How would you describe your work / job? Stimulating, fascinating (very interesting), dull (boring), repetitive, routine, tiring, demanding (requires a lot from you), exciting, rewarding? Give examples.
Are you under a lot of stress and pressure? what are the main stress factors: heavy workloads, office politics, role ambiguity (your job i unclear), lack of management support, home-work imbalance?
How do you de-stress (relax after work)? How can you prevent a nervous breakdown? (нервный срыв)
How can you work your way up the career ladder? (подняться по карьерной лестнице
Is competition (конкуренция) in your company and in the market ferocious (жестокая), intense (напряженная) or stiff (жесткая)?
Would you like to become a sole proprietor (индивидуальный предприниматель) one day? In what sphere?
Have you ever resigned (увольняться) and handed in your notice? (писать заявление об увольнении) Have you ever been made redundant? (сокращали)
Which management style do you prefer? Participative (основанный на участии) — when everyone takes part in a decision-making process. Authoritarian — when you check everything that employees do. Why?
Round 2. Time well-spent
What are your favorite places to visit in the city?
Would you describe Moscow as a good place for leisure time? What sort of activities would you suggest to someone visiting the city for the first time?
What cultural places are worth visiting in Moscow? (deserve)
Do you like the hectic pace (very fast) of life in the city? Could you live in a small provincial town?
Have you ever visited a small town with rustic (сельский) charm and quaint (прчиудливый) old buildings?
What are interesting towns in your country that tourists might enjoy?
Are there any tourist attractions or historical sites you would recommend?
If you were looking for a place to live, how important would these questions be to you? Opportunities to make a living, good options for housing, cultural opportunities, citizens.
Would you define a city as a collection of buildings or a collection of people? If the latter, what sort of people needed to make a city?
Round 3. Education
1. What qualifications have you obtained (get) or are you going to acquire? 2. What were your core subjects (main) in the first academic year? Which did you enjoy most? Which were useless? 3. Did you study intensively any subject to know it inside out (very thoroughly)? 4. What university did you secure a place at (enter)? How did you choose what university to apply to? Do you wish you had made a different choice? 5. How much do you remember from your secondary and high school classes? 6. Is it important to obtain formal education for further career and success? Is tertiary (higher) education necessary? 7. What courses have you ever signed up for (enroll on)? Why have you chosen them? Were they worth your while (useful, worth the effort)? 8. What led you to pursue the field of your choice?
Round 4. Work-Life Balance
Do you keep a good balance between your personal, professional, and family lives? Why?
What topic can you give for a better work-life balance
Does technology influence work-life balance positively or negatively? For example, chats, messengers, online groups, video calls, etc. Is it more a distraction or an effective tool for your work? (prevents you from giving your full attention)
Do you have perfectionist tendencies? In general, is perfectionism destructive (causing harm) or helpful?
How often do you unplug (disconnect from technology) and enjoy the moment? When did you spend your time without a smartphone?
What are crucial (highly important) things in life that you always find time for? For example, exercise, yoga, meditation, etc.
What time-wasting activities are better to be avoided?
What activities do you value most? What do you delegate and outsource? (to get work done by others)
Do you make New Year's resolutions? (promises to yourself) Do you keep them?
