Interview script (TBC)

[yslamac]

I am preparing an interview for the post of immigration officer (a department under disciplinary force). Please take a look of my script below. You can improve my script or raise questions about the content if you find it confusing or illogical. I will update this post by posting more draft questions and answers from time to time. Since it is a bit difficult to prepare all of them at one time. Thank you.:-D:-D

Self-introduction

Reason for apply for the post
I would like to become an IO as I want to fulfill both the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.


For intrinsic values, I would like to work for missions. This is because I have a strong desire to serve Hong Kong people and visitors coming to Hong Kong, as the department is responsible for dealing issues highly related to livelihood issues like the combat of illegal workers and parallel goods and so far.

Last but not least, immigration department has a good and professional image in the eyes of Hong Kong people. Most Hong Kong people, if not all, think servants working under the immigration department are well versed in both the pen and the sword. And I hope to be a member of it.

Also, I would like to make good use of my advantages, which are determined and strategic. And this will be explained thereafter.

Of course, for extrinsic values, there is no deny that being an IO means you can earn an external reward, that is a stable career prospect and income as the department values the development and the benefits of staff.

Qualities that make me fit the post

I think I can fit the post as I possess the following attributes. To start with, I am determined. This can be supported by how I achieved my goals during university. It seemed that I lost my motivation after becoming an undergraduate. I found the situation worrying as human cannot live without motivation. Therefore, I set goals for myself in different aspects: language development, academic achievement, and social life. To achieve these goals, I put wrote all them down on a note and set it as the wallpaper of my smartphone. This is because I found human will drag their feet on their goals once they forgot them, so I made them onto my wallpaper to remind me from time to time. Although I didn’t achieve some of my goals, most of them had been fulfilled.

I have another potential attribute that is being strategic. This can be supported by how I achieve my goal I started my weight-training journey two years ago, my attitude in the first half year towards weight-training is hard work and persistence. But it turns out that my muscle-building was in a slow progress, and I lost motivation in achieving the goal and wanted to give up. Later I discovered that weight-training is about science. So I amended my strategy with information and advice from the Internet and more experienced gymers . I restarted my program, and it somehow proves that my planning works in a good way.

Education




Family

I was raised in a single-parent family. This experience gives me a chance to learn to live independently. Since my mother needs to work to make ends meet, I need to take care of my own including aspects like housework and studies. Sometimes my mother felt frustrated and hopeless, and I would give my comfort immediately. I learnt to understand. At the same time, I have no blame on my father, he has difficulty providing financial support to the family, which is something he cannot change. And I understand too. Although there is a small part of me that has been dictated by the destiny, I firmly believe there is a larger part of me which is under my full control.

 

[teechar]

I am preparing for an interview for the post of immigration officer (a department under disciplinary force). Please take a look of my script below. You can improve my script or raise questions about the content if you find it confusing or illogical. I will update this post by posting more draft questions and answers from time to time. Since it is a bit difficult to prepare all of them at one time. Thank you.:-D:-D

Self-introduction

Reason for applying for the post
I would like to become an IO [Is that a standard abbreviation? If not, don't use it!] for several reasons. [STRIKE]as I want to fulfill both the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.[/STRIKE]


[STRIKE]For intrinsic values, I would like to work for missions. This is because[/STRIKE] First, I have a strong desire to serve the people of Hong Kong [STRIKE]people[/STRIKE] and visitors coming to Hong Kong, as the department is responsible for dealing with issues [STRIKE]highly related to livelihood issues[/STRIKE] like [STRIKE]the combat of [/STRIKE]illegal labour, [STRIKE]workers and[/STRIKE] parallel goods and so forth. [STRIKE]far.

