： 一个颠扑不破的面试哲学是： 在上一份工作中有成就的， 才有可能在新工作中有成就。在回答这个问题的时候， 一般要遵守一个原则： 用事实与数字说话。

回答示范1： I was named “Employee of the Year,” for the highest level of accuracy of all 18 bank tellers last year.

点评1： 一个言简意赅而又强大的回答： 既说出了所得到的奖励， 而且列出了获奖原因， 同时又告诉面试官自己在18人中是最佳的。

回答示范2： I increased sales approximately 100% in three years. Last year I personally sold 1.5 million Yuan worth of services and was ranked number 2 in the entire company among 14 sales reps.

点评2： 如果是做销售的同志， 只能用数字来说明自己的业绩。

回答示范3： I suggested to my boss that we should create a new type of customer satisfaction survey. This suggestion was applied later and effectively reduced customer complaints.

点评3： 对于没有得到过什么奖励的申请人， 一个比较好的办法就是告诉面试官， 自己的一个好建议被老板采纳， 取得了非常不错的效果。

1. What were some of the disappointments in your last job? 在上一份工作中， 你比较失望的地方或者失败是什么？

问题分析： 这个问题相当棘手。太真实可能会吓坏面试官， 太虚伪又没法令人相信。比较好的应对方式是， 给对方列举一些非致命的失败， 同时， 这些失败是由于自己所订立的目标比较高。

普通回答： Disappointments? There were some. I couldn’t get an A in the annual evaluation. I got B, which was not bad, but certainly not good enough.

点评： 这个回答太圆滑， 明显在利用“失败”夸自己向来高标准严要求。面试官最不喜欢这种自作聪明的人。

回答示范： I failed to achieve the sales target last year, I sold a million and a half but the target was two million. Our Beijing headquarters is having some problems and can’t provide effective pre-sales support for us. Failing to reach the target is a big disappointment for me.

点评： 一个很好的回答， 体现出了一个销售人员对完成任务的强烈的渴望， 同时也顺便带出了自己完不成任务的客观理由。

1. How would you evaluate the progress you made in your last job? 你如何来评价自己在上一份工作中的表现？

问题分析： 对于在上一份工作中表现平平的申请人， 这个问题简直如芒刺在背， 痛苦啊。但是， 哪怕面壁三天、 掘地三尺也要想出一两个你在上一份工作中的亮点， 否则， 只能在面试时芒刺在背了。

回答示范1： I am very proud of the progress I made in my last job. I joined the company as a new hand, but after only a year and a half, I was promoted to team leader. I could achieve such a rapid progress partly because my last job was in a small firm. If I can make the same progress in a large company like GE, I would be prouder.

点评1： 回答得非常好， 既吹嘘了自己的迅速成长， 也诚恳地指出自己是个羊群里的骆驼， 在小公司里才能获得如此快速的提升。

回答示范2： Well, I would give myself 70% if 100 means full satisfaction. I had some achievements in my last job. For example, I got 80-89% in the annual evaluation last year, which was 60%. The promotion program I organized on Wangfujing Road was highly successful and my client was very pleased. However, the results of several other programs were not quite satisfactory due to some reasons I couldn’t control. Actually that’s why I want to quit.

点评2： 这个回答可能更符合多数申请人的实际情况： 有成就， 也有失败。

1. What pressures did you have in your last job and how did you manage them? 你工作中有什么压力， 你是怎么样应付的？

问题分析： 平庸的人往往感受不到压力， 有能力的人往往在工作中遭遇很大的压力， 同时， 他们处理压力的方法也是相当积极有效的。

回答示范1： In my current job, most pressure comes from the high sales target. It’s extremely difficult to meet the target because it’s a 30% increase over the sales of last year, and the sales of last year were already quite high. However, I can manage this pressure well because although I can’t meet the sales target, my sales abilities have never been challenged by my boss and others. Six out of seven sales reps can’t meet the target this year and I am actually quite close to it.

点评1： 虽然该申请人没有说出具体的应付压力的办法， 但是他告诉面试官他并不受压力所困， 因为自己的能力早已经被公认。这是一个很自信的回答。

回答示范2： Well, I have to meet deadlines in my current job. Some projects have a very tight schedule, and even if we do a lot of over time work it’s still hard to meet the deadline. This gives me a lot of pressure. Usually I manage the pressure by communicating honestly with my boss. If he can understand me I feel relaxed.

点评2： 非常入情入理的回答。做技术工作的人员通常为了赶项目而熬通宵， 而如果熬通宵也不能如期交付项目的话， 势必会造成心理压力。争取老板的理解， 的确是缓解压力的好办法。

回答示范3： There are many emergencies in my current job, you know, customer challenges, unexpected orders. As the customer service officer with the longest experience I am usually put in charge of handling emergencies， you know, like a firefighter. This gives me lots of pressure because I can’t let my boss down. I could handle these pressures well, partly because I’m used to them.

