Succeed at your job interview

A practical guide to being interviewed

GEORGE HEAVISIDE

Attending an interview can be one of the most stressful situations

in your working life. How many times have you applied for

a job and got an interview, but do badly because you

are nervous and not properly prepared?

In Succeed at your job interview, George Heaviside shares the knowledge

he has gained as an occupational psychologist over

the past twenty years in his work with people and organizations.

He gives advice on preparing for the interview and explains how

you can give a good impression from the moment of walking

into the interview room. There is detailed information on the

type of questions you are likely to be asked and how to answer

them. Finally, advice is also given on improving

your performance in the interview.

Easy-to-read and packed full of encouraging advice, Succeed at

your job interview is the first step towards getting your ideal job.

Text B

CHAPTER 3

How can I make a good impression?

YOUR BODY LANGUAGE

As soon as you enter the room, the interviewers will start to judge you - on your body language, not on what you say. They will be watching the way you walk, sit, touch and make eye contact as well as your gestures and facial expressions. They will be forming both positive and negative impressions of you from the start. These first impressions are very important when interviewers make their final decisions.

BODY LANGUAGE CHECKLIST

• Dress in an appropriate way for the culture you are in and the job you are applying for.

• Touch is important. Start positively with a good, firm handshake.

• When you are sitting, don't lean too far forward or backward. Try to open up your body and only move forward when you want to show interest.

• Give the interviewer as much eye contact as you can to catch their attention, but don't stare at them.

• Let your face come alive. Smile in a friendly manner without grinning all the time.

• Don't fold your arms, cross your legs or fidget too much. Use your hands, arms and body when you speak to show how you feel.

Text 4.

People in Different Jobs

Task 1.You are going to read an article written by Linda Rossener, a young comedian, who performs in small clubs in London and on the South Coast of England. First look at the eight headings below (A-H). Then read the article. It is in seven parts. Choose the most suitable heading which best summarize what each part is about. There is an example at the beginning (0). Notice that there is one heading which you DO NOT need to use.

1. The secret I had to keep

2. Learning through observation

3. How I suddenly became a star performer

4. A painful but important lesson

5. Then it happened again

6. The most important skill of all

7. How I first realized I could be a comedian

8. Losing my first job

Task 2. Decide whether the following sentences about Linda are true or false. Correct the false ones.

When answering true/false questions, follow these strategies:

• Answer every question. You always have a 50/50 chance of being right.

• Pay special attention to statements with negatives in them. Remember that a negative statement that is correct is true.

• Pay attention to words like always, never, and all. Statements that represent extreme positions are usually false. On the other hand, more tentative statements are more likely to be true.

• Read all parts of a statement carefully. Some parts may be true, but if any part of it is false, then the whole statement is false.

1. ________ She was lucky to get her first job.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ________ She lost her first job after an argument with the management.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ________ She lived with her sister in London for a while.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ________ She had serious problems in her second job.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ________ She didn’t want her family to know what she was really doing after suddenly leaving her second job.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. ________ Something very important happened in her next job.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. ________ As soon as she became a comedian, she was a great success.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. ________ She finds it very difficult to understand how comedians make people laugh.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. ________ Good comedians do something that most of us never really notice.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Text 5.