Also, I would like to make good use of my advantages, which are determined and strategic. And this will be explained thereafter.[/STRIKE]

Of course, I am also attracted to this position as it would offer me a [STRIKE]for extrinsic values, there is no deny that being an IO means you can earn an external reward, that is[/STRIKE] a stable career [STRIKE]prospect[/STRIKE] and a good income. [STRIKE]as the department values the development and the benefits of staff.[/STRIKE]

Last but not least, the immigration department has a good and professional image in the eyes of the Hong Kong people. [STRIKE]Most Hong Kong people, if not all, think servants working under the immigration department are well versed in both the pen and the sword. And I hope to be a member of it. [/STRIKE]

Qualities that make me fit the post

[STRIKE] I think I can fit the post as I possess the following attributes. To start with, I am determined. This can be supported by how I achieved my goals during university. It seemed that I lost my motivation after becoming an undergraduate. I found the situation worrying as human cannot live without motivation. Therefore, I set goals for myself in different aspects: language development, academic achievement, and social life. To achieve these goals, I put wrote all them down on a note and set it as the wallpaper of my smartphone. This is because I found human will drag their feet on their goals once they forgot them, so I made them onto my wallpaper to remind me from time to time. Although I didn’t achieve some of my goals, most of them had been fulfilled.

I have another potential attribute that is being strategic. This can be supported by how I achieve my goal I started my weight-training journey two years ago, my attitude in the first half year towards weight-training is hard work and persistence. But it turns out that my muscle-building was in a slow progress, and I lost motivation in achieving the goal and wanted to give up. Later I discovered that weight-training is about science. So I amended my strategy with information and advice from the Internet and more experienced gymers . I restarted my program, and it somehow proves that my planning works in a good way.[/STRIKE] [That's badly written. Give specific and relevant examples and be concise.]

Education

Family

I was raised in a single-parent family. This experience [STRIKE]gives[/STRIKE] gave me a chance to learn to live independently. Since my mother needs to work to make ends meet, I need to take care of myself [STRIKE]own[/STRIKE] including [STRIKE]aspects like[/STRIKE] doing housework and focusing on my studies. Sometimes, my mother felt frustrated and hopeless, [STRIKE]and[/STRIKE] but I would always [STRIKE]give my[/STRIKE] try to comfort and support her. [STRIKE]immediately.[/STRIKE] I learnt to understand. At the same time, I [STRIKE]have no[/STRIKE] did not blame [STRIKE]on[/STRIKE] my father, as he had difficulty providing [STRIKE]financial support to[/STRIKE] for the family, which is something that was beyond his control. [STRIKE]he cannot change.[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]And I understand too.[/STRIKE] Although [STRIKE]there is a small part of me that has been dictated by the[/STRIKE] destiny played a role in my life, I firmly believe that my future [STRIKE]there is a larger part of me which[/STRIKE] is for me to decide. [STRIKE]under my full control.[/STRIKE]

I don't understand the text highlighted in blue.

 

[yslamac]

Do you mean that my supporting facts don't match with my attributes???

 

[teechar]

No, I meant you should express them a bit better.

You could write, e.g.,

First, I'm a determined and highly organized person. For instance in my second year at university, I lost drive to study, but instead of giving up, I vowed to re-motivate myself to succeed. I set up a schedule which I pinned to the wall and put a copy on my smartphone, and used it to get through that difficult time. At the end of that year, not only did I pass all my exams, but I had also regained my appetite for learning.

Also, the second point just seems to repeat the first. Try talking about another one of your attributes.

 

[yslamac]

I have added another attribute and questions that might be asked during the interview. Thank you.


Apart from that, I have a high emotional intelligence. This is because I am difficult to offend. I was a property administrator after graduation. My job duties are to handle complaints from the tenants. Although most of them spoke in a rude manner and, I stayed calm. If the complaint was valid, I would refer it to the supervisor for subsequent actions. If not, I would simply apologize and explain our difficulties.

What is your weakness?

My weakness

I am a typical introvert. I seldom volunteer in public situations. For instance, in a staff meeting I might keep opinions to myself rather than speaking up. This is because I am still considering whether my advice is reasonable and valid. This makes me look unmotivated during a meeting. In fact I am not opposed to group meetings or discussions, but if I want to come up with a solution to a complex problem, I need some time to work the problem out of my own.

What have you done for the recruitment?

