Japanese · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 8 of 12
Work and careers
就職の面接Shūshoku no mensetsu
Get through a job interview in Japanese: honorific and humble keigo, talking about your experience, and purpose with ～ために and ～ように.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Use humble keigo about yourself and honorific keigo about others
- Describe your experience, strengths and weaknesses in an interview
- Say why you do something with ～ために and ～ように
Listen
In Tokyo, Okamoto Yui has a job interview at a hotel company. Mr Nakagawa interviews her. She uses keigo throughout. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Okamoto
失礼いたします。岡本ゆいと申します。本日はよろしくお願いいたします。
Shitsurei itashimasu. Okamoto Yui to mōshimasu. Honjitsu wa yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
Excuse me. My name is Okamoto Yui. Thank you for seeing me today.
Nakagawa
面接を担当する中川です。どうぞおかけください。では、まず志望動機を教えてください。
Mensetsu o tantō suru Nakagawa desu. Dōzo okake kudasai. De wa, mazu shibō dōki o oshiete kudasai.
I'm Nakagawa, and I'll be interviewing you. Please have a seat. So, first of all, please tell me why you applied.
Okamoto
はい。学生のとき、御社のホテルに泊まったことがあります。そのときのスタッフの方の接客が、今でも忘れられません。私も、お客様に「また来たい」と思っていただけるように、御社で働きたいと思いました。
Hai. Gakusei no toki, onsha no hoteru ni tomatta koto ga arimasu. Sono toki no sutaffu no kata no sekkyaku ga, ima demo wasureraremasen. Watashi mo, okyakusama ni “mata kitai” to omotte itadakeru yō ni, onsha de hatarakitai to omoimashita.
When I was a student, I stayed at one of your hotels. I still can't forget how the staff looked after me. I'd like to work for you so that I, too, can make guests want to come back.
Nakagawa
そうですか。前職ではどんな仕事をなさっていましたか。
Sō desu ka. Zenshoku de wa donna shigoto o nasatte imashita ka.
I see. What kind of work did you do in your previous job?
Okamoto
旅行会社で三年間、カウンターでの接客を担当しておりました。外国のお客様も多かったので、英語で説明することもよくありました。
Ryokō gaisha de sannenkan, kauntā de no sekkyaku o tantō shite orimashita. Gaikoku no okyakusama mo ōkatta node, Eigo de setsumei suru koto mo yoku arimashita.
For three years I was in charge of serving customers at the counter of a travel agency. Many of the customers were from abroad, so I often explained things in English.
Nakagawa
その経験を、どのように生かしたいとお考えですか。
Sono keiken o, dono yō ni ikashitai to okangae desu ka.
How would you like to make use of that experience?
Okamoto
海外からのお客様が困らないように、フロントで英語を使って、御社に貢献したいと思っております。そのために、今も毎朝英語を勉強しております。
Kaigai kara no okyakusama ga komaranai yō ni, furonto de Eigo o tsukatte, onsha ni kōken shitai to omotte orimasu. Sono tame ni, ima mo maiasa Eigo o benkyō shite orimasu.
I'd like to contribute to your company by using English at the front desk, so that guests from abroad don't have any problems. For that reason, I still study English every morning.
Nakagawa
なるほど。では、ご自分の長所と短所を教えてください。
Naruhodo. De wa, gojibun no chōsho to tansho o oshiete kudasai.
I see. Then please tell me your strengths and weaknesses.
Okamoto
長所は、誰とでもすぐに話せることです。短所は、ときどき頑張りすぎてしまうことです。
Chōsho wa, dare to demo sugu ni hanaseru koto desu. Tansho wa, tokidoki ganbarisugite shimau koto desu.
My strength is that I can talk to anyone straight away. My weakness is that I sometimes work too hard.
Nakagawa
わかりました。最後に、何か質問はありますか。
Wakarimashita. Saigo ni, nanika shitsumon wa arimasu ka.
Thank you. Finally, do you have any questions?
Okamoto
はい。御社のホームページを拝見しました。新しく入る社員は、まず何を担当するのでしょうか。
Hai. Onsha no hōmupēji o haiken shimashita. Atarashiku hairu shain wa, mazu nani o tantō suru no deshō ka.
Yes. I've looked at your website. What do new employees do first?
Nakagawa
最初の半年は、フロントで接客をしていただきます。では、今日の面接はこれで終わりです。結果は来週ご連絡します。
Saisho no hantoshi wa, furonto de sekkyaku o shite itadakimasu. De wa, kyō no mensetsu wa kore de owari desu. Kekka wa raishū gorenraku shimasu.
