Job Interviews

Task 1: Watch this video and answer the following questions. 

      1. Match the words with their definitions.

      Be match with the same color:

A	B
commit	do everything to achieve a task within a time frame
prompting	make/obligate
specifics	details to the point
goal-oriented	support with examples
back something up	encouraging

 2. What is the main advice that the presenter has mentioned?

Don’t commit the fatal interview sin: what is it?

1. Speaking in generalities rather than specifics. I need to back it up with specifics. 

For example, “I’m a goal oriented person. As an example, I regularly update a list of personal and professional goals with specific time frames. Since I started keeping my goal list three years ago, I successfully reached or surpassed 90% of those goals. I’m confident that the other 10% are also within reach in the coming year.” 

If you use generalities, a good interviewer will usually follow with a behavioral question, “can you give me a specific example?” 

2.Be ready to provide an answer, better yet, do it without prompting. 

Task 2:  Watch this video and answer the following questions. Underline the most suitable expressions from a), b) and c).

1. As an answer to the first question, which of the following three that the   interviewee does not do?

a)  She says that she has five years’ experience in administration and two

years in phone sales.

  

b)  She focuses much on her personal life, her studies and enthusiasm in

travelling.

   

 c)  She says that her strengths lie in advance computer skills and excellent

     customer service.

 2.  According to the second question that the interviewer asks, you should

   

a   a) have researched on the company's history and its products before

      going to the interview.

     b)   do a research on the company and the job details immediately after the

            job interview.   

c)  apologize for not being able to do any research.

    3. According to the interviewer, the interviewee

     

      a)    impressed him by revealing her truly personal weaknesses.

      b)   explained really well her suitability to the role that she had applied for.

      c)    told him her grave personal weakness and then developed from negative to positive.

    4.  Write down five new words and put them in sentences from your own.

daunting
adjective

seeming difficult to deal with in anticipation; intimidating.

a daunting task

synonyms: intimidating, formidable, disconcerting, unnerving, unsettling, dismaying, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, demoralizing, forbidding, ominous, awesome, frightening, fearsome, challenging, taxing, exacting

verb

make (someone) feel intimidated or apprehensive.

some people are daunted by technology

synonyms: discourage, deter, demoralize, put off, dishearten, dispirit, intimidate, abash, take aback, throw, cow, overawe, awe, frighten, scare, unman, dismay, disconcert, discompose, perturb, unsettle, unnerve, throw off balance, rattle, faze, shake up

Job interview can be daunting, but if I do my research on the computer and think of some possible responses, I think I will be my way to a winning interview.

footy team






everyone. I'm Brian Krueger with CollegeGrad.com and this is The Job Search Minute. Don’t commit the fatal interview sin: what is it? Speaking in generalities rather than specifics. It’s not enough to say, “I’m a goal oriented person.” You have to back it up with specifics. For example, “I’m a goal oriented person. As an example, I regularly update a list of personal and professional goals with specific time frames. Since I started keeping my goal list three years ago, I successfully reached or surpassed 90% of those goals. I’m confident that the other 10% are also within reach in the coming year.” If you use generalities, a good interviewer will usually follow with a behavioral question, “can you give me a specific example?” Be ready to provide an answer, better yet, do it without prompting. This has been The Job Search Minute, for more career information please visit CollegeGrad.com.

consequently	Reformulation
in the same way	because of this/that	in other words
not only ... but also	thus	rather
Similarity	hence	to put it more simply
equally	for this/that reason	Expressing an alternative
likewise	so that	alternatively
similarly	in that case	rather
correspondingly	under these circumstances	on the other hand
in the same way	Deduction	the alternative is
Transition to new point	then	another possibility would be
now,	in other words	Contrast
as far as x is concerned	in that case	instead
with regard/reference to	otherwise	conversely
as for ...	this implies that ...	on the contrary
it follows that	if so/not	in contrast
turning to	Stating the obvious	in comparison
Summary	obviously	Concession (sth unexpected)
in conclusion	clearly	however
to conclude	naturally	even though
in brief	of course	however much
to summarise	as can be expected	nevertheless
overall	surely	still
therefore	after all	yet

Here are just a few examples of some of the words in action:

REINFORCEMENT

Desktop computers are cheaper and more reliable than laptops; furthermore, they are more flexible.

RESULT/CONSEQUENCE

Prices fell by more than 20% last year. As a result, sales increased by 15%.

GENERALISING

On the whole, his speech was well received, despite some complaints from new members.

CONTRAST

The South East of the UK often has the coldest weather in the winter. Conversely, the North West of Scotland frequently has the mildest temperatures.

CONCESSION

It was a very expensive holiday, the weather was bad and the people weren’t very friendly. Nevertheless, we would probably go back to the same place.

Transition word exercise

Always ask yourself what the exact relationship is between the sentences or parts of sentences. Are you leading to the result of something? Are you making a deduction? Are you introducing some contradictory evidence or ideas? Your choice of word or phrase obviously depends on this. And always check in a good dictionary if you're not quite sure about a word's use or its position in a sentence. Remember that punctuation will affect what you use.