点评3： 这是个超级棒的回答， 它变相地告诉面试官， 自己是最资深的客户服务代表， 因此总是被派做“消防队员”， 自然要面临很大压力。而自信， 是对付压力的最好办法。

1. Sometimes a work assignment requires frequent travel. How do you feel about the prospect of frequent travel? 有时候工作需要你经常出差， 你怎么看？

问题分析： 如果你兴高采烈地说： “哦， 出差是免费旅游的好机会呀！”面试官只能哑然失笑或者苦笑， 因为你太天真了， 对于绝大多数人来说， 出差绝对不是“美差”而是“苦差”。所以， 在这个问题上， 面试官要捕捉的信息点有两个： 第一， 这个家伙成熟了没有？他对于这份职位本身的缺陷有没有心理上的准备？第二， 这个家伙到底会采用什么样的方法， 避免出差损害了自己的身体健康， 并令精神萎靡不振？所以说， 面试官不想听大话和空话， 他要听的是一些实实在在的小措施， 能够让你常出差而不会太辛苦。

回答示范1： I traveled a lot in my last job. I traveled almost every week. As far as I know, this job requires travel, but not every week. So it wouldn’t be worse than my last one.

点评1： 以事实来回答质疑， 永远是最上策。

回答示范2： I am very lucky that I can eat and sleep very well on trips. I’ve never been carsick, and even when sitting on a train I can sleep well. So, I never need to worry about frequent traveling.

点评2： 这是个很踏实很中肯的回答。有很多女性在出差的时候神经衰弱， 面有菜色， 凄惨无比， 老板当然希望你能够在出差时吃好、 睡好、 精神好。

回答示范3： I don’t worry about frequent travel because my daughter is taken care of by my parents, who are both well-educated scholars. It is not a big deal for them to educate a two-year-old little thing.

点评3： 有家庭有小孩的申请人要主动告诉面试官自己是如何处理家庭和工作的关系的。这是一个很博得人好感的回答， 有教授级的老爸老妈来带自己两岁的小家伙， 还有什么后顾之忧呢？

1. Most employees and bosses have some disagreements. How did you react to these disagreements in your last job? 很多雇员都和老板有意见相左的时候， 在上一份工作中， 你是如何处理和老板意见不同的情况的？

问题分析： 这个问题通常会提给有几年工作经验的申请人。在这个问题上， 面试官希望捕捉的信息点是： 第一， 他是一个有主见的人， 还是一个唯老板之命是从的人？第二， 他是更信任自己的老板， 还是更信任自己？第三， 在真正意见相左的时候， 他是否能够高效地解决问题？

回答示范1： My last boss was very democratic. He always listened to our opinions and gave us enough opportunities to defend them. So we never had any trouble communicating with each other when having disagreements.

点评1： 这个回答体现了对老板的赞赏。感恩， 是很令人欣赏的一种素质。

回答示范2： When I have disagreements with my boss, my first reaction is to double-check my opinions. My boss is an expert and he’s been proven right most of the time. If I do believe I’m right or partially right, I provide my boss with a detailed report listing all facts and numbers to prove my opinion. Because my boss is extremely busy, I need to make the report simple but powerful, to help him make the decision.

点评2： 这个回答体现出了该申请人的两个优点： 第一， 在意见不合的情况下， 他首先会信任自己的老板， 检视自己的意见。第二， 他会以事实和详细的数据来支持自己的观点， 帮助工作繁忙的老板做出决策。善哉！

四、 Position and Company 关于所申请职位和公司的问题

1. Why did you select this company? 你为什么要选择这间公司？

回答示范1： Mars is an ideal employer for almost every fresh graduate, partly because the starting salary is very competitive, hehe. But more importantly, Mars is well known for designing career paths for employees. And, I have a personal reason when selecting Mars: my cats love Whiskas (伟嘉猫粮)! My mom is a big fan of cats, so am I, and we’ve been buying Whiskas for our cats “Pipi” and “Lulu” for over five years!

点评1： 这个回答体现了该申请人的两个特点： 第一， 他很诚实地告诉面试官， 应届毕业生当然对Mars趋之若鹜； 第二， 他因为爱猫而爱伟嘉猫粮， 再因爱伟嘉猫粮而爱Mars。

回答示范2： To be honest, it would be ideal for me, a fresh graduate who specializes in Accounting, to join any of the “big 4s”(四大会计师事务所) because each of the “big 4s” has its own advantages. However, I’m particularly interested in KPMG for a very sentimental reason. I was completely fascinated by your career talk! Compared with yours, the other three companies are a bit boring, hehe.

点评2： 这个回答体现了该申请人的两个特点： 第一， 实话实说， 学会计的同学能进四大中的任何一个， 的确都是求之不得的美事； 第二， 善于巧妙地“拍马屁”， 告诉对方自己被他们的career talk感动了， 所以对该事务所情有独钟， 的确是一个很狡猾但是却很不错的回答。

回答示范3： Shengjia is a professional ERP software provider, and I’ve been interested in ERP for a very long time. I believe ERP has a large market in China, even if this business may have some difficulties in the course of development.

