Sample Answer
What kinds of colleagues do you like to work with?
I like to work with colleagues who are nice and responsible. Since you have to spend a lot of time with the people you work with, it makes a world of difference if you can get along with them. Having things in common with them also helps. But they should be responsible too. One of my favorite coworkers is always accountable for her actions94. When we work on something together, she always does her part carefully and makes sure we are on the same page.
What abilities do you need to get along with coworkers?
I think you need to be patient and considerate to get along with coworkers. Even though your goal should always be acting nice towards others, it’s just a given that you won’t like everybody you meet. So to get along with them, you have to be really patient and be on your best behavior. Plus, you have to be considerate about their thoughts and feelings so you can get along.
Which is more important to you at work, development in work-related skills or recognition from your supervisors?
Well, development in work-related skills is definitely more important to me at work. It’s really nice to get recognition from my supervisors, but in the end, that won’t get me as far in life as developing skills will. You can always take skills with you to the next job in case you want to switch things up. In other words, building more skills is equivalent to building up your resume.
Do students have the right to choose who they share a desk with?
That’s definitely a tough question. On the one hand, students have to spend a lot of time with their desk-mate and they’re very close to them, so it would help if they had a say in the matter. But on the other hand, especially when students are young, they need to learn how to get along with their peers, so maybe it’s best to leave those decisions with the teachers.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of seats assigned by teachers?
Well, talking about the advantages, one thing I can think of is that teachers can pair students who can help each other with studying by letting them share a desk. My desk-mate in high school, who was also my best friend, often gave me a hand when I had difficulty in math. But the disadvantage is that you might end up sitting with a student you can’t get along with
Vocab Highlights
it makes a world of difference
Having things in common
accountable for her actions
on the same page
it’s just a given that
switch things up
if they had a say in the matter