It is important to work hard on your own, but it is a great idea if you can find companion for the preparation. So I joined a study group which will have a meeting to practice different rounds of the recruitment. It is rather difficult for me to reach out at first, but I see the importance of joining a study group. This is because everyone gets their own blind spot, you need others to correct your mistakes or to improve your performance. For instance, it is easy to do an exercise wrongly durin the physical test, it is necessary to find a group mate to supervise you on that.

Also, I make full use of multiple sources like books, websites to help me prepare all the stages of the recruitment.

What did you learn from your previous working experience?

Actually, I worked in property industry for around 3 months after graduation. Frankly, it is rather difficult to learn or to master any skills within such a short period. But I constantly reflected on my own regarding my future career. The terms “extrinsic motivation” and “intrinsic motivation” which was taught in my psychology course came to my mind. I understood that both motivations count when it comes to working, and therefore I would like to apply for the job.


For my previous internship, I learn the importance of teamwork. There were about 20 interns working for the internship programs for the organization of 2 big projects which included a summer-day camp and an exhibition. You need to learn to cooperate and give support to each other so the whole team can have a high spirit to complete the these difficult tasks.

 

[teechar]

I have added another attribute and questions that might be asked during the interview. Thank you.


Apart from that, I have high emotional intelligence [STRIKE]. This is because[/STRIKE] in that I am difficult to offend. I [STRIKE]was[/STRIKE] worked as a property administrator after I graduated, [STRIKE]ion.[/STRIKE] where my job duties [STRIKE]are to[/STRIKE] included handling complaints from the tenants. Although [STRIKE]most[/STRIKE] many of them spoke in a rude manner, [STRIKE]and,[/STRIKE] I always stayed calm and composed. If the complaint was valid, I would refer it to the supervisor for subsequent action. If not, I would simply [STRIKE]apologize and[/STRIKE] try to explain the situation to the tennant. [STRIKE]our difficulties.[/STRIKE]

What is your weakness?

My weakness

I am a typical introvert. I seldom volunteer in public situations. For instance, in a staff meeting, I might keep my opinions to myself rather than speak [STRIKE]ing[/STRIKE] up. This is because I [STRIKE]am still[/STRIKE] would be considering whether my advice [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] was reasonable and valid. This makes me look unmotivated during a meeting. In fact I am not opposed to group meetings or discussions, but if I want to come up with a solution to a complex problem, I need some time to work [STRIKE]the problem[/STRIKE] out a solution of my own.

What have you done for the recruitment?

It is important to work hard on your own, but it is a great idea if you can find companion for the preparation. So I joined a study group which will have a meeting to practice different rounds of the recruitment. It is rather difficult for me to reach out at first, but I see the importance of joining a study group. This is because everyone gets their own blind spot, you need others to correct your mistakes or to improve your performance. For instance, it is easy to do an exercise wrongly durin the physical test, it is necessary to find a group mate to supervise you on that.


Also, I make full use of multiple sources like books, websites to help me prepare all the stages of the recruitment.


What did you learn from your previous working experience?

Actually, I worked in [STRIKE]property industry[/STRIKE] real estate for around 3 months after I graduated. [STRIKE]graduation.[/STRIKE] Frankly, it [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] was rather difficult to learn or to master any skills within such a short period. But I constantly reflected on my own regarding my future career. The terms “extrinsic motivation” and “intrinsic motivation” which was taught in my psychology course came to my mind. I understood that both motivations count when it comes to working, and therefore I would like to apply for the job.

[STRIKE]For[/STRIKE] In my previous internship, I learned the importance of teamwork. There were about 20 interns working [STRIKE]for the internship programs for the organization of 2 big[/STRIKE] on two major projects which included a summer day-camp and an exhibition. [STRIKE]You need to learn[/STRIKE] We all had to cooperate, [STRIKE]and give[/STRIKE] support [STRIKE]to[/STRIKE] each other, and work hard [STRIKE]so the whole team can have a high spirit[/STRIKE] to complete [STRIKE]the these[/STRIKE] several difficult tasks on time.

I have absolutely no idea what the text highlighted in blue is supposed to mean.