点评3： 如果你要进入的是一个不太知名的公司， 那么你可以告诉面试官自己选择这间公司是因为自己对它所从事的业务有信心、 有兴趣。

回答示范4： I’ve been a loyal customer of Kangshifu for years. That’s why I want to join this company. I am a big fan of instant noodles, especially the spicy noodles! I love them!

点评4： 如果要谈对方的产品， 就要谈得感性一点， 不要流于形式。要显得热情火爆一些才能打动别人。这就比如一句简简单单的“你真棒！”必须要火辣性感地说出来才能打动面试官麻木的神经。

1. Why did you decide to apply for this particular position? 你为什么要申请这份职位？

回答示范1： For the past three years I’ve been doing a similar job. Though my current boss has given me a raise twice I’m still not quite pleased with my salary, I believe you can understand 1,800 Yuan is not a very good pay. Now that I have this opportunity to get a higher pay, to work in a more well-known company, of course I would give it a try.

点评1： 这个回答有几个优点： 第一， 很真实， 为钱而跳槽， 是大多数人的换工理由； 第二， 强调了自己已经在过去单位工作三年的经历， 足够忠诚了； 第三， 强调了自己两次涨薪的事实， 说明自己一定有过优异的表现。

回答示范2： I decided to apply for this particular position because I’ve been doing something similar for the last year, however, I’m more interested and confident in the products and services you offer. Online games are a newly developing business, like a new born baby, so I can do many things to help it grow healthily. This would give me a great sense of satisfaction. However, the wine business I am doing now is just like a grandparent, it’s so mature that it doesn’t give too much room for making changes.

点评2： 类似这样个性化的回答永远是最佳答案。如果你并没有转换工作性质， 而只是想转换工作领域， 比如从白酒行业转换到网络游戏行业， 不妨利用这个婴儿与老头的比喻去说服面试官吧。

回答示范3： My career choice actually has been influenced a lot by my mother. She’s been an Admin and HR director in a large state-owned company for over twenty years. She impressed on me (反复强调) that HR jobs are suitable for women because they’re not influenced much by age, and females enjoy an equal opportunity of being promoted. However, the other top positions like sales often go to men. Besides family influence, I selected this job because I feel I am suited for it. I’m easy going, trusted by others and interested in developing people.

点评3： 这是一个很好的回答： 真实， 又夸奖了自己。告诉对方自己的家庭很支持自己从事这份职业， 的确有加分的作用。

回答示范4： I want to be a Sales Rep because it suits my expectations. First of all, I wish to get a pay based on my performance, you know, better results, better pay. Secondly, I hope I will be going out, meeting people instead of sitting in the office, as I’m a very outgoing person. What’s more, sales, compared to other jobs, can improve my abilities most quickly. I can learn how to observe others, how to persist, how to deal with coldness and rejection, and all these traits will help me to be successful in both career and personal life.

点评4： 说得好极了！非常好地概括了销售工作的优点， 体现了一个应届毕业生的活力和激情。

1. Why do you think you’re qualified for this position? 你为什么觉得自己适合这个职位？

回答示范1： I think I’m qualified because the job duties of this position are 80% same as my last job. And the remaining 20% shouldn’t be a big problem because I’m quick and eager to learn. My ability to learn has been proven in my last job as well.

点评1： “我做过类似的工作”， 永远是最能说服面试官的杀手锏。

回答示范2： I studied your job ad and feel that I’m a good match. I have very good writing skills and computer proficiency, which are much needed in this job. Your ad mentions Excel and I am very confident about my Excel skills. Actually, I’ve brought some forms I’ve made in Excel in my last job, but the data are not real, because of confidentiality policy, you know.

点评2： 这个答案很好， 把自己和招聘启事上提及的要求进行匹配， 而且还提供了“证据”。

1. What about this position is especially attractive to you? 这份职位最吸引你的地方是什么？

回答示范1： I would be doing similar things as in my last job but with a higher salary in a more reputable company. That’s the main attraction of this position to me.

点评1： 干同样的活儿而拿更多的钱， 实话实说， 比“忽悠”强多了。

回答示范2： This position is especially attractive to me as it is offered by Huawei. I trust Huawei. I think my job will be more secure than working in smaller companies. You know, if I perform well, I think I can have a long term development here.

点评2： 这是个很诚恳的回答， 因为大公司所提供的职位往往具有同样的优点： 工作稳定， 如果表现好会有长远的发展。

回答示范3： The best part of this job, I think, is that it gives me an opportunity to become a professional in the shortest time. I can master auditing with your comprehensive training. Learning a professional skill is particularly important to me as my major of Business English is a tool instead of a career.

点评3： 大公司通常以自己完善的培训体系为豪， 而应届毕业生也恰恰最需要这样的培训， 所以说， 这是个典型的“一拍即合”的回答， 惟一的缺点就是它可能过于大众化。这个申请人做得就很好， 他把自己的大学专业结合在答案中。他告诉面试官， 自己所学的英语专业不能算是一门职业， 只能是为了某个职业而服务的工具， 所以一份专业性强的工作对他来说格外有吸引力。

1. What do you see in the position that is not attractive to you? 这份职位最不吸引你的地方是什么？

回答示范1： Frankly speaking, I still don’t know, since you never mentioned the downsides of this job either in the job ad or in the career talk. However, the office location is certainly not ideal to me, as I live in Fangcun and your office is in Tianhebei, I might have to rent a room nearby if I get this job.