Insert the best alternative

1 Polls show that Tony Blair is the most popular Prime Minister this century. ______________ , there are even members    of his own party who are uneasy with his approach.

In particular

However

For instance

2 There are some slight variations in temperature, but ________________ 26 to 27ºC should be expected.

consequently

otherwise

as a rule

3 The two main Channel Islands, ________________ Jersey and Guernsey, are much closer to France than to England.

for example

namely

in particular

4 It was announced that nurses' working hours would be increased by 25%. ______________ , even fewer trainee nurses     are expected to join the profession.

As a result

So that

Likewise

5 Sales of CDs have experienced a small but steady fall over the past 12 months. _____________ , vinyl records have    seen an increase in their share of the market, up to 1.7%.

Above all

Correspondingly

In contrast

6 The Vice Chancellor explained that in light of the current financial climate and because of unexpected bad debts, it would be necessary to peg salary levels at their current level for all grades of staff. ______________ , no-one was getting a pay rise.

Nevertheless

In other words

Similarly

7 It is clear, therefore, that the situation in Brazil will improve only slowly. ______________ the economic problems being experienced in Japan, the outlook is slightly more optimistic.

Furthermore

In comparison

With reference to

8 In order to try to reduce car use in the inner cities, the government has announced new restrictions on company parking spaces and ______________ , a new tax on individual car use.

as well as

in addition

in the same way

9 Essays must be handed in by the deadline, ______________ they will not be marked.

obviously

otherwise

as a result

10 ______________ it has been shown that fractures can occur at even relatively low pressures, the use of the material should not be completely discounted.

Nevertheless

Because

Even though

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking service that extends your network circle.  

Task 1:

Write in point form ten accomplishments you have accomplished in your profession life. Make sure to start with action verbs.

Task 2:

Create your ‘Power Statement’ now, don’t be afraid to go back as far as you need and write an inventory of your "15 minutes of fame." Use this website to help you out to create your profile. 

1.  I'v got many times first three places of nationwide art painting competitions in China.

2. I'v published many poems, proses, and academical papers on magazines and books.

3. My students have got too many times first three places of nationwide art painting and Chinese writing competitions.

4. I received many times Television shows interviews in China.

5 I'v got too many honorable certificates and titles of outstanding teacher in China.

6.I had got the investment and shares from investors due to my unique creative teaching style and methods to establish special art schools.

Skills inventory

Before you try to convince an employer that you’re the person they need to hire, you should identify all the skills you have to offer. It’s a lot harder to talk about your strengths if you don’t know what they are in the first place!

Find your transferable skills

Everything you learn and every skill you have is part of your personal tool kit. You carry these "tools" with you as you move through school and into the job market. When you develop a skill or gain experience in one place and put what you've learned to use someplace else, you're using transferable skills.

Look through the following lists and check off every skill that you think you have.

Key skills

I can:

• meet deadlines
• supervise others
• solve problems
• teach others and give clear instructions
• manage people
• organize and manage projects
• speak in public
• accept responsibility
• plan daily work or special events
• follow instructions
• generate creative solutions to problems

Hands-on skills

I can:

• assemble kits
• build or repair things
• work well with my hands
• operate tools or machinery
• use complex equipment
• drive or operate vehicles
• inspect and maintain equipment or vehicles

Data/information skills

I can:

• make a budget, manage money
• record facts, classify information by date
• analyze data, audit and maintain records
• check information for accuracy
• pay attention to details
• investigate and clarify results
• locate answers, gather information
• calculate or compute
• evaluate
• take inventory
• keep financial records
• research and write reports

Leadership skills

I can:

• arrange meetings or social functions
• be competitive when necessary
• make decisions
• direct the work of others
• help set goals for my team
• explain things to others
• solve problems
• motivate people
• settle disagreements
• plan activities and put them into action
• take risks when necessary
• organize and chair a meeting
• show self-confidence

People skills

I can:

• help and care for others
• manage conflicts, resolve issues
• counsel people
• be tactful and diplomatic
• interview people
• be kind and understanding
• be a good listener
• negotiate
• be outgoing
• show patience
• be pleasant and sociable
• supervise, teach
• be tough when necessary
• trust people
• trust my instincts

Creative/artistic skills

I can:

• be artistic
• write short stories or articles
• draw or create other art
• express myself through music, poetry, or art
• design posters, draw cartoons and illustrations
• perform and act
• present artistic ideas
• dance, create body movement
• use computers to create presentations
• design and lay out Web pages

Verbal/communication skills

I can:

• clearly express myself
• talk easily with others
• create and talk about new ideas
• design presentations
• be inventive
• conduct research in a library or on the Internet
• set up my own network of experts or helpers
• be logical
• speak in public
• write clear and concise reports
• work well with others

Find your hidden skills

You may have some valuable skills that you haven’t thought about including on your résumé. Follow these six steps to identify your hidden skills:

1) List all your previous and current experiences, at work and in other contexts.

When you think about your skills, don’t just consider paid work. You can also draw from extracurricular activities at school, time spent volunteering, and even hobbies.

2) Describe the tasks you completed using action words for each experience.

