Vocabulary:

applicant	претендент, кандидат
work background	информация о предыдущей работе
to check back	снова обратиться
to suit	соответствовать, подходить
to verify	проверять
to request	запрашивать
a prompt reply	немедленный ответ

Comprehension questions:

1. What is the objective of the job interview?

2. What kind of questions are usually asked at an interview?

3. How is the obtained information verified?

Task 13:

Situation: Your colleague applied for a new job but was turned down. Why did it happen?

Use: produce unfavourable impression; be not properly dressed; look untidy; badly shaven; dirty boots; long hair; wear too bright colours; wrinkled trousers; not a fresh shirt; have no professional look; be late for the interview; keep the boss waiting; not punctual; not take one's career seriously; have no self-control; sound not confident enough; speak poor English; hesitate in answering questions; not have enough experience; have poor professional skills.

Model:

A: My colleague applied for a new job, but was turned down.

B: Why? What happened?

A: I'm afraid it was his own fault. To begin with, he was late for the interview and kept the boss waiting. Besides ...

Task 14: Match the job interview questions 1 to 5 with their answers a) to e).

How many jobs have you had since leaving university? Why have you changed jobs so often? What have you done that shows leadership? In what ways has your job changed since you joined the company? Have you ever worked with a difficult person?

I now have more responsibility and work longer hours. Well, I lead the sales team. I’m also chairperson of a local business association. I wanted to earn more money. Well, the boss in my last company wasn’t easy to work with. I’ve worked for six companies.

Task 15: Cristina Kramer is applying for a job as an overseas sales representative in Italy (see her CV in Task 5). Read the interview and answer the questions:

1. Why does Cristina want to obtain this position?

2. What are her strengths?

3. What are her weaknesses?

4. What are her interests?

(I=Interviewer, CK=Cristina Kramer)

I	Why do you want this job?
CK	I like traveling and using my language. I also like meeting people, and I want a new challenge. I really want to work for this company. It has an excellent reputation. I think with my excellent sales experience I can contribute to its success.
I	What are your strengths?
CK	I’m fluent in Italian and Spanish. I’m good at training sales staff and I get on well with people. I think I’m very good at organizing seminars for customers.
I	What mistakes have you made?
CK	I’m not patient when people don’t meet deadlines.
I	What kind of people do you work well with?
CK	I like people who work hard and who are reliable.
I	What are your interests?
CK	I have a lot of different interests. As I said before, I like traveling, and I like reading travel books. I also like aerobics and skiing.
I	Do you have questions to ask us?
CK	If I get the job, when would you like me to start?

1. What are your strengths and interests? What kinds of people do you work well with?

Task 16:

1. Read some more interviews

(I=Interviewer, C=Candidate)

1	I	What is your current job?
	C	I’m an assistant Production Manager at Nomad Productions and I’ve been there for five years.
	I	What have you done that shows initiative?
	C	Well, I had to react quickly in a critical situation when the Production Manager was ill. It was difficult at first, but I really learnt to make quick decisions.
	I	What part of the job do you least enjoy?
	C	One thing I really don’t like is checking all the minor details. I’m more interested in coordinating a team and sorting out problems.
2	I	I’d like to ask you about your work experience. What did you learn from your last job?
	C	I learned to sell machines, and I improved my computer skills.
3	I	Do you have any special skills?
	C	I’m good at languages. I speak Japanese very well. Also I find selling very easy.
4	I	What do you want to do in the future … in ten years’ time?
	C	Well, I plan to be head of a large marketing department.
5	I	Finally, about your interests – what do you do in your free time?
	C	Well, I spend a lot of time playing golf at the weekend, and I’m keen on fitness so I go to the gym a lot.

2. Work in pairs. Student A is an interviewer. Student B is a candidate. Role play the job interview. Use expressions from the box.

	Interviewer	Candidate
Experience	What did you learn from your last job? What didn’t you like about your last job?	I learned to … Well, I had a problem with …
Skills	What are you good at? Do you have any special skills?	People say that I am good at … My main strengths are …
Future plans	What do you want to do in the future? Where do you want to be in ten years’ time?	My main aim is to … I plan to be … I hope to have …
Interests	What do you do in your free time? What are your main interests?	I really enjoy … I spend a lot of time …

Task 17: A person who works in the Personnel Department is explaining how they select candidates in her company. Put the items in the correct order to give a general description of the recruitment process.

Notes: in-house – внутри фирмы

shortlist – окончательный список (список допущенных к последнему туру)

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

TEXT 1: RECRUITMENT

by Jean-Louis Barsoux

Checking out job advertisements is popular with executives worldwide. But though the activity is universal, is the same true of the advertisements? Are executive positions in different countries advertised in the same way? A comparison of the jobs pages of The Times of London, Le Monde of Paris and Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung suggests not.