点评1： 一个很滑头的回答， 不过确实很巧妙， 变相地再一次表了忠心： 为了工作， 宁可搬家！

回答示范2： To be honest, I can’t see any at this moment. But I’m prepared for some disappointments when I start doing it, as each job has a dark side. So far I found only one small disappointment. There is no subway station nearby so I may have to take a bus every day. And I have to be more careful with my wallet and mobile phone, you know, pick pockets, hehe.

点评2： 这是个超级漂亮的回答， 既客观地承认了任何工作都会有不尽如人意之处， 也巧妙地利用幽默转移了话题。妙哉！

1. Tell me what you know about our company. 说说你对这间公司的了解吧。

回答示范1： Actually, what I know about your company is mostly from the newspaper and internet. For example, R&F (注释： 富力地产) is a fast-growing company, from one project in 1994, to 50 properties today. R&F Plaza, R&F Peach Garden and some other properties are highly successful. R&F also has successful business in Beijing and Tianjin, and the international expansion began in 2005 when R&F listed on the Hong Kong Stock Market. What’s more, I was very impressed that R&F donated 14 million Yuan to Jinan University last month. I think I’d be very proud to work in such a generous company.

点评1： 如果你对这间公司的了解仅仅限于互联网上所搜索到的信息， 请你像这位申请人一样滔滔不绝地列举该公司的亮点， 尤其是最新的亮点， 比如刚开发了什么新产品， 刚有什么令人骄傲的业绩等。你说得的信息越多越新越流利， 你的印象分就更高一些。在这个问题上， 展示你的“忽悠”才能吧。

回答示范2： What I know about Kimberly(注释： 金佰利) is partly from the Internet and newspaper, and partly from my own experience of using Kimberly products. I am a loyal customer of Kleenex, and I sometimes choose Kotex. Well, the new product, I don’t know the English name, the fragrant tissue, is really my favorite. It’s a bit expensive, but I can’t resist it!

点评2： 避开人人可谈的来自网络的信息， 转而谈论自己对该公司产品的了解， 确实棋高一招。

五、 Self-evaluation 关于自我评价的问题

1. How does your mother describe you? 你的母亲认为你是个怎样的人？

问题分析： 只有外国面试官会这样提问， 因为他不了解中国的国情。在中国， 有两类母亲， 一类母亲是传统型的中国妇女， 从来不会夸奖自己的孩子； 另一类母亲是80后的现代母亲， 因为只有一个孩子而看不到孩子任何的缺点。在面试中， 你不妨把中国的这种“文化”传递给面试官， 以使面试气氛更加轻松有趣。

回答示范1： Well, it’s an interesting question. It reminds me of a Chinese saying, the best child is your own child, and the best wife are others’ wives. It means a man or woman is always satisfied with his/her own child, but not with the spouse, hehe. My mother is just like this. She tells everybody that I am hard working, more hard working than I should be. She says I am trustworthy and independent, never giving her troubles. You know, she sent me to boarding school at 14.

点评1： 这个回答很好， 它有两个优点： 第一， 比较有趣， 轻松地传播了一点中国文化； 第二， 以事实说明了自己的刻苦与自立的特征。

回答示范2： Most Chinese parents are not quite as expressive as western parents. My mother has never told me what kind of person she thinks I am, but I feel if you ask her, she would say that I’m a good kid. I never give her trouble. You know, as a kid, I was healthy, seldom went to hospital. As a student, I never needed her to push me to study. As a son, I give her a call several times a week to ask how she is doing and to tell her about myself.

点评2： 很诙谐很感人的回答！

回答示范3： Well, I think my mother would describe me as hard working, independent, but too independent, “stubborn” is her very word, hehe. My mother says I’m hard working because it’s true, I am a bit of a workaholic. She says I am independent because she sent me to boarding school at 14 and I took very good care of myself. But maybe because she sent me away at a young age, I’ve learnt to make my own decisions instead of consulting her, so she feels I am stubborn, hehe.

点评3： 有优点， 有缺点， 非常真实。

1. What do you consider your strengths as an employee? 作为一名公司职员， 你觉得自己有什么优点？

问题分析： 请大家注意， 这个问题的前提是“作为一名员工的优点”， 它和单纯的“你有什么优点”是有区别的。你必须列举自己在工作场合的优点。

回答示范1： I am keen on making improvements. I can find problems and like to find ways to solve the problems. Our company has a Suggestion Scheme, that is, every employee is encouraged to offer suggestions on improvements to technology and management. I have offered more than sixty suggestions in two years, 80% of which have been adopted, which makes me rank number 3 in our department of 533 employees. Besides technical suggestions I have also given some advice on management, though it seems unimportant to some people. For example, I have suggested that music be played in the workplace, and that one light is good enough in toilets instead of three lights.

