Business English Training for Interviews

Business English Training for Interviews

Business English training covers many aspects of working in the business world of the United States or other English speaking countries. One of the most important aspects is training for interviews – you can prep yourself with etiquette, writing skills, speaking abilities, but what do you do when it comes to the interview? Having some basic Business English training for interview situations will help prepare you for what to expect.

Business English Training for Interviews: What Are Common Questions To Prepare For?

Business English TrainingEvery job interview is different. The questions an interviewer will as you will depend upon what the company is looking for in a new hire at the time. There are some common interview questions you can expect to be asked in most interviews – a good Business English training course will go over what they mean and the types of answers you should give. Below, we’ve listed three of the most common interview questions you may be asked, and why they are asked.

  1. Tell me about yourself.

This is likely one of the first questions you will be asked in an interview. Not only does it break some of the tension by giving you a question you know all about (or that you should), but it allows the employer to get to know you past your resume, and understand who you are professionally and individually.

  1. What are your strengths and your weaknesses?

The strengths and weaknesses question is used for employers to get an understanding of how you view your abilities in the workplace. Explaining your strengths tends to be the easier half of the question – they could be anything from people skills to software engineering. Weaknesses is when people tend to get nervous – generally interviewers want to hear about something you struggle with, but that you are trying to improve upon (and how).

  1. Tell me about a time when you encountered a challenge or conflict at work – how did you resolve it?

This question is asked to see how you take charge in situations, and if you can rise to a challenge effectively either independently or with a team. It’s a good question to use to highlight your problem solving skills, your ability to work under pressure, and any leadership qualities you possess.

There are plenty more questions, but prepping yourself for the common ones for your industry is essential in any Business English training – now what about vocabulary?

Business English Training for Interviews: What Vocabulary Should You Know?

Business EnglishThe answer to this question is it depends on the type of job you are applying for. Let’s break down two broad areas of business: corporate business versus retail business, and some common vocabulary words that might come up in an interview, or conversation with a potential hiring agent.

Corporate Business English Vocabulary:

  • KPI (Key Performance Indicator) – One of the many factors used to determine whether a business initiative is performing successfully. An example in marketing would be an increase in company newsletter subscriptions after a new advertising campaign was launched.
  • ROI (Return on Investment) – Used when a business has put money into a new initiative, and wants to see the return it has made on that investment. Hint: you always want it to end up positive.
  • B2B / B2C (Business to Business or Business to Consumer) – This is in reference to the selling environment of the company. Business to Business (B2B) means the company sells their services or products to other businesses (think a paper company selling to offices). Business to Consumer (B2C) is what we encounter every day when we go shopping – the business is selling directly to the end consumer, such as with retail stores.
  • TouchPoint – All the areas where a company is “making contact” with a consumer. Touchpoints can include a company website, the company’s profiles on social media, company reviews or company advertisements. They should all be in line with the company brand, and reflect the best impression possible.
  • Break Even Point – The point where the company is no longer making negative profits after an initial investment.

Retail Business English Vocabulary:

  • Cashwrap – The area where the cash registers, and general checkout activities, take place.
  • Cross Merchandising – The method of using products belonging to different categories that go together, to increase sales. An example could be placing a sunglasses display next to your swimsuits, when promoting summer beach attire.
  • Markdown – Refers to a permanent price decrease across products, due to a lack of sales.
  • POS System (Point of Sales System) – Another term for the common cash register, the POS system is the system used to make the final sale. As technology has improved, POS systems are also capable of maintaining databases of consumer and business information.
  • Inventory Turnover – Refers to the period of time in which products are sold and replaced in a retail establishment.

Business English Training for Interviews: How Should You Prepare In General?

Business English Training for InterviewsAside from practicing common interview questions and vocabulary, a Business English training program can also help you prepare resumes and cover letters that are often essential when going for an interview. There are a few other things you can do outside of Business English classes. You should always do some research on the companies you’re applying to, as well as make sure you have the appropriate attire to go on an interview (nothing is worse than showing up in jeans when everyone else is in a suit).

Enrolling in a Business English training program is a good way to not only practice your Business English in theory, but also to practice it in context. Language Connections’ Business English courses combines native English speaking professionals with small class sizes, to allow you the individualized practice you need to succeed. Professional communication, presentation and writing skills, telephoning and interview preparation are all covered by our instructors.

Perfect your English further with our Corporate Language Training solutions designed to train students how to use advanced English grammar, improve English pronunciation, business English for meetingsbusiness writing skills as well English public speaking skills, presentation skills and negotiation skills in English.

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Language for Professionals is a business oriented, customized language training solution. We offer high quality on-site language classes tailored to the particular needs of any organization. Our programs include English as a Second Language Training for multiple industries, Foreign Language Training and Cross-Cultural Training Programs.

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