 

[yslamac]

The recruitment consists of different stages: physical test, group discussion and final interview. People who have applied for the post might initiate a study group on the Internet with other applicants to exchange their ideas on various stages. We will also meet face-to face to practice for different rounds, for instance the physical test. Since it is rather difficult to point out the mistakes you have made for exercises like sit-up and burpee. Therefore, we will practice together. Interviewers actually know many applicants do so.

For the working experience, the job I worked before was kind of like making money all the time but serving no other purposes or missions. The interviewer may challenge me why I quitted the job so quickly, and I would like to explain that in advance. It seems that it is not wise and confusing to mention that for my self-introduction. Sometimes I am caught in a situation that I just want to say things that I want to say, but not considering whether the interviewer will understand. How about I only answer it when asked why I quitted the job so quickly?:-D

 

[teechar]

What have you done for the recruitment?

It is important to work hard on your own, but it is a great idea if you can find companions for the preparation. So I joined a study group which will have a meeting to practice for the various [STRIKE]different rounds[/STRIKE] stages of the recruitment. It [STRIKE]is rather[/STRIKE] was somewhat difficult for me to reach out at first, but I [STRIKE]see[/STRIKE] realized the importance of joining a study group. This is because everyone gets their own blind spot, and you need others to correct your mistakes or to improve your performance. For instance, it is easy to do an exercise [STRIKE]wrongly[/STRIKE] incorrectly during the physical test, so it is necessary to find a group mate to supervise you [STRIKE]on[/STRIKE] doing that.

Also, I make full use of multiple sources like books and websites to help me prepare for all the stages of the recruitment.

For your other point, have a look at my answer in the link below.

https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/247237-Cover-letter-after-difficult-last-position

 

[yslamac]

I also think that it will have an negative impact if I mention that during my interview. However, I need to prepare for a good answer when asked. Do you think the below answer is convincing?

Indeed I can handle most of the tasks for my previous job. However, I constantly reflected on my future career. The term “intrinsic motivation”, which means whether your job can contribute to the society and requires high responsibility came to my mind whenever I worked. So I started to reconsider my career planning during that period. Therefore I decided to quit the job and apply for the post.

 

[teechar]

Do you think the below answer is convincing?

No. It's neither natural, nor (IMO) convincing. I definitely wouldn't use it if I were you.

 

[yslamac]

How about this? This is another approach. Maybe it is unreal to mention I want to work for intrinsic values so I quitted. I am also afraid that the panel will consider me as a dishonest candidate.:-?

I quitted the job and then applied for another part-time job. This is because there are numerous applicants competing for the post. Therefore, I would like to have more time for the preparation of the post. Also, it is rather difficult to concentrate on a full-time job during the recruitment period. On the another hand, even I am outperformed by other applicants and fail the recruitment; I still have a part-time working experience during this period.

 

[teechar]

I [STRIKE]quitted[/STRIKE] quit the job

The past and past participle forms of "quit" are "quit" and "quit"! It does not change!

and then applied for another part-time job. This is because there are numerous applicants competing for the post. Therefore, I would like to have more time for the preparation of the post. Also, it is rather difficult to concentrate on a full-time job during the recruitment period. On the another hand, even I am outperformed by other applicants and fail the recruitment; I still have a part-time working experience during this period.

That's largely unclear to me. Can't you use what I suggested to you earlier?
If not, then tell us (clearly) why you actually quit your job. Oh, and don't use this "intrinsic motivation" stuff. ;-)

 

[yslamac]

Thank you for your suggestions. Maybe it is the cultural difference that makes you feel the term "intrinsic motivation" awkward. Being a civil servant means you need to serve the people in our society, and interviewees prefer candidates that sort of things. But I will try my best to make the answer convincing. I have taken a look of the post, and I have improved the answer so it fits my situation.

I felt that I wasn't learning anything new or serving any other purposes but making money in that position. I thought it for a while, and I eventually decided it was time to move on.