For the first six months, you'd work with guests at the front desk. Well, that's the end of today's interview. We'll let you know the result next week.
Understand
Keigo: raising the other person, lowering yourself
Keigo (, keigo), respectful language, has three parts. You already know the first: です／ます, polite language (, teineigo). Honorific language (, sonkeigo) raises the person you talk to or about, so you use it for their actions: (donna shigoto o nasatte imashita ka), what work did you do? Humble language (, kenjōgo) lowers yourself, so you use it for your own actions: (tantō shite orimashita), I was in charge of.
The most common verbs have special keigo forms. Honorific verbs ending in have in the ます form: , , . Formal words help too: (honjitsu) is a formal (kyō), today, and (onsha) means “your company” when you speak to the company you are applying to.
| Verb | Honorific (others) | Humble (yourself) |
|---|---|---|
| (suru), do | (nasaru) | (itasu) |
| (iru), be | (irassharu) | (oru) |
| (iku), (kuru) | (irassharu) | (mairu) |
| (iu), say | (ossharu) | (mōsu) |
| (miru), see | (goran ni naru) | (haiken suru) |
| (taberu), eat | (meshiagaru) | (itadaku) |
Keigo patterns: お～になる, お～する, お～ください
Most verbs have no special keigo form. For them, use a pattern with the ます stem. Honorific: + stem + : (omachi ni naru), (okangae ni naru); the shorter (okangae desu ka) is common in questions. Humble: + stem + , or + a Sino-Japanese word + : (omochi shimasu), I'll carry it; (gorenraku shimasu), I'll contact you.
+ stem + is a polite “please”: (okake kudasai), please have a seat. and also go before nouns about the other person: (gojibun), yourself. In interviews and shops you will also hear (sasete itadakimasu), a very humble “I will do”, literally “I receive your permission to do”: (setsumei sasete itadakimasu), allow me to explain. For now you only need to recognise it.
- 中川様はいらっしゃいますか。Nakagawa-sama wa irasshaimasu ka.Is Mr Nakagawa there?
- 明日、こちらからご連絡します。Ashita, kochira kara gorenraku shimasu.We'll contact you tomorrow.
- こちらでお待ちください。Kochira de omachi kudasai.Please wait here.
In order to, so that: ～ために and ～ように
(tame ni) after the dictionary form means “in order to”, for a goal you actively work towards. Both parts of the sentence have the same subject: (Eigo no shiken o ukeru tame ni, maiasa benkyō shite imasu), I study every morning to take an English exam. After a noun, use : (shōrai no tame ni), for the future.
(yō ni) is used after the potential form, after negatives, and when the two parts have different subjects: (okyakusama ga komaranai yō ni), so that guests don't have problems; (Eigo ga hanaseru yō ni), so that I can speak English.
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (Ie o kau tame ni, chokin shite imasu.) | I'm saving to buy a house. |
| (Wasurenai yō ni, memo shimasu.) | I'll make a note so I don't forget. |
| (Minna ga mirareru yō ni, ōkiku kakimasu.) | I'll write it big so everyone can see. |
More in the grammar: Experience: ～たことがある · The potential form: can · Keigo: honorific and humble language
New words
- 失礼いたしますshitsurei itashimasuexcuse me (entering or leaving a room) · しつれいいたします; the humble form of (shitsurei shimasu)
- いたしますitashimasuI do (humble) · from (itasu), the humble
- 面接mensetsuinterview · めんせつ
- 担当tantōbeing in charge · たんとう; (tantō suru), to be in charge of
- 志望動機shibō dōkireason for applying · しぼうどうき
- 御社onshayour company · おんしゃ; spoken; in writing, (kisha)
- 接客sekkyakuserving customers · せっきゃく
- 前職zenshokuprevious job · ぜんしょく
- 経験keikenexperience · けいけん; (keiken ga aru), to have experience
- 生かすikasuto make use of (skills, experience) · いかす
- 貢献するkōken suruto contribute · こうけんする; ～に貢献する (ni kōken suru), to contribute to …
- 長所chōshostrength, strong point · ちょうしょ
- 短所tanshoweakness, weak point · たんしょ
- 拝見するhaiken suruto see, to look at (humble) · はいけんする; the humble form of
Practise
1.In the interview, Okamoto talks about her old job. How does she say “I was in charge of it”?
2.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I'm studying English so that guests don't have any problems.
3.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Which is the humble way to say “I looked at your website”?
5.Which word fits? ___
6.You work at the hotel front desk and offer to carry a guest's luggage. What do you say?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
失礼いたします。
Shitsurei itashimasu.
Excuse me. (entering or leaving a room)
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.