Work, career & job interviews — Unit 27, Pre-intermediate to Intermediate English
CVs, qualifications, interview questions, strengths, and career goals.
Reading: My First Real Interview
I had been working as a junior data analyst for eighteen months when my manager mentioned a senior position at a technology company across the city. I decided to **apply for** the role, even though I knew there would be strong competition. I spent two evenings updating my **CV**, carefully listing my **qualifications** and two years of relevant **experience** in data systems.
Three weeks after submitting the application, I received an email confirming I had been **shortlisted** for the second interview stage. There were four other **candidates**, and I knew I had to prepare thoroughly. A trusted colleague gave me excellent advice: always prepare specific, real examples for your **strengths**, and address your **weaknesses** honestly while explaining how you are actively improving them.
The interview panel asked about my **career goals**, and I explained clearly that my aim was to move into a team leadership position within three years. They also asked about **salary** expectations, which I had researched carefully in advance by reviewing similar job listings online. Rather than naming a single fixed amount, I gave a confident and realistic range.
At the end of the interview, the panel asked about my **notice period**. I explained that I would require one month before starting, as my current contract specified this. The panel seemed satisfied with the answer and thanked me warmly.
Two weeks later, I received a job offer. The **salary** was slightly above my stated range, and the role included a clear pathway to **promotion** after twelve months of strong performance. Looking back, I believe my thorough preparation made the difference. Knowing your **strengths**, being honest about your **weaknesses**, and having a genuine **career goal** helps any **candidate** communicate more effectively when it matters most.
Two things I would do differently, now that I have sat on the other side of the table.
Since joining, I have interviewed nine **candidates** myself, and it has changed how I think about my own interview.
The first thing I would change is the **weaknesses** answer. Mine was honest but vague — I said I found delegation difficult. What I now notice as an interviewer is that a good answer has three parts: the weakness, one concrete occasion when it cost something, and what specifically changed afterwards. Two out of three is the most common failure, and it is almost always the third part that is missing.
The second is the questions at the end. I asked two, both about the team. I now know that the panel had already decided by that point, and that the questions are far more useful to the **candidate** than to us. I should have asked what the person in this role had struggled with in their first six months.
One thing I would not change. I gave a **salary** range rather than a figure, and I later learned that the offer landed at the top of it.
Vocabulary from this unit
| Word / phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| CV / résumé | document about your experience | Send your CV before the interview. |
| qualification | certificate or degree | She has a qualification in marketing. |
| experience | time doing a job | I have three years' experience in sales. |
| apply for | request a job | I applied for a manager role. |
| career goal | what you want to achieve | My career goal is to lead a team. |
| promotion | a higher position | She got a promotion last year. |
| Word / phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| strength | something you do well | My strength is teamwork. |
| weakness | something to improve | My weakness is public speaking. |
| shortlisted | chosen for the next stage | I was shortlisted for the job. |
| candidate | person at an interview | There are five candidates. |
| notice period | time before you can leave a job | I have a one-month notice period. |
| salary | money you earn | The salary is competitive. |
This is the free sample from this unit. The full unit adds 1 more reading passage, comprehension questions with an answer key, the listening exercises, flashcards for the vocabulary above, and a speaking task — with your progress tracked so the next unit unlocks when you are ready for it.
Common questions
What level is this unit?
Pre-intermediate to Intermediate — roughly CEFR A2–B1. If you are not sure of your level, the course places you with a short diagnostic before you start rather than making you guess.
Do I need to pay to use this?
The reading passage and vocabulary on this page are free to read. The rest of the unit — the remaining passages, the exercises, the listening, the answer key and the progress tracking — is part of the paid General English course.
Is this British or American English?
British English spelling and vocabulary, which is what most learners in Azerbaijan are taught and what IELTS expects, though both are accepted in the exam.