点评1： “善于提出建议”， 这的确是个很大的优点。

回答示范2： I have good time management skills. As an assistant I often have several things in my hands at the same time so I have to manage my time well to work effectively. I paste a very big Monthly Schedule on the walls at the office and at home, adding arrangements like sales meetings or friends’ birthday parties anytime they are scheduled. So I am very organized both at work and in personal life, never missing important events and deadlines.

点评2： “善于管理时间”， 是秘书和助理等职位必须具备的优秀素质。

回答示范3： I am very organized. While studying, other students like to borrow my class notes. My personal items and paperwork are sorted nicely. My colleagues can easily find the document they want from my desk or my computer. I believe being organized is a habit which everyone can have if he/she persists.

点评3： “有条理”， 是秘书和助理等职位必须具备的优秀素质。

回答示范4： I am a planner and my motto is “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I plan everything. I plan my work, the first thing I do in the morning is to make a Must-Do list and Waiting-To-Do list. I plan shopping, I always make a shopping list so I never wander in the supermarket wondering what is needed—it’s the best way to save time and money! I plan my career too. Since sophomore year I have planned to work as a marketing representative after graduating. So I began to undertake more elective courses in marketing and find related part-time jobs, as you can see on my resume.

点评4： “计划性强”， 是所有职位都必须具备的优秀素质。

回答示范5： I do my job whole-heartedly to achieve good results. As my friends say, I am a workaholic. I always give 100% to my work. In university I worked overnight for experiments. Last month I spent the whole month in the city of Liuzhou, all-day work, no rest, to finish a project before the deadline.

点评5： “做事情很拼命”， 是任何老板都欣赏的素质。

回答示范6： My strength is my flexibility to handle changes. I began to like Guangzhou shortly after I had come from the northeast of China and I have made many good friends in a short time. I’ve been sent to three different departments in three years of work at ICBC and I’ve adapted to each new position very well. (如果面试官继续询问你如何适应变化， 则继续回答如下)When changes occur, I first learn the new things carefully and quickly. Most importantly, I don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed. I am not afraid of telling others that I don’t know something. Being open-minded is very important in my view, so much better than hiding in fear of losing face.

点评6： “适应能力强”既是一个生活上的优点， 也算是一个工作中的优点。不过， 这个回答最绝的地方是它巧妙地把面试官的注意力转移到该申请人在工商银行三年换了三个岗位的这个事实。连续换岗， 表明原单位对他很重视， 有意识地培养和锻炼他。

回答示范7： My strength is that I am quite expressive and I have the passion for expressing myself. When studying in college I wasn’t afraid of speaking in front of the whole class. Now at work I’m not shy about expressing my mind. I believe if we love a job, we must share our views to make it better.

点评7： “表达能力强”， 是很多岗位都需要的优秀素质。

回答示范8： I am a very active person. I’d rather hang out with people than sit and watch TV. That’s the main reason why I want to be a sales rep. Business travel won’t be a burden for me, it’s a joy of life.

点评8： “积极好动”， 明显是适合销售岗位的优秀素质。

回答示范9： I am eager to learn. I am curious about lots of things, so I enjoy reading. When I was a kid I liked to take things apart and see how they worked. Now I enjoy researching and developing new technology at work, which is a joy for me as well as work.

点评9： “求知欲强”， 是技术研发类职位的必备素质。

回答示范10： I am passionate about work because I can find lots of fun at work, say, achieving a goal, being praised by bosses especially in public, haha, or self-improvement. For example, I’ve volunteered to be an Internal Trainer at our company to train the new staff. Although I make little money for my hard work I’ve gained more important things than money, like presentation skills and confidence.

点评10： “对工作充满热情， 并善于在工作中寻求乐趣”， 这是一个多么可爱的优点！

回答示范11： My strength is that I am sensitive to what’s happening around, in other words, I pay attention to what’s going on and think about it. I keep up with the latest fashions in our business. For example, I once suggested one of my clients to sell NBA cards and he made around ten thousand Yuan from this business in less than a month. I hit on the idea when my nephew told me many of his classmates were interested in these cards. For another example, an old client once rejected my invitations to dinner three times in a row, and I immediately got a feeling that he was trying to hide something from me. So I visited him the next day and found out that he intended to cooperate with another sports shoes company. I successfully stopped him from breaking from us by giving him some real examples of failures of that brand. I believe I have to be sensitive to the business and to people or I can’t do my work well.

点评11： “对周边事务非常敏锐”， 这是一个独树一帜的回答， 势必能令听惯了“领导能力强、 组织能力强、 沟通能力强”等“列强”答案的面试官印象深刻。

回答示范12： I have problem-solving skills, that is, I can often think of a way to bring a satisfying end to a difficult situation. Let me give you an example at the workplace. Last summer I found a very obvious number mistake made by the Project Manager when I was a part-time auditor. I would have told her directly if she hadn’t lost her temper for the same kind of mistake made by another auditor. So I came up with an idea that wouldn’t have made it too embarrassing for her. I sent her an email, not only reporting the mistake of the number, but asking a lot of questions about that project. As a result she realized her mistake and didn’t feel very bad because she was still an expert who could answer my difficult questions!

