Job interview

Job Interview - Dutch Language Learning Lesson (A2 Level)

This lesson focuses on practical Dutch language skills needed during a job interview. It covers how to introduce yourself, discuss your work experience, inquire about job responsibilities, and express your personal skills and qualifications. The lesson is designed for A2 level learners, providing useful vocabulary and structures relevant to real-life job interviews.

Introducing Yourself and Talking About Experience

You will learn common phrases to present yourself and summarize your work history, for example:

• Goedemiddag, kunt u iets over uzelf vertellen? (Good afternoon, could you tell something about yourself?)
• Ja, ik ben Jan en ik werk al vijf jaar als marketingmedewerker. (Yes, I am Jan and I have worked for five years as a marketing officer.)
• Waarom wilt u bij ons bedrijf werken? (Why do you want to work at our company?)

Asking About Working Hours and Job Tasks

The lesson includes practice dialogues related to inquiring about work schedules, collaboration, job duties, and employment conditions:

• Kunt u mij vertellen hoe de werktijden zijn? (Can you tell me how the working hours are?)
• Je bent verantwoordelijk voor de klantenservice en het bijhouden van de administratie. (You are responsible for customer service and keeping up the administration.)
• Waar kan ik de arbeidsvoorwaarden vinden? (Where can I find the employment conditions?)

Discussing Personal Skills and Responsibilities

Practice in forming questions and answers about personal abilities and work expectations is provided, including expressions like:

• Welke vaardigheden zoekt u in een kandidaat? (Which skills do you look for in a candidate?)
• We zoeken iemand die zelfstandig kan werken en goed kan communiceren. (We look for someone who can work independently and communicate well.)
• Hoe vaak geeft u feedback aan medewerkers? (How often do you give feedback to employees?)

Key Vocabulary and Verb Forms

The lesson highlights important verbs commonly used in interview settings:

• zich voorstellen (to introduce oneself)
• uitnodigen (to invite)
• vinden (to find or consider)
• vragen (to ask)
• vertellen (to tell)
• in dienst nemen (to employ or take into service)

Example conjugations are provided to help you recognize and use these verbs in their present and perfect tenses.

Differences and Useful Phrases Compared to English

In Dutch, reflexive verbs such as zich voorstellen (to introduce oneself) require the reflexive pronoun matching the subject, which differs from English where reflexives are less frequent in introductions. For example, Ik stel mij voor means "I introduce myself." Another difference is verb placement: Dutch questions often start with the verb, such as Kunt u mij vertellen... (Can you tell me...).

Useful phrases include:

• Mag ik me eerst voorstellen? – May I introduce myself first?
• Wanneer heeft u voor het laatst in een team gewerkt? – When did you last work in a team?
• Ik ben goed in plannen en ik kan goed samenwerken. – I am good at planning and can cooperate well.

This lesson provides a comprehensive foundation to approach Dutch job interviews confidently, with focused practice on everyday expressions, question forms, and relevant vocabulary at an intermediate beginner level.