B: Not yet. If she happens to have a wide network of business connections, it’ll be a great assert to the company.
A: I see. We’ll try our best to find one who meets your requirements. B: Do you think you can pin one down quickly?
A: Probably. You see, a number of firms have been downsizing. So it’s a good time
for head-hunting.
B: Good. That’s why they call you headhunters.
V. Let’s Talk
Script
Good afternoon, everyone. The university’s Career Office asked me to give a talk on the topic of how to prepare for job interviews. This is probably the most important aspect in securing a job. Here are some tips I believe to be useful.
First, do some research are. Once you have this information, make a list of what skills or knowledge you have that would be valuable to them. You cannot sell yourself to them if you don’t know what it is you are selling. The next thing to consider is your physical appearance. You have to dress right for job interviews. Don’t wear anything too flashy; being neat and clean is more important than wearing the latest fashion. The aim is to look professional without overdoing it. Also, it is important that you feel comfortable. If you are not comfortable with a tie, it might be best not to wear one, unless the job requires you to dress this way. The last thing you want is to be worried about your appearance during the interview. It will only make you nervous, and you will quickly lose confidence. Mover over, you have to work out what you need to take with you: A copy of your CV, originals and copies of your qualification paper, copies of reference, samples of your work, if applicable, and anything else that they may want to see. Again, make sure everything is well organized and neatly presented. Don’t take a pile of paperwork that you have to sift through for ten minutes to find something. That will give them the impression that you are disorganized. If you are well prepared, you’re likely to have good luck. Things to Do More Details 1. Do some research on the Find out what products it makes, company. who its customers are, and what its Tip1 2. Make a list of what skills or objective is. knowledge you have that would be valuable to them. ⑴ Dress right. Don’t wear anything too flashy; neat and clean Take care over your physical are more important than the latest Tip2 appearance. fashion. ⑵ Feel comfortable. Being worried about your appearance during the interview will make you nervous and you will quickly lose confidence. ⑴ Prepare a copy of your resume, originals and copies of your qualification papers, copies of Tip3 Work out what to take with you. references, and samples of your work. ⑵ Make sure everything is well organized and neatly presented. Discussion
SAMPLE
A: After listening to the career officer’s talk, I’ve now realizes the
importance of getting prepared for an interview.
B: Quite true. First of all, we should never be late for an interview. If you’re not punctual, they’ll suspect that you’ll be late for work in future.
A: Before going to the interview, we had better pay attention to our dress. We must look professional without overdoing it. Careless clothes will lead them into thinking that you’re likely to do your job carelessly. B: During the interview, it is important to look confident without being too pushy. It’s necessary to maintain eye contact. This shows your interest in the conversation, and helps to maintain the communication between you and the interviewer.
A: Many employers attach importance to the education you’ve received. We need to highlight those courses especially valuable to the company. B: Book knowledge is not enough. We must show them we have practical experience in the field. Tell them about our internship, and emphasize the skills that are useful in the job we’re seeking.
A: How clever you are! These days many students want to tell the prospective employer that they have a good command of English and have obtained a College English Test Band 4 Certificate.
B: They’re also eager to tell interviewer about their computer skills with PowerPoint, office automation, and so on. Students from non-key universities especially need certificates to shoe they’ve acquired those skills before they can hope to compete against students from prestigious universities.
A: Character is considered an important factor in contemporary society, where teamwork is a must.
B: But too many students are saying more or less the same thing. If everybody says, “I’m warm-hearted and cooperative, get along well with
my classmates, and have good team spirit,” the boss will soon get fed up.
A: Perhaps we should let the work we’ve done shoe our character.
B: Right on. Participation is important. If you can show them you’re an important official of the Student Union of the university or the department, or you’ve organized a singing competition and won an award, obviously you’re a good team player.
VI. Further Listening and Speaking
Task1: The Role Memory Plays in Our Life Script
Your resume, or CV in British English, has one mission and one mission only: to get you a job interview. Your resume is usually the first impression an employer has of you. And as “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”, you‘d better get it right firs time. Here’re some suggestions that may be of use in preparing a resume. First, use a design that demands attention. Employers don’t have time to read through each of your job descriptions to know if you have the skills they need. The design of your resume must do it for them. Your resume should be concise, well-organized and relevant. It should emphasized the most important and relevant points about your experience, skills and education.