 

[rodgers white]

Thank you for your suggestions. Maybe it is the cultural difference that makes you feel the term "intrinsic motivation" awkward. Being a civil servant means you need to serve the people heart and soul in our society, and interviewees prefer candidates with that sort of [STRIKE]things[/STRIKE]belief. [STRIKE]But[/STRIKE]So, I will try my best to make the answer convincing[STRIKE]. I have taken a look of the post, and I have improved the answer so it [/STRIKE]and fully fit my situation.

I felt that [STRIKE]I wasn't learning anything new or serving any other purposes [/STRIKE]there was no space for developing my career but making money in that position, and money is certainly not my number one concern. So, I thought [STRIKE]it for a while, and I eventually decided[/STRIKE] it was time to move on.

yslamac, it's not the cultural difference that makes him feel the term "intrinsic motivation" awkward. Teechar just wants to tell us that it sounds unnatural or even makes no sense in the English language. It is his native language, so we should learn to think the way he does.

 

[teechar]

Thank you for your suggestions. Maybe it is the cultural difference that makes you feel the term "intrinsic motivation" awkward.

No. As rodgers white has pointed out above, it's the way you use it that makes your answer nonsensical.

Being a civil servant means you need to serve the people in our society, and [STRIKE]interviewees[/STRIKE] interviewers prefer candidates to say that sort of thing.

I doubt it. Interviewers generally prefer candidates to be clear, direct and transparent in their answers.

But I will try my best to make the answer convincing. I have taken a look [STRIKE]of[/STRIKE] at the post, and I have [STRIKE]improved[/STRIKE] modified the answer so it fits my situation.

I felt that I wasn't learning anything new or serving any other purposes but making money in that position. I thought about it for a while, and I eventually decided it was time to move on.

If I was interviewing someone who said that, I would immediately think he/she was conceited and/or not being honest.

 

[yslamac]

That is my reason. Please take a look at it. Thank you.:-D

I quit the job because it required me to let the premises to the clients. In fact, it was quite a difficult task to me, as I am not very good at soliciting customers. Therefore, I resigned, and took a break to reconsider my career seriously. (I quit the job in Jan and applied for the post at the end of Feb, if that helps you understand my words)

 

[teechar]

Try this:
I left that job early last month because I realized that it was not really for me. It was all about marketing and I was expected to find tenants and let premises. I did not feel that role was right for me, so I decided to look for a more suitable career option.

 

[yslamac]

Thank you for the modification. I would like to add one more disadvantage/weakness when asked. However, this is related to my appearance. You may find it strange.:shock:

Another disadvantage is regarding to my appearance. Since I have just graduated, I might look a bit young. Also, some of my friends describe me as soft-spoken and gentle, which is somehow different from what people think a member under the disciplinary force should like. That is, tanned and well-built. Although my appearance does not quite match the public's impression, I will find ways to improve my physical strength and look more sporty. Maybe appearance plays an important role for this post, I think that a candidate's attitude and abilities also matter.

 

[teechar]

Definitely not! Never put yourself down. Also, this job is not about your physical looks. They (the interviewers) have no right to discuss that. I would be most surprised if they did. All you need to say about your outward appearance is, e.g.,:

I always endeavour to ensure that I am smartly and appropriately dressed. My presentation is important to me, and I take pride in that.

But as I said, do not bring that up unless asked.

 

[yslamac]

I decided not to mention about my appearance. It does make sense that we should never put ourselves down. But an interviewee, especially for this post, will be asked for their disadvantages or weakness during the interview. An interviewer The panel wants to know whether the interviewee is willing to admit and understand his or her weakness. They will consider the interviewee conceited or arrogant if he or she say "no" for this part. Of course, I will not bring this up during the self-introduction in the first few mins. But I guess the panel will drill on the part related to my disadvantages. Most probably, each interviewee is better to give two disadvantages that do not contradict with the ideal candidates they are looking for. Below is my last disadvantage. Please take a look at it.:-D

I lack working experience. This is because I just graduated and started to work. However, I try my best to accumulate working experience these days to become a mature self. I hope that I can become a part of the department and receive the training provided.