点评12： “具有解决问题的能力”， 这是一个令面试官很感兴趣的优点， 他将很乐于与你讨论你是如何解决问题的！

回答示范13： I am quite innovative. I would rather make a birthday card than buy one. My family likes the special dishes I cook. I’ve planned about half of the parties in my class, the “Mock Interview Competition” party proved so successful that it’s been followed by many other classes. Last year I helped an electronics shop owner to build a sales channel in our school. He is a relative of my classmate. When he asked us to hand out some advertisement sheets on campus, I told him that this is not at all an effective way of getting sales, and it might lead to a big fine for paper pollution because students litter that kind of sheet. I suggested that he hire some student agents among freshmen and sophomores because freshmen are the target customers and sophomores are keen to take a part-time job to make some extra money and to improve themselves. This suggestion proved very effective; what’s more, it even got the support from our school because it is seen as a way of getting work experience.

点评13： “有创新思维”的确是个优点， 不过， 笔者并不建议应届毕业生过多地强调自己的创造性思维， 用人单位往往更喜欢听到诸如“脚踏实地”、 “兢兢业业”、 “责任感强”等等优点。原因很简单， 应届毕业生谈创新， 往往停留在空谈的阶段。

回答示范14： I have a great sense of responsibility, to society and to my work. For example I would shout if I see a thief putting his hand in others’ bags, though I only had one chance to do so because I had only witnessed stealing once. I immediately reported water leaking in public places. And I really dislike some girls for flushing the toilet before use though it looks clean. I don’t think such people will make good employees, because if they lack responsibility for society, they won’t be responsible for their work. I am always responsible for my work; if I don’t do it to my best I will feel guilty.

点评14： “责任感强”， 好哇！ 只要能够有效证明自己的责任感的确很强， 这个优点永远能为你增色不少。

回答示范15： I am persistent. I have kept a diary since coming to college. I eat healthy food and do exercise as much as possible all these years. I worked for one student organization for three years instead of participating in many organizations.

点评15： “做事持之以恒”， 这个优点对于某些流动性很大的职位来说， 具有致命的诱惑。

回答示范16： I am good with my hands; as my parents put it, I have smart hands. At home it is my job to deal with all the minor troubles of water, electricity and gas utilities. At university I’ve scored very well in lab-based classes. I am good at web design and I’ve brought some of my designs with me today if you are interested. I believe I have advantages over some other candidates because I am good at dealing with machines.

点评16： “动手能力很强”， 是应届毕业生最能打动面试官的优点之一。

1. What do you see as your weaknesses as an employee? 作为一名公司职员， 你觉得自己有什么缺点？

问题分析： 中国面试官往往用这个提问来衡量申请人是否有自知之明或者开诚布公的勇气， 外国面试官则往往更加注重这个问题的“后续问题”， 也就是， “你将如何避免因自己的缺点而影响工作质量？”

回答示范1： I am not a great public speaker. When speaking in public I feel uncomfortable unless the topic is familiar. So I have to be well prepared before giving a presentation. As a matter of fact, I did lots of preparations for our interview today!

点评1： “不善于在公开场合发表演讲”， 的确是很多人的通病。不过， 现在越来越多的申请人“喜欢”上了这个回答， 造成了人力资源经理们的审美疲劳， 呜呼！ 笔者建议大家在这个答案上适当包装， 这个申请人做得就很好， 他打趣说自己来面试前都做了充分的准备， 无疑会博得面试官展颜一笑。

回答示范2： As a manager my weakness is being soft-hearted. Though being soft-hearted can be seen as a strength sometimes, it is also a major weakness for a manager does need to take tough measures, including decisions to fire. Compared with other team leaders I am too soft. As a result, my employees seem to be less disciplined, for example, late for a meeting. The good thing is that being soft also has its advantages: my employees never hesitate to communicate with me, which greatly improves work efficiency.

点评2： “心肠太软”， 对于经理层来讲是个双刃剑。

回答示范3： Well, maybe my weakness sounds a little bit strange to you. I think my weakness is that I talk too much. I like to express my opinions. My classmates say I am bossy and like to show off. I’ve also noticed that I don’t listen enough because I am talking too much. So I write down a reminder on my notebook, “Listen more, speak less.” But interestingly enough, even when I feel I am speaking little my co-workers still pat my shoulder and say, “Susan, you are an active person!” The “talker” impression doesn’t go away easily.

点评3： “说话太多， 甚至有点爱出风头”， 其实是一个比较可爱的缺点。至少， 比招聘一个闷嘴葫芦要强上百倍!

回答示范4： I am pride of myself on being a“big picture” guy, but I have to admit I am not careful enough. Sometimes I make stupid date and number errors, like typing 2006 when it’s 2007! Once I forgot to final-check the microphone when I was in charge of the Welcome Party and it caused great panic when was found to be silent only half an hour before the show began. So I do love to hang out with the “detail” people. They can depend on me to make plans, and I can depend on them to remind me of the small details. When I can’t depend on others, I always depend on my notebook. I like to write things down in my notebook now, which is the best way to remember every important detail.

