Unit 11 The Interviewer's Eye
Part Ⅰ Getting ready
The interview, a widely used method of personality assessment, is a means of eliciting from the subject a report of past, present, and anticipated future responses. Most interviews are unstructured, but some use set questions asked in a given sequence. Some interviewers may give candidates a hard time by asking them difficult questions.
A The following words and phrases will appear in this unit. All of them are related to a job interview. Listen carefully and study the definitions.
1. challenge: something with the quality of testing the strength, skill, or ability of a person
2. reputation: an opinion held about someone or something, especially by people in general
3. candidate: a person who wants to be chosen for a job or elected to a position
4. applicant: a person who makes a request, especially officially and in writing, for a job
5. appoint: choose for a position or job
6. personality: the whole nature or character of a particular person
7. status: one's social or professional rank or position, considered in relation to other people
8. ambitious: having a strong desire for success, power, wealth, etc.
9. qualification: an ability, quality, or record of experience that makes a person suitable for a particular job or position
10. vacancy: an unfilled job in a factory, office, etc.
B You are going to hear some typical questions that an interviewer might ask. Supply the missing words while listening.
1. Tell me _____________.
2. What do you think are your ________ and _______?
3. We have a lot of__________ for this ________. Why should we _______ you?
4. What has been your most __________?
5. How would you ________ your __________?
6. __________ did you last ________________? __________ what happened.
7. ______ is more _________ to you: __________ or __________?
8. ________ do you think you'd __________ if you were ________?
9. _______ do you want to __________ your __________?
10. What __________ you think you'd ________ working for us?
11. Are you an _______ person?
12. _____ would you like to be ________ from now?
13. What are you most ________ of having done in your ________?
14. What was the ________ you have had in your ________ and how did you ________ it?
15. What is the ________ you've had in the ________?
16. What is your ________ and what is your ________?
17. _____ you think you're ________________ for this job?
18. What are your _______________?
19. Describe your present job-what do you find ________ about it?
20. Now, ________ do you do in your ________?
21. What _______ you about the ________ you're doing
22. What ________ you about the ________ you're doing ________?
23. Describe your__________.
24. ________ would you ________ your present boss?
Part Ⅱ A good interview
During an interview, direct observations are made either in a natural setting or in a laboratory. In naturalistic observations, the interviewer notes reactions to everyday situations, typical responses to people, and expressive behaviour. In the laboratory, the interviewer experimentally manipulates situations and observes the interviewee's behaviour under these controlled conditions.
A You are going to hear the beginning of an interview, which fades out before the end. While listening for the first time, focus on the key words, add more key words if you can in the left-hand column. After the second listening complete what the interviewer says in the right-hand column.
Interviewer's Questions
1. ... now, you'd like to _______ our _______, I _______.
2. I'd like to _______ a little bit _______ you. Perhaps you _______ tell me ___________ about your _______.
3. That's all very ________________. ____________ what was the ______ that you _______ most at _______?
4. And are you quite _______ in those _______ now or... ?
5. Very good, that _______ be very _______. __________ a little bit about the work you're doing _______.
6. It sounds _______ you're very _____ there. I'm _______ why you'd _______ leave them and join our _______.
B Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the interview. Fill in the blanks with the information about the interviewee with the help of the above notes.
Name: __________________________
Age: __________________________
Educational Background
1. at 18, ____________
2. at 20, take a _______________ course
3. favourite courses: __________________ - _________, _________, _________
Employment History
1. from 18 to 20: _________ (an _________ firm)
2. from 21 to 23: _________ (works as _________ to _________)
3. from 23 to now: __________ (a __________ and __________ company, first works with __________ and later with __________)
Present Job
1. __________ clients' __________
2. __________ meetings and __________
3. __________ with __________
4. visit __________ in the country to make __________
5. do other routine __________ work
Reasons for joining Anglo-European
1. have a very good __________
2. provide more __________ and __________
3. provide more __________
4. offer possibility to __________ and use foreign __________
Part Ⅲ The interviewer's eye
A successful interview not only digs out the interviewee's educational background and employment history but also reflects the interviewee's inner reality. So to be a qualified interviewer is not an easy job. Skilled interviewers pay attention to what is said and notice how responses relate to non-verbal cues such as posture and facial expressions.
A You are going to hear a recruitment manager. Here he is talking about what he looks for in a candidate. While listening for the first time, focus on the key words, add more key words if you can in the notes column. After the second listening, complete the table below with the help of the notes.
Good Behaviour Bad Behaviour
___________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________
Good Personality Bad Personality
___________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________
___________________ _____________________
B Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the monologue. Supply the missing words with the help of the above notes.
1. At ________ the first thing that I ________ is how the person ________, and when they ________.
2. Obviously everyone is _______ at interview and you make ________ for that, but if it ________ throughout the __________ interview then of course you have to ask _________ what will they be like in a ______ job?
3. Because if they won't _________ you in a situation where a job ________ them making a good _________, then probably in the job they won't do very well __________ making _________ and having good _______ with other ________.
4. The _______ kinds of things that we might __________ in an interview of course are what the person _________ to get from a new job,and that I think is _________ because it ________ the _____________ that the person has.
Part Ⅳ More about the topic: Job Situation for University Graduates in US
In societies in which most people can earn a living only by working for others, being unable to find a job is a serious problem. The proportion of workers unemployed shows how well a nation's human resources are used and serves as an index of economic activity. In societies with high unemployment rate, it can be difficult for school graduates who have no experience at all to find appropriate jobs.
The following short passage is about the job situation for university graduates in America. Supply the missing words while listening.
Graduates are people who ________ a ______ school or college _________ . Five years ago, we've ________ about the job ________ of college graduates in the United States. The summer of _________ was the _________ time for college graduates to be _______ for a job since the end of _________. There were _________ professional jobs than ever _________. This was because many businesses had _________ the number of jobs to _________ money. Now the situation has _______. Experts say there are _________ jobs for college graduates than in _________ years. They say companies will be _________ more than _________ more college graduates this year and they will be _________ them about _________ more than last year.
There are several _________ for this. One reason is that the American economy is _________. Experts say it is the _________ economy in _________ years. The unemployment rate in _________ was less than _________. This is the_________ rate since _________. In addition, many American companies _________ a lot of workers several years ago because business was _________. Some experts say companies dismissed too many _________. Now the companies are doing more ________ than ________. They need more _________. so they are ________ jobs to college _________.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers says that most _________. for college graduates are in the _________ technology __________. Companies in these industries are offering jobs to students with _________ in ________ science and ___________.
There are not as many jobs for students with _______ in the liberal arts like _______, history or __________. These students have to work ______ to find jobs that use their _________ and __________. Some of them may not find the kind of job they are __________ for. They may have to work at a job that does not __________ much skill at all. There is a ________ about this. It goes: What does the __________ graduate say to the _________ graduate? "Would you like ________ with your __________, sir?" __________ believe, however, that the __________ job market will help __________ graduates as well. They may not be ________ to work ________ hamburgers and French fries at a __________ food eating place.
Part Ⅴ Memory test: Job Opening
Advertising techniques range in complexity from the publishing of simple, straightforward notices in the classified-advertising columns of newspapers to the concerted use of newspapers, magazines, television, radio, direct mail, and other communications media. Those who are unemployed will benefit a lot from various kinds of want-ads.
You are going to hear a recording of a daily programme from a local radio station; Radio Southwest which gives out information about job vacancies (preferably only one time). Listen to the recording and complete the chart below.
Job Hours Age Pay
_____________ ______________ _________ ______________
_____________ ______________ _________ ______________
_____________ ______________ _________ ______________
_____________ ______________ _________ ______________
_____________ ______________ _________ ______________
Part Ⅵ Reminder of key points in this unit
Verb & Verb Phrase Noun & Noun Phrase Other
Part Ⅰ appoint strength valuable
lose temper weakness present
rate applicant ambitious
personality rewarding
status ideal
fault
long-rang goal
Part Ⅰ gather engineering firm full-time
offer PA course fluent
operate export director rusty
deal with marketing director obviously
assist sales director on one's own
arrange public relations curious
set up consultancy challenging
client routine
project secretarial-type
presentation
correspondence
arrangement
reputation
scope
opportunity
challenge
Part Ⅲ settle down interview nervous
rush into allowance normal(ly)
grab eye contact probably
fiddle with impression in terms of
tap colleague outgoing
reflect on expectation enthusiastic
intelligently
Part Ⅳ reduce graduate professional
save money economy
employ unemployment rate
dismiss association
require high technology
degree
liberal arts
philosophy
Part Ⅴ fancy job spot up-to-date
pot hairdresser fit
apply for large scale be keen on
restriction
bonus
general assistant
short-hand typist
accuracy
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