Opening

• Good morning, sir / madam.
  Good morning. Please make yourself comfortable. First, tell me something about yourself.
• What do you think of the weather lately?
  It's been lovely but I'm not sure it will last until the weekend.
• To start with, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
  Sure.

During: General questions

Personal details

• What is your name please?
  May I ask your name?
  Please give me your name.
  Are you Li Ming?
  I'm Li Ming. / My name is Li Ming.
• Where are you living now? / Where do you live?
  I am living at 88 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou. / I live at ... / My address is ...
• What's your present / permanent address?
  It is 88 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou.
• Do you hold a Guangzhou ID card?
  Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
• What kind of personality do you think you have?
  I feel that I take initiative to get things done.
  I think I'm energetic, aggressive, and enterprising.
  I believe I'm imaginative and creative.
• What are your weak points / disadvantages / weaknesses / drawbacks / shortcomings and your strong points / advantages / strengths?
  Well, I'm afraid I am ... / I suppose my strong points are ...
• In your opinion, what personal characteristics (we call these Work Habits) are required of the job holder in order to be successful?
  I think a successful person should be tolerant, tactful, empathic, caring and friendly.

Education

• When did you graduate from your university?
  I graduated from my university in July, 2005.
• What did you major / specialise in?
  I majored / specialised in law. / I'm a law major.
• What were your minor subjects?
  My minor subjects were English and Finance.
• What is your score on TEM 4 / TEM 8?
  It was 86.
• Did you get any honours or awards at your university?
  I won the first prize in the English Speech Contest of Guangdong Province in 2008.
  I won the university scholarship for four years on end.
• Were you involved in any club activities at your college?
  Yes. I was a member of the dancing club. / I was on the department basketball team.

Work experience

• What work experience have you got?
  I've been a sales engineer for three years. / I have worked as a training manager for two years.
• Have you ever had any experience in this field / as a tourist guide?
• What was your position? / What position did you hold in that company? / What were your responsibilities? / What were you in charge of?
• What achievements / awards have you got? / Would you like to talk about your awards / achievements?

During: Position-related questions

Reasons for leaving and applying

• What made you decide to change your job?
  I didn't like the culture of the company and I saw no chance of advancement there.
• Why are you leaving your present job?
  Only because the company is going bankrupt.
• Why did you choose / pick our company?
  Well, I know your company is an international business, so I thought I would be able to learn some advanced methods of management from foreign staff members.
• Why are you interested in working with this corporation?
  Because my past experience is closely related to this job and my major at university is also relevant to this post.

Qualifications and skills

• Have you got any professional certificates?
  I've got a teaching qualification / a certificate in computer programming / a Senior Lawyer's certificate / a driving license ...
• Do you have any special skills?
  Yes, I can operate a word-processor.
• Can you speak Cantonese?
  No, I can't. I'm not a local resident.

Job suitability

• What do you know about our organisation?
  Everything I've seen and heard makes me want to be a part of this organisation. I understand your industry is ... and your main customers are ... A particularly exciting part of your business appears to be ... / I think this would be an exciting place to work. The experience of working here will help me achieve my career goals.
• Why do you think you are qualified for this job? / What qualifications have you got?
  I'm familiar with Western-style accounting because I've worked in an enterprise with foreign capital for four years. So I think I'm qualified for the position.
• What are you looking for in a position?
  I'm looking for an organisation that will appreciate my contributions and reward my efforts.
• Are you willing to relocate?
  No. / Yes, I'm open to opportunities within the company so if that involves relocation I would consider it. / I'd move, but I know your head office is in Alaska and that's too cold for me.
• What are your short-term goals?
  Bills are beginning to pile up. In the short run I need to find work so I can keep up with my obligations.

Closing

• You may ask questions about us, if you have any.
  Do you have any questions to ask me?
  Can you tell me a little bit about the employee benefits such as the health insurance programme?
• Can you tell me what my job will entail?
• How can we contact you about our decision?
  You can reach me any time.