For example, suppose you worked in a coffee shop. You might describe the tasks you completed like this:

• I followed recipes, mixed ingredients, set temperatures, baked muffins, and mixed a variety of hot and cold coffee and tea drinks.
• I worked with complex equipment.
• I operated a cash register, made change, and balanced the day's receipts.
• I worked with others under sometimes busy or stressful situations.

3) Identify the skill(s) required to complete those tasks.

Your list of skills might look something like this:

• manual skills
• computer skills
• financial and number skills
• teamwork and patience skills

4) List other things you learned to do in that job.

Other things you learned working in the coffee shop include how to:

• manage your time responsibly and organize your work
• serve customers in a professional and friendly way
• display products so people will buy them

5) Identify the skills you gained from the other things you learned.

Your list of skills might look something like this:

• time management skills
• customer service and communication skills
• marketing and promotional skills

6) Build strong sentences by combining the skills you developed with the tasks you completed.

• I developed marketing and creative skills while designing window displays to attract customers.
• I developed communication skills while serving customers and working with my co-workers.
• I developed promotional skills while helping customers decide what to order.
• I developed financial skills while making change, ordering inventory, and balancing the day's receipts.

Find your job-related skills

Job-related skills are those that you need for a particular job. An office worker needs computer and keyboarding skills, a mechanic has to understand repairs and how to use tools, and a cashier must be able to make change and use a cash register.

When you’re about to apply for a specific job, review your lists of skills and highlight the ones that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Once you have these elements, put them together into a résumé that will work for you.

In order to get familiar with the Canadian workplace, there are a lot of things we need to consider. 

Here is a list of business idioms that are taken from this website. http://www.businessenglishresources.com/31-2/student-section/business-vocabulary/most-common-business-idioms/

Please go over them and try to understand each one’s meaning and then follow the tasks below.

Task one: 

Pick five to six of the following idioms and use them in sentences of your own.

1,a tough break:  

 I have gone through many difficulties in my life, I'd like to regard as a tough break being an opportunity to learn more experience, and try my best to change it to big break.

2.back to square one: 

 She has spent 2 months to figure out the answer of that question. She felt very depressed when she was back to square one.

3.ahead of curve: 

I hope I can stay ahead of curve when I have been studying  and working hard.

4.at stake:

I felt nervous about getting this report from my doctor. There was a lot at stake.

5.behind someone's back:
I didn't think it would be fair to go behind someone's back and talk something, so I'd like to confront someone directly.

Task two:

Compose a short story about any event/meeting that has happened to you at your previous workplace. Use at least five to six from these idioms n your story.

Take three:

Request two from your peers to check and edit your work before you publish it on your blog.

Task 1:

Sort the following skills into two categories as soft or hard skills. Write SS for soft skills and HS for hard skills:

1. Patience     SS
2. Proficiency in a foreign language  HS
3. Leadership Skills  SS
4. Persuasion   SS
5. A degree or certificate  HS
6. Typing speed  HS
7. Time Management  SS
8. Machine operation  HS
9. Teamwork  SS
10. Computer programming   HS
11. Communication  SS
12. Flexibility  SS
13. Motivation  SS

Task 2:

Now click on this link and decide which of these skills are soft and which are hard skills. 

When searching for a job, it is useful to be able to describe your skills. Job skills are often described in two categories: hard skills and soft skills.
Hard skills are those you learn through on-the-job or institutional training. These include skills specific to a particular occupation, such as those involved in planning and teaching for teachers, or the ability to use specialized tools for a dental technician.
Soft skills are those that can be used in any occupation. These skills are often called transferable skills because you can transfer them from one job to another. Often, these are the skills that you use and develop in everyday situations, not necessarily in relation to work. Soft skills include organizational and team work skills, as well as qualities such as initiative and attention to detail.

A soft skill can be used in any job. A hard skill is learned for particular jobs. Being able to work well with others is a soft skill. A teacher who knows how to plan a lesson has a hard skill.
Indicate whether the following are hard or soft skills:

pay attention to detail - soft skill	able to use dental technician tools - hard skill
write a computer program - hard skill	problem-solving - soft skill
do research on the Internet - soft skill	repair a car - hard skill
communicate effectively - soft skill	install carpeting - hard skill
resolving conflict - soft skill	facilitate meetings - soft skill
build a fence - hard skill	make contributions in meetings - soft skill
operate a cash register - hard skill	make decisions - soft skill
design a bridge - hard skill	landscape a yard - hard skill
maintain small talk - soft skill	wait on tables in a restaurant - hard skill
write an email or business letter- soft skill	nurse patients in a hospital - hard skill

Task 3: 

Think of two or more of your hard skills and soft skills, then write them down, and provide one example for each skill as how you have demonstrated this skill on the job.

Hard skills:  teaching and Art painting skills        make crafts    design    creation

Soft skills:  take care of the kids    resolving conflict and problem solving    be responsible for the kids  communication skill   do research on the internet  

I have more than 20 years teaching work experience. I can make many kinds of art paintings, such as, sketch, oil painting, water color, gouache, printed painting, Chinese painting , Chinese calligