Learning English

(Tips for a Successful Interview)

The impression you make on the interviewer often can outweigh your actual credentials. Your poise, attitude, basic social skills, and ability to communicate are evaluated along with your experience and education.
And Preparation is the key.

Be on time.
This often means 10-15 minutes early. Interviewers often are ready before the appointment.

Know the interviewer’s name, its spelling, and pronunciation.
Use it during the interview. If you don’t know the name, call beforehand and ask the secretary. Also, note the secretary’s name in case you have to call back. Secretaries can influence the hiring decision!

Have some questions of your own prepared in advance.
There is nothing wrong with having a short list of questions and thoughts- it shows you have done your research and want to know more about the organization and the position.

Bring several copies of your resume.
Also, bring a copy of your transcript. Carry your papers in an organized manner.

Expect to spend some time developing rapport.
Don’t jump right in and get down to business. Follow the interviewer’s lead.

Don’t be embarrassed if you are nervous.
As you gain experience you’ll become more at ease with the interviewing process.

Focus.
On your attributes, your transferable skills, and your willingness to learn; don’t apologize for a lack of experience; describe your strengths in terms of what you can do for the organization.

Listen carefully to the interviewer.
Be sure you understand the question; if not, ask for clarification, or restate it in your own words. Answer completely and concisely. Stick to the subject at hand.

Watch your grammar.
Employers are interested in candidates who can express themselves properly. Even if you have to go slowly and correct yourself, accuracy is preferred over ungrammatical fluency.

Be prepared for personal questions.
Some interviewers may not know what they can and cannot ask legally. Anticipate how you will handle such questions without losing your composure.

Wait for the interviewer to mention salary and benefits.
To research pay scales, refer to salary surveys and information on the Career Services website on in the career library.

Don’t expect a job offer at the first interview.
Often you will be invited to a second or even third interview before an offer is made several weeks later.

Close on a positive, enthusiastic note.
Ask what the next step will be. Thank the interviewer for his/her time and express your interest in the job. Leave quickly and courteously with a handshake and a smile.
And Remember no interview is complete until you follow up with a thank-you note.

Reminder

Learning a language can be one of the most rewarding things in one's life. Let's take English as an example. If you can speak English fluently, this allows you to do many things that others who don't speak English cannot do. If your English is good, you can watch your favourite English TV shows without relying on subtitles. If your speak English well, you can travel the world without any communicational issues. If your English is good, you can communicate with people from different countries and cultures whose language is totally different than yours.

The first thing you need to do is to start learning. Many learners of English keep asking questions about how they can learn and improve their English skills. They get advice on how to improve their language skills, but they don't put the advice into practice. They don't take action; therefore, they stay at the same level with no progress at all.

This type of learners want to have a magical device that would make them learn in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, this device doesn't exist. There's no magical device or wand that would make you a good speaker. The only way you can really improve your skills is to start doing so. You need to get the ball rolling.

Before I started learning English, I had always been one of those who want to become fluent in no time. It didn't work, and it will never work. What I realized is that things will not get better unless you start taking action. It doesn't matter how big or small that action is. The most important thing is to start. Even if you move at a slow speed, that's OK. As time goes by, your speed will go up. As the saying goes: small actions will add up to big results.

Speaking English well is surely rewarding. However, there are many things that you have to go through and do to make that happen.

Trying to learn a language is basically like trying to achieve any goal. So, it is very important that you know in advance that it won't be easy all along the way. At some point, you will feel like you can no longer go further, that you cannot move forward. Learning a language is rewarding, but it requires doing many things. In order to reach the finish line, there are many things you need to do.

The best thing that I think will help you to substantially improve your English level is to immerse yourself in the English language. What does that mean? It means you need to surround yourself with English. It means you need to make learning English an essential part of your daily activities. Anything that you do throughout the day, it should be somewhat connected to learning and improving your English.

Let's illustrate on that. When you wake up in the morning, do something that is related to making your English better. It could be listening to music. It could be watching a short motivational video. On the way to your work or school or whatever, try to think in English, look at the things around you and see if you already know them in English. On the way to school, you may want to go with your friends. Use that opportunity to speak with them in English. You can do the same thing with other activities that you do during the day. In this way, you are making English an important part of your everyday life, and this will help you learn English faster and become a fluent speaker.

The secret to improving your English greatly lies in how much contact you have with it each and every day. When you consider it an important activity, just like any other thing that you do every single day, you actually create an English world around you. All that allows you to immerse yourself more in this language. The more you do that and the more contact you have with the language, the more your overall level improves. In this post, I am just giving you a few clues and guidelines. You can add and deal with that the way you want. You can be as creative as you want.

This is of course just one of the many ways out there to improve your English. You will find more ways as you continue improving and learning. The most important thing is to keep at it and be committed. Commitment is one key element for success in all domains of life. Without it, success cannot be achieved. You can start doing whatever comes to your mind, but if you want to stay in the race and reach the finish line, commitment is a must.

Once again, what really matters is to start putting in the efforts. At the beginning of your learning journey, your actions don't have to be impressive. You can go at a pace you find suitable for yourself. You don't have to do great things at once. Start taking action. As time goes by, you will improve. You will notice that you can do better and achieve bigger goals, then you will be impressive and you will be amazed by what you are truly capable of.
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