点评4： “能看到事情的大框架， 有全局观而忽视细节”， 确实有很多这样的人。这个回答的亮点不在于此， 而在于他对自己缺点的弥补手段， 一方面他乐于和注重细节的人合作， 另一方面他选择使用好记性不如烂笔头的方法强迫自己注重细节。

回答示范5： I do things in haste sometimes. I am eager to finish a task once I start doing it. It looks like a strength but it can be a big weakness at work. Haste makes waste. Great haste makes great waste. For example, when I started working for my current boss last year I once made a ridiculous mistake in an urgent report. I typed “shit out” instead of “try to” because the two phrases have exactly the same spelling in Chinese. So now I often remind myself: Do it right, Don’t do it over.

点评5： “急躁而忙中出错”， 通病也。

回答示范6： I set unrealistic goals sometimes. For example, losing 10 kilograms in a month, or finishing typing a form in an hour. The truth is that I know they are hard to achieve even when I am setting them, but I can’t resist doing so because I need to be motivated by aiming high. But my boss sometimes criticizes me for being unrealistic when making plans.

点评6： “制定不切实际的目标”， 的确是个缺点， 不过， 往往只有上进心强的人才会有这种缺点。

回答示范7： Well, frankly speaking, I think I still need to be more professional. Sometimes I let my emotions affect my work. Last winter I lost a client because I didn’t look very enthusiastic when answering his inquiries. He went to another teller the next day when he opened an account in our bank. And he bought a ten thousand Yuan Lideying(an investment fund) immediately. This was a big lesson for me because it made me realize that I should learn to be at my best for any client, at any time. You know, I always look like an angel, no matter how difficult it is, because it will indeed help me to sell more products. You’ll never know when the customers decide to buy, hehe.

点评7： 通常来说， 告诉面试官自己的职业化程度还不够高是非常危险的做法， 但是， 这个申请人以最真诚的态度， 给出了一个很打动人的回答， 使得她在一群对自己的缺点欲说还羞的申请人中脱颖而出！

回答示范8： I am too sensitive and spend too much time worrying about what others think about me. For example, I hesitate to speak out when I disagree with someone in fear of making him uncomfortable. So I have missed some chances to share my views and prove my abilities. I wish I could be more objective and more straightforward when dealing with people.

点评8： “敏感， 过分关注别人对自己的看法”， 这的确是个不讨人喜欢的缺点。不过， 对于一些容易脸红说话柔声细语的小姑娘， 这倒不失为一个好答案。如果你刚好是一个大老爷们或者阳刚小伙， 这个答案则会迅速让十个人中的九个人讨厌你。

回答示范9： My weakness? I need pressure to work harder. This is my weak point. I tend to perform better when somebody is pushing me, or gives me a high goal. I really wish to work with a very demanding boss so he can give me the pressure I need.

点评9： “需要压力才能更努力”， 这是大家的通病！这个回答的点睛之处在于， 该申请人盼望着能遇上一个高标准严要求的老板， 从而督促自己更加努力地工作， 这是一个多么可爱的令用人单位求之不得的“受虐狂型”的应届毕业生啊！

回答示范10： I am likely to be influenced by the environment. I study hard when I find everybody else studying hard, and I start looking for a part-time job when I find others talking about how important it is! It would be great if I could join Ericsson, as I can be influenced by the high quality people here!

点评10： “容易受到周围人和事的影响， 所以尽量强迫自己和好人和好事在一起”， 回答得好！

1. What factors in a work situation motivate you? 工作中有哪些因素能够激励你？

问题分析： 在这个问题上， 面试官要捕捉的信息点是： 第一， 你是什么样的人？能直截了当告诉面试官自己需要钱来激励的申请人一定是比较爽直的人； 一个需要老板表扬的家伙一定自尊心很强， 等等。第二， 这份工作到底能否让你满意？

回答示范： There are many, hehe, I’m easily motivated. Money; of course; is a key motivator. The sense of achievement also motivates me a lot, say, winning honors, being praised by boss, clients and colleagues. In addition, pressure can provide motivation for me, too.

点评： 很全面的回答， 体现出申请人的几大优点： 第一， 实话实说自己喜欢钱； 第二， 自己是个容易被鼓舞的人， 要知道面试官最怕招聘进来一个不爱钱财、不爱美人的冷面人， 不爱吃胡萝卜的驴不可能好好拉磨； 第三， 自己是个好胜心很强的人， 喜欢获得奖励获得老板与客户的认可； 第四， 自己不怕压力。

六、 关于职业目标的问题

1. Where do you see yourself being in your profession in five years? Why did you establish these goals? 你的五年职业目标是什么？你为什么会确定这样的职业目标？

问题分析： 与中国面试官相比， 老外更加重视这个问题。在这个问题上， 面试官捕捉的信息点是： 第一， 这个家伙是个有计划有目标的人吗？第二， 他对自己所申请的职业了解吗？他知道这个职位的下一步是什么吗？第三， 这个家伙所制定的职业目标切合实际吗？此外， 外国面试官往往是你未来的直线经理或者顶头上司， 与人力资源部的面试官相比， 他更希望遇到一个已经斩钉截铁地决定要在这个领域里发展的申请人。

回答示范1： Well, I hope I can be a brand manager in five years or so. Launching and managing a brand, introducing it to as many customers as possible, in my opinion, will bring me great job satisfaction.

点评1： 对于有志从事市场推广活动的应届毕业生， 这个答案可谓中规中矩了。

回答示范2： In five years? I think there are two possibilities. I will either be working as a senior in sales, or I will join a management team as a sales manager. You know during the past three years I worked my way up from sales rep to sales team leader, and I’ve felt that both positions have their own attractions. So, in five years, I would be happy to be head of sales at a company, or, if I can be a team leader in such a huge company like Siemens, that would be even better.

点评2： 在小公司里， 要一个高职位往往很容易。如果是在大公司求职， 你可以尽量淡化对高职位的向往， 而强调对工作内容本身的追求。

1. What will you do to achieve your career goals? 为达到职业目标你会做什么？

问题分析： 在这个问题上， 面试官要捕捉的信息点有两个： 第一， 你为实现目标而要采取的措施是否非常合乎实际？第二， 你所申请的这份工作， 能否给你机会让你去一步一步实现自己的职业理想？

回答示范1： To achieve my career goals, I think performance is the answer. If I perform well in the current position, I would naturally win the trust of the management team and move on to the next step of my career path. So, what I’ll do is to work hard, and achieve good results at my job.

点评1： 说得很对， 把本职工作做好了， 升职机会自然就来了。任何单位都喜欢这样脚踏实地的人。

回答示范2： My long term career goal requires a wide range of skills. What I’ll do is to keep improving myself, at work and through self-training outside work. As a matter of fact, I’ve already started. I’ve enrolled in a two-month English training program in New Oriental because I know English is important for my job.

点评2： 这个答案很精彩， 除了列举了未来会做什么， 更为动人的是说自己已经开始行动了！

1. What are your salary expectations for this position? Starting salary? Salary in five years? 你期望的薪资是多少？你希望五年以后你的薪资是多少？

问题分析： 必问的问题。

回答示范1： I expect to have a salary between 4,000 and 5,000 as this is the average salary the students of our school can get. But we can negotiate that. As a new graduate I care about career development opportunities more than the starting salary. As to the salary in five years, frankly speaking, I haven’t even thought about it. The more the better, but of course, it depends on what I can do for the company.

点评1： 一个很适合应届毕业生的回答。

回答示范2： I make about 4,000 Yuan RMB now and I expect a salary from 5,000 to 6,000. It’s not so easy to tell how much I can make in five years. If I am still at the same position I don’t think the salary then will be too much different, however, I certainly hope I can do more important things for Adidas and then be offered a higher pay.

点评2： 一个很适合有经验申请人的回答。

七、 Questions 请提问

1. What questions do you have for me? 你有什么问题要问我的吗？

问题分析： 在这个问题上， 外国面试官要捕捉的信息点是： 第一， 你面试前做过足够的功课吗？第二， 你对自己所申请的职位， 有过深思熟虑吗？第三， 你是一个有想法的人吗？一个有思想有见解的人， 提出来的问题往往是有深度而且不流于形式的； 第四， 你是一个脚踏实地的人吗？一个踏实的人， 往往会更加关注具体的工作内容， 而不是问一个海阔天空的大问题。此外， 要注意到面试官的身份， 如果他来自HR部门， 你的问题可以和培训和职业发展有关系； 如果他来自业务部门， 你的问题最好和自己的工作职责有关。

回答示范1： My question may sound a bit stupid, but I really want to know, do you prefer to hire male sales reps more than females? You know it’s true in many other companies. I am a bit concerned about this you know because I really want this job.

点评1： 不错， 利用提问强调了自己对该职位的热诚， 同时也直言不讳地表示了自己的忧虑。女性申请人在申请以男性为主导的职位， 如销售职位时， 不妨直言询问对方对招聘对象性别的期望值， 以及女性在这样以男性为主导的团队中的职业发展问题。

回答示范2： May I know what the sales assistants before me are doing now, I mean, did they transfer to other positions or leave Nike?

点评2： 一个很实在的提问。如果你在一间比较成熟的外企应聘秘书或助理之类的职位， 不妨直言相问原来这个职位的人哪里去了？是离开还是转其他岗位了？

回答示范3： I’m most interested in the career structure of this position. Do most members of this department follow the career path of “auditor—team leader—manager?” Actually I’ve learnt some information about it from the career talk, but I wonder if there is anything else I can know about it?

点评3： 每个申请人都非常关心所申请职位的长远发展， 所以这是一个很保险的问题。这个回答值得称道的一点是他把自己已经了解到的职业发展道路顺便告诉了面试官， 体现出他自己并不是一个懵懵懂懂的家伙。