First, what UK job seekers consider an essential piece of information — what the post pays — is absent from French and German adverts. It is often left to applicants to raise this themselves. In contrast, most British advertisements mention not only salary, but. also other material incentives including a car and fringe benefits. French or German advertisements rarely refer to these.

If French and German adverts are vague about material rewards, they are precise about qualifications. They usually demand “a degree in ...”, not simply “a degree”. In Germany, for example, a technical director for a machine tool company will be expected to have a Dipl.-lng degree in Mechanical Engineering.

French advertisements go further. They may specify not just the type of grande ecole degree, but sometimes a particular set of institutions (Formation superieure X, Centrale, Mines, НЕС, ESSEC), these being the most famous grandes ecoles.

All this contrasts with the vague call for “graduates” (or “graduate preferred”) which is found in the UK. British companies often give the impression that they have a particular type of applicant in mind, but are not sure about the supply and will consider others.

In the UK qualifications beyond degree level make employers nervous, but in France or Germany it is difficult to be “overqualified”. Many people on German executive boards have doctorates and the French regard five or six years of intensive post-baccalaureat study at a grand eсоlе as ideal training. British managers are not selected primarily for their intelligence, as managers are in France, or for their expert knowledge, as in Germany. Instead, the British give importance to social, political and leadership skills.

This difference also shows in the personal qualities mentioned. British advertisements stress energy, ability to communicate and motivate. German advertisements like achievement, but it tends to be less personality-driven. German companies want candidates with sound knowledge, experience and competence in their field. They rarely recruit novices as do British employers. French advertisements refer more to intellectual qualities like analytical aptitude and independence.

All this points to three different conceptions of management. The French regard it as intellectually complex, the Germans as technically complex, and the British as interpersonally complex. But they agree on one thing: it's complex.

From International Management

TEXT 2: PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS

by Fiona McNeill

Many employers now use psychometric testing to assess the personalities of potential employees. There are several kinds of tests but usually candidates have to answer questions on their preferences and interests.

Their answers provide information about their aptitudes and how they get on with colleagues.

Sam Jenkins applied for a job as a reporter on her local newspaper in the Midlands. At the interview, she was asked to complete a psychometric test.

“I have a real suspicion of these tests”, she explains, “but I went along with it. I found the questions way too simplistic.”

There were things like, “Do you like being with people? All the time, some of the time or hardly ever? It was difficult to answer because I'm different at different times.”

Sam didn't get the job and when she received the test results, she was gobsmacked. “It wasn't flattering,” she says.

“I was described as decisive, aggressive and impatient, among other things. It seemed to be about someone who wouldn't be able to work with other people but I work hard to get on with people. Ironically, I'd applied for the job because I didn't want to work on my own.”

Disillusioned and frustrated, she sought help from a professional careers adviser who also used psychometric testing. This time, it was a more positive experience. “I was given a different test which had been designed for professional, highly educated people,” she says. “I was also given a motivational test and asked to trace the course of my life so far.”

“The consultant talked about the findings in depth and gave me a lot of useful insights. He confirmed, for example, that I couldn't work alone and that I'm motivated by a need for social change. I came out of it with a new sense of direction.”

One of the suggestions made by the consultant was that Sam might be suited to working in the voluntary sector. She now works as a coordinator for community advice centres in the Midlands and enjoys her job.

Sam's experience is a common scenario. Many people find psychometric testing very useful for careers advice but have had bad experiences with job interviews. The problem is that tests are often used in the wrong way. It can really knock someone's confidence.

Psychometric tests should only be one part of the recruitment process and employers should spend at least fifteen minutes elaborating on the test results. Feedback is crucial.

From the Guardian

TEXT 3: PERSONALITY TESTS

by Adeline Iziren

Many employers use personality tests such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to give them insight into the way you interact with people as well as the way you work.

The MBTI programme features 16 personality types that differ in the way they view the world. Candidates taking the test answer the same questions, each offering a choice of two answers. They include questions like:

Would you rather work under someone who is:

1. always kind?

2. always fair?

There are no right or wrong answers in personality tests, but the results will reveal your personality type. For example, you might be an ESTJ: Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking and Judging.

ESTJs are “practical with a natural head for business”, qualities that can lead to a great career as a sales manager, or administrator. Or you could be an INFJ (Introvert, Intuitive, Feeling and Judging) - people with this personality type make good writers and editors.

However, knowledge of your type should never stop you from finding a job that appeals to you. People of all types can find success in all fields.

The MBTI explains the personality types as follows. Extroverts tend to focus on the outer world of people and things, while Introverts tend to focus on the inner world of ideas and impressions.

Sensing types are prone to focus on the present and concrete information gained from their senses, while Intuitive types, their polar opposites, enjoy anticipating the future and like to focus on the big picture.

