After the Education section comes Work experience. Now, some people say, ‘But I don’t have any work experience. I’ve never had a job’. Well, what about holiday work, weekend work, or evening work? You can talk about any kind of job here. For example, ‘I worked as an assistant in a garage last summer’. Oh, and don’t forget, the job title, such as trainee mechanic. It is important to include this information, but job duties are more interesting for an employer. For example, ‘I helped with customer enquiries’ or ‘I worked on a lathe’ or ‘My duties included checking design drawings’.
The section on Skills is very important. Everybody has skills. Always mention computing skills so you can put: ‘I have certificates in using CAD or Excel’. Maybe you know a foreign language, so put it here. ‘I can speak Chinese quite well’ or ‘I know a little Arabic’.
Right. What’s left? Well, the section of Personal interests … This is a good place to talk about yourself. Give your hobbies and interests, but always give a reason. For instance, ‘I play football because I like being part of a team’. Or ‘I enjoy playing computer games because you learn to make quick decisions in difficult situations’. Maybe you like reading because you find out about the world and different cultures.
The final section should be References. Employers often want to check the information in a CV or to find out more about an applicant. Write the names and contact details of two people. Choose a tutor or a recent employer, not a friend or a relative.
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Unit 10, It’s the story of my life Exercise D Listen to some of the advice again and check.
After the Education section comes Work experience. Now, some people say ‘But I don’t have any work experience. I’ve never had a job.’ Well, what about holiday work, weekend work, or evening work? You can talk about any kind of job here. For example, ‘I worked as an assistant in a garage last summer.’ Oh, and don’t forget, the job title, such as trainee mechanic, is important. But job duties are more interesting for an employer. For example, ‘I helped with customer enquiries’ or ‘I worked on a lathe’ or ‘My duties included checking design drawing’.
The section on Skills is very important. Everybody has skills. Always mention computing skills so you can put: ‘I have certificates in using CAD or Excel’. Maybe you know a foreign language, so put it here. ‘I can speak Chinese quite well’ or ‘I know a little Arabic’.
Right. What’s left? Well, the section of Personal interests … This is a good place to talk about yourself. Give your hobbies and interests but always give a reason.
For instance, ‘I play football because I like being part of a team’. Or ‘I enjoy playing computer games because you learn to make quick decisions in difficult situations’. Maybe you like reading because you find out about the world and different cultures.
124 Unit 10, First impressions last Exercise C
Listen to Part 1 of a podcast about body language in interviews. It is called How to pass an interview.
Hello and welcome. You’re listening to Bizcast. Today’s podcast is called How to pass an interview.
Psychologists say that we form an impression of a person within a very short time of meeting. Some people say that the first three minutes are vital. Other people say it’s the first 30 seconds. The point is that first impressions are very important. At an interview, the interviewer will form an impression of you very quickly. This first impression may stay with the interviewer throughout the interview, and it may even be one of the reasons why they offer you the job … or not.
So, first impressions are very important. But you mustn’t forget that first impressions don’t come from your answers to questions. In fact, you’ll probably only answer one real question in the first three minutes. The rest of the time will be spent on greetings and questions like, How are you?, How was the journey?, Would you like some coffee? This means that first impressions come from your appearance and your body language during that time. So, on the one hand, your answers to questions are important. Of course they are. You must prepare carefully to answer questions. But, on the other hand, how you look and how you behave may be even more important. Surprising, isn’t it?
125 Unit 10, First impressions last Exercise D
Listen to Part 2 of the podcast. Right, so, how do you make that good impression in the first few moments? Firstly, wear formal clothes. This is very important. You may think your casual clothes are smart, but your interviewer will probably be older than you. He or she will probably expect formal clothes. So wear formal business clothes. Men should wear a shirt and tie, with a suit or jacket and trousers. Women should wear a business suit, with a medium-length skirt or trousers. Men should shave and women should use a little make-up.
Give the interviewer a firm handshake at the beginning. Make good eye contact with the interviewer and smile. Researchers say that eye contact and smiling are the two most important parts of body language. Of course, you shouldn’t stare at the interviewer. You can look away
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