Judging by Appearance and Behaviour

1. Patrick Smith is 25. He left university two years ago. He has been called for twenty-five interviews but hasn’t found a job. However, he won’t change his appearance to try and get work. “This is the way I look. You can take it or leave it. People should look at my qualifications, not my hair,” he says.

2. Unfortunately for Patrick, first impressions are vital. For many employers, neat and tidy hair, smart clothes and good manners are as important as qualifications. An interview may last half an hour or more, but the decision to hire or not is usually taken in the first four minutes, sometimes even before the interviewee has spoken. First impressions are vital whether we like it or not. However, many young people fail to create that vital first impression because their appearance lets them down.

3. So what factors contribute to that vital first impression? It varies a lot according to our culture. For example, in the United States tall people are considered more reliable and serious in business. In Britain and America physically attractive applicants are thought of as warmer, kinder, more sociable and even more intelligent although they are not always as lucky as we think – some people think they are irresponsible and immature so they don’t give them the best job.

4. We can’t do much about our height or how good-looking we are but we can control our body language. For example, if you hang your head, play with your hair, hold your hand over your mouth or chew your nails you may seem flustered, nervous or dishonest. If you look at your watch or tap your foot it highlights your impatience or anxiety. In Europe and America it is appropriate to look the interviewer more or less in the eyes. It shows that you are open, frank, friendly, self-confident, sincere and natural. If you avoid eye contact the interviewer will think that you are cold and defensive and don’t really care about the conversation. Unfortunately, people from some cultures can find quite difficult to look directly at strangers.

5. Behaviour is language and we all have different ways of expressing ourselves. For example, if you take a plastic bag inside the interview room – even for important documents like your CV, a letter of application or references – it always looks like you are carrying your dirty washing. If foreigners’ behaviour seems strange to you then yours will seem strange to them. But there is an international language. For example, politeness and “being nice” to people are essential for successful interviews in any country. If you enter the interview room wearing not only a shirt and tie but a bright and friendly smile it counts for a lot… Anyway, if you want to do well you should follow experts’ tips how to dress and behave on the big day.

Topic 13. Stereotypes

1. Common stereotypes can be defined as a variety of allegations about groups based on age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, profession, sexual orientation, race, religious beliefs, physical appearance and social class.

2. Stereotype production is based on generalization, simplification, exaggeration or distortion, presentation of cultural attributes as being 'natural', unshakable belief in stability of stereotype, racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, and, of course, historical factors.

3. We develop stereotypes when we are unable or unwilling to obtain all of the information we would need to make fair judgments about people or situations. Stereotyping is such a natural human function and is so common that it occasionally functions in a useful way. For one thing, it is sometimes valuable to create classifications of individuals. The term "freshman" on college campuses brings to mind a popular image of a rather naive newcomer who is not familiar with both the social and intellectual life of a campus. Of course, many freshmen don't fit this narrow picture. Nevertheless, the stereotype of the freshman serves the purpose of encouraging professors to construct introductory courses for those with no experience in the subject matter and it also encourages campus social organizations like fraternities and sororities to sponsor group activities planned especially for campus newcomers.

Stereotypes also help us to classify and structure the complex world around us. Through stereotypes we notice, remember and store the information that is most noticeable. Though stereotypes, which evolved out of ignorance or fear often lead to unfair discrimination and persecution when the stereotype is unfavorable. They could be dangerous, offensive and even self-fulfilling prophesies. They won’t give justice to individuals and distort reality.

4. Multiple surveys and studies have shown that stereotypes can be negative or positive, even for the same group. Black men are generally supposed to be good musicians and basketball-players, but at the same time seen as aggressive and likely to take and sell drugs. The effects, of stereotypes, too, can be positive and negative. Students who were implicitly made aware of their gender behaved as the stereotype suggested: Asian-American women performed better in maths-tests when being aware of being Asian, and did worse when being reminded of being women.

5. Stereotypes are common in the world of literature and art, where they are represented by clichéd or predictable characters or situations. For example, stereotypical salesman is a fast-talking individual who cannot usually be trusted.

6. Our society often innocently creates and perpetuates stereotypes. Television, books, comic strips, and movies are all abundant sources of stereotyped characters. Moreover, stereotypes (such as gender ones) are often maintained by families and peers. And often prove to be reasonable and justified.

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