Thinking types are naturally quite analytical, tend to base their decisions on logic and aim to be fair when dealing with people. Feeling types are able to empathise and base their decisions on values and people's feelings.

Judging types dislike working under time pressure, preferring a planned and organised approach to life. Perception types get energised by last minute time pressures and enjoy a flexible and spontaneous approach to life.

From the Guardian

TEXT 4: TEMPTED BY TEMPING?

by Linda Whitney

Looking for a new job? Try temping. Tempo­rary work will provide an income — and could well turn into a permanent job.

Jonny Breeze, founder of London-based media and entertainment recruitment agency Yellow Cat, says: “Since October, we've noticed an 80 per cent increase in demand for temporary staff compared with this time last year, and many of our temps are offered perm­anent positions.”

If you've never temped before, be prepared. Analyse your skills. Which could you sell as a temp? Admin­istration, office skills, project management or financial skills are transferable to any sector, so choose a multi-sector recruitment agency, or check target company websites.

If you are specialist, choose specialist agencies. Temps can earn more than staff in the equivalent permanent job, especially if they have specialist technical skills.

For instance, an experi­enced online advertising copywriter could earn £250 to £300 a day, which works out at about £70,000 a year, but permanent staff in the same type of job earn £45,000 to £50,000, according to events and communications recruit­ment specialist Xchange-team Group.

Don't put yourself forward for jobs requiring skills that you are not confident about, and most companies recruit­ing temps won't have much time to train you if you lack those skills.

On your first day, take a notebook and write down ways to do things, to save asking questions later to busy staff. Carina Bauer, of IMEX, which runs the annual IMEX incentive travel exhibi­tion, recruits many temps in her business. She says: “Making notes shows that you are serious about the job and keen to get it right.” “Show an interest in the company and its goals,” advises Margaret Maupin, from Xchangeteam Group. Research the firm and show you are keen to help it achieve its aims. Don't just do the minimum.

“Be enthusiastic, and if your previous experience proves there are better ways to do things, suggest them,” says Simon Dudley.

Take responsibility. ‘Never answer a customer's ques­tion with “I'm just a temp, I don't know”,’ says Mrs Bauer. ‘Find out what the inquirer wanted to know and remember for next time.’

Be passionate about the job. Show initiative: antici­pate what has to be done and get on with it. If you finish a task, ask if there is anything more you can do.

The more people you know, the more likely you are to be asked to do further temp work or even to stay on permanently.

Find out who is responsible for hiring and get yourself in front of them. Ensure they know you are looking for a permanent job.

If you are offered perma­nent work, be realistic about your salary.

From the Daily Mail

TEXT 5: YOU TOO COULD SELL, SELL, SELL

by Liz Philips

During a recession, one sector of the jobs market that always does well is direct selling. A wide range of products such as cosmetics and services like utilities that are sold face-to-face through parties at home or door-to-door.

There has been a sharp increase in recruitment, with direct-selling firms reporting a rise in staff by 15per cent to 25per cent.

Cosmetics, jewellery and homeware firm Virgin Vie has 12,000 representatives in the UK and is signing up 280 people each week.

'We are the largest provider of low-cost, independent, small-business opportunities,' says Richard Berry, chairman of the Direct Selling Association. 'We saw a similar increase in the direct-selling market in the previous two periods of recession.'

It's not surprising that there is increased interest. Thousands of workers need to find an extra source of income, either because they've lost their job or their wages have fallen.

And companies can take on new sellers without immediate costs, as most workers' earnings come from commission.

Earnings depend on your success, although the top sales people can build their own team and earn as much as £100,000 a year.

The direct-selling market represents £2 billion in sales and has 400,000 workers, yet it still makes up only 1.5 per cent of all UK retail expenditure. Most sellers are women who work part-time, choosing the hours they wish to work. This makes it ideal for those with a family to look after.

But it is becoming increasingly appealing to those who have retired and want to boost their pension, and unemployed men who want to keep busy while looking for a new job.

You need to be confident and enjoy dealing with people to become successful at direct selling. It's a sociable business, with sellers often holding parties in their home where customers can try out products and place their orders.

The seller puts through the order over the internet and delivers it within days, so you don't need to keep much stock at home.

Those who want to progress can become team leaders. You will have to train, manage and motivate your own team. In return, you earn a small commission on their sales.

From the Daily Mail

UNIT 2

MANAGEMENT

Do you know?

The word management comes from Old French menagement which means “the art of conducting, directing” (from Latin manu agere “to lead by the hand”).

Task 1: What qualities and skills should a good manager have? Choose the three most important from the list.

To be a good manager you need to:

1. like people.

2. enjoy working with others.

3. give orders.

4. listen to others.

5. make suggestions.

6. judge people’s abilities.

7. plan ahead.

8. be good with numbers.

9. make good presentations.

10. be persuasive.