Scene: A small meeting room in an office. Ravi has just arrived for a job interview for an office assistant position.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Good morning, Ravi. Thank you for coming in today.
APPLICANT (RAVI): Good morning, Ms. Clark. Thank you for inviting me.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Please have a seat. Would you like some water or coffee?
APPLICANT (RAVI): Water would be great, thank you.
They sit down at the table.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): So, you’re applying for the office assistant position. Can you tell me a little about yourself?
APPLICANT (RAVI): Sure. My name is Ravi Patel. I have three years of experience working in an office environment. I handled phone calls, scheduled appointments, and helped with basic accounting tasks.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): That sounds good. What interests you about this role at our company?
APPLICANT (RAVI): I like that your company works with international clients. I want to use my communication skills and continue improving my English while supporting the team.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Great. This position requires a lot of organization. How do you stay organized when you have many tasks at the same time?
APPLICANT (RAVI): I usually make a to-do list every morning and update it during the day. I also use a digital calendar to track deadlines and meetings, so I don’t forget anything important.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Can you give me an example of a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer or coworker?
APPLICANT (RAVI): Yes. At my last job, a client called because an invoice was incorrect. He was very upset. I listened carefully, apologized for the mistake, and then checked the details with our accounting department. We sent him a corrected invoice the same day, and he thanked us for fixing it quickly.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): That’s a good example. What computer programs are you comfortable with?
APPLICANT (RAVI): I’m comfortable with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. I can also use Google Calendar and Zoom for online meetings.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Excellent. This job sometimes requires you to handle confidential information, like employee files. How would you handle that?
APPLICANT (RAVI): I understand that confidential information must be protected. I would follow company policy, keep documents locked or password-protected, and only share information with authorized people.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Good. Do you prefer working independently or as part of a team?
APPLICANT (RAVI): I can do both. I like working independently on tasks like data entry, but I also enjoy cooperating with others to plan events or projects.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Do you have any questions for me about the position?
APPLICANT (RAVI): Yes, I do. What does a typical day look like for an office assistant here?
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Good question. A typical day includes answering calls, greeting visitors, preparing documents, and supporting our project managers with scheduling and travel arrangements.
APPLICANT (RAVI): That sounds like a good match for my skills. I’m also wondering if there are opportunities for training or promotion in the future.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Yes, we offer training for new software and sometimes promote office assistants to coordinator positions after one or two years, depending on performance.
APPLICANT (RAVI): That’s encouraging. I’m very interested in growing with the company.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Thank you, Ravi. We’re interviewing a few candidates this week. We should make a decision by next Friday. How can we contact you?
APPLICANT (RAVI): You can reach me by phone or email. My phone number is on my résumé, and my email is rpatel@example.com.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Perfect. That’s all my questions for today. Thank you again for your time.
APPLICANT (RAVI): Thank you, Ms. Clark. It was nice meeting you.
INTERVIEWER (MS. CLARK): Nice meeting you too. Have a great day.
— THE END —