Sabine: So, Mason, as you know, we are looking for a trainee in our accounting department. Ehm, we need someone who is good with numbers and can make accurate calculations. We have lots of clients all around the world. The invoices we get are in many different languages, not just English. So we really need someone with these language skills and ehm…

Mason: Eh, hmmm, oh boy, eh I’m so sorry to interrupt you Sabine, but I think there has been some sort of mix-up?! I applied for the traineeship in the R&D department, that’s the research and development department, right? I have no clue about accounting and numbers!

Sabine: Oh no! The interview was finally starting to go well, and now Mason thinks he's interviewing for a trainee position in a completely different department! How did this mix-up happen? Was it my fault? Was it Mason’s fault? What am I going to do?!

Conor: Ahhhhh! This is not what Sabine needs right now! And poor Mason, it sounds like he is starting to panic!

Welcome to today’s episode of Talking on the job. My name is Conor and I’m your host and business English mentor. I’m here to help you navigate the world of English in a variety of business contexts. A fitting title for today’s episode would be, The mix-up. Sabine has prepared to interview Mason for a traineeship in the accounting department. She has prepared lots of questions about numbers and invoices and expenses. But this was not the role Mason applied for. So now she needs to think clearly and find a quick solution to continue the interview, even though she’s stressed. She needs to… think on her feet! Let’s see how she can do that in this situation.

Ok, first things first, Sabine needs to admit that there was a mix-up. That is, she needs to tell Mason she knows something has gone wrong, and put him at ease. She could do this by saying…

Sabine: Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Mason. I apologize for the mix-up. Don’t worry, we will figure something out.

Conor: But now what? Does Sabine need to think of completely new questions to ask him? Well, not really, no. If she is interviewing someone, she should know the company quite well. She should also know what is expected from a trainee who wants to work for the company – it doesn’t matter which department. She can tell Mason that she will leave the role-specific questions for a follow-up meeting. In this interview, they will discuss what they can.

Sabine: Listen, I’ll be honest with you Mason, umm… I can’t ask you questions that are specific to Research and Development. I can, however, tell you all about the company and what we expect from all our trainees.

Conor: Also, remember, this is an interview for a traineeship. A trainee probably won’t have much work experience. So, the questions should be situational and behavioural. Let me explain: situational questions ask what someone would do in a hypothetical or imaginary situation in the future.

Sabine: If a client shouted at you on the telephone, what would you say?

Conor: Behavioural questions ask how someone behaved in a past situation.

Sabine: Tell me about a time when you achieved something.

Conor: or…

Sabine: Tell me about a time you made a mistake, and how you learned from it.

Conor: Ok, let’s see how Sabine deals with this mix-up!

Mason: Eh, hmmm, oh boy, eh I’m so sorry to interrupt you Sabine, but I think there has been some sort of mix-up?! I applied for the traineeship in the R&D department, that’s the research and development department, right! I have no clue about accounting and numbers!

Sabine: Ok… well umm… eh, thank you for bringing this to my attention Mason. I apologize for the mix-up. Don’t worry, we will figure something out.

Mason: Ok, phew, I was really worried that R&D meant something else in your company, like Risks and Debts or Reports and Data or something.

Sabine: Oh dear, I really do apologize for this mix-up. I’ll be honest with you Mason, I can’t ask you questions that are specific to the traineeship in Research and Development. I can, however, tell you all about the company and what we expect from all our trainees. Does that sound good?

Mason: Yes, awesome. I have done some research, but I would love to hear more from you, Sabine.

Sabine: Ok great, and don’t worry, someone from R&D… that is Research and Development… will contact you after our interview and then organize a follow-up interview, ok?

Conor: I love how Sabine handles this. She apologizes for the mix-up and lets Mason know what she can do to make the interview productive. I’m excited to hear how this ends.

Sabine: …any more questions, or should I continue with the next part of the interview?

Mason: Happy to continue!

Sabine: Ok, I know you don’t have much work experience, so I’m going to ask you a couple of questions about situations in the past, and hypothetical situations in the future. Ready?

Mason: Ready!

Sabine: Tell me about a time you made a mistake, and, umm, how you learned from it.

Mason: Oooh, ok, that’s a tricky one. Hmmm, so, I already mentioned that I really like playing computer games, yeah? Well, I remember one time where I was about to start this level and…

Conor: Woah! Sabine, you handled that mix-up so well! But that can’t have been easy!

So, dear listeners, how can you prepare yourselves for a similar situation? On top of your usual interview preparation, take another look at the candidate’s résumé and note down some extra questions. It is also a good idea to look up some words that you might get stuck on. But, even the best of preparation can go wrong! That’s when it’s important to quickly and calmly adjust your plan, and be able to think on your feet – just like Sabine did! I hope you enjoyed this episode – till next time!