New foreign guest needs help

[Yam]

Hello everybody,

thank you very much for accepting me as member in this forum, and I hope you all are doing well. Actually, I am still looking for a job in my country since I graduated from the university in the end of 2016. I am non-native English speaker, and I sometimes still face some difficulties to understand some phrases or words by English language. Therefore, I would be grateful if there is one who can help me.

my job’s application has a question that says: What are your major areas of development? I do not understand what does it exactly mean? Is it looking for my strengths points or weakness points? I am really confused!

Would someone help me to explain that question with some answers examples? PLEASE


Thank you all very much for your time and consideration

Best Regards

 

[70014IronDuke]

Hello everybody,

thank you very much for accepting me as member in this forum, and I hope you all are doing well. Actually, I am still looking for a job in my country since I graduated from the university in the end of 2016. I am non-native English speaker, and I sometimes still face some difficulties to understand some phrases or words by English language. Therefore, I would be grateful if there is one who can help me.

my job’s application has a question that says: What are your major areas of development? I do not understand what does it exactly mean? Is it looking for my strengths points or weakness points? I am really confused!

Would someone help me to explain that question with some answers examples? PLEASE


Thank you all very much for your time and consideration

Best Regards

Hello Yam, welcome to the group.

You say you have difficulty understanding the question. Well, don't feel bad, because - unless you have omitted something giving it proper context - it does not make sense!

My first reaction is that someone has edited the original form, and not checked it properly. Either that, or worse: the questioner just can't write clear English - sadly, there is plenty of evidence of that, even at professional levels. Another possibility is that the author himself/herself is 'fluent' in English, but not actually a native speaker, and should not be let loose on texts without an editor.

What exactly they wanted to write is up for guess work. It could be all number of things - perhaps

What are the major areas where you see development [in this field of work]?

Or

What are your [personal] major areas [ie knowledge or skill set] of development?

I would write something like: I'm sorry, but I have checked this with native speakers of English, including some who have experience of professional railway work, and they assure me that this is not a properly worded question.

I have taken it to mean: "What are your areas/knowledge/skills in which you have shown strong development" - and answered it accordingly. Apologies if this is incorrect, and please advise if I have misunderstood the meaning.

But please read either side of the question in case there is indeed a pointer to what they actually mean.

Good luck!

 

[axlecounter]

Personally I wouldn't start by questioning an application's question...maybe later in the process. Just give it an interpretation and answer accordingly might be a better choice?

 

[BTU]

Hello everybody,

thank you very much for accepting me as member in this forum, and I hope you all are doing well. Actually, I am still looking for a job in my country since I graduated from the university in the end of 2016. I am non-native English speaker, and I sometimes still face some difficulties to understand some phrases or words by English language. Therefore, I would be grateful if there is one who can help me.

my job’s application has a question that says: What are your major areas of development? I do not understand what does it exactly mean? Is it looking for my strengths points or weakness points? I am really confused!

Would someone help me to explain that question with some answers examples? PLEASE


Thank you all very much for your time and consideration

Best Regards

Try emailing the company recruitment department and ask for clarification on the question, they are always glad to help, I myself have done this in the past and always got an explanation to my query.