Second, put important information first. List important information at the beginning of your job descriptions. Put statements in your resume in order of importance and relevance to the job you want. A powerful statement with exact numbers influences every statement that follows. Third, target the job. You will have more success if you adjust your resume and cover letter for the specific skills another job. In other words, you need to “re-package” yourself. In that way, an employer will see immediately that you correspond to the job description. It is not dishonest to “re-package” yourself. You are simply pressing yourself and your skills in the best light for a particular employer. This will help you to get more interviews and allow you to apply for a wider range o jobs.
16. Why does the speaker say the resume is important?
17. According to the passage, why should you emphasize the most important point about yourself? 18. Where does the speaker advise putting the important information in your job description?
19. How many resumes would the speaker advise you to write if you applied for three jobs?
5. Which of the following makes a good title for the passage?
Keys: 1.C 2.A 3.A 4.C 5.B
Task 2: Two Essential Factors in an Interview
Script
When applying for a job, especially a job you really want. It’s not usually to feel nervous and anxious. Sometimes it’s this anxiety, not our qualifications, that keeps us from obtaining our dream job.
So you must overcome your nervousness and build up confidence. This often involves two factors: one mental and the other physical. Mentally, it’s important to prepare yourself for the interview without obsessing over it. Remember, it might be your dream job, but it won’t be the end of the world if you don’t get it. Tell yourself that the company would be lucky to get you; and if they choose someone else, it will be their loss. In essence, you need to build your self-confidence. Your ability to answer all questions without hesitation will certainly impress the interviewer. Now that you are mentally ready for any question that might be thrown your way, it’s time to work on your physical presentation. No matter what position you are applying for, your physical appearance at the interview will be a big factor in the final determination. It’s always a good idea to wear a suit; it doesn’t have to be a designer suit, but something plain and conservative. Do not dress too informally. For example, don’t wear a red fashionable jacket for your interview. Make sure, too, that it is clean and pressed. This may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised how careless some applicants are. While it’s not necessary to visit the beauty salon before your interview, make sure that your nail are well-manicured, and your hair is styled carefully and neatly.
Task3: An Interview That Upsets the Boss
Script
John was in a terrible accident at work and lost both of his ears. Since he was permanently disfigured, he settled with the company for a fairly large compensation and decided to invest the money in a small but growing telecom business. After weeks of negotiations, he bought the company. Then he realized that he knew nothing about running such a business and quickly set out to hire someone who could do that for him.
So he set up three job interviewers. The first guy was great. He knew everything the company needed and was very interesting. At the end of the interview, John asked him, ”Do you notice anything different about me?” And the gentleman answered, “Why yes, I couldn’t help notice you have no ears.” John got very upset and threw him out.
The second interview was with a woman, and she was even better than the first guy. He asked her the same question, “Do you notice anything usually about me?” and the she replied, “Well, you have no ears.” Again John got furious and tossed her out.
The third and the last interview was the best of all three. It was with a very young man who was fresh out of college. He was smart and handsome. And he seemed to be a better businessman than the firs two put together. John was anxious to employ him, but asked him the same question, “Do you notice anything different about me?”
And to his surprise, the young man answered, “Yes, you wear contact lenses.”
John was amazed, and said, “What an incredibly observant young man! How in the world did you know that?”
The young man laughed and replied, “Well, it’s pretty hard to wear glasses with no ears!”
For Reference
1. He lost both of his ears.
2. Because he realized that he knew nothing about running the business after he bought it.
3. Because the interviewee said he noticed that John had no ears, and John got upset.
4. He said he noticed John wore contact lenses.
5. He thought it was pretty difficult to wear glasses with no ears.
News Report
A Galaxy of Film Prize Winners Script
The European Film Awards—First Hollywood, then Cannes, and now Pairs? The European Film Awards ceremony was held in Pairs in early December, honoring the best in European and world films.
Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark was the overall winner of the evening, receiving awards for the best European film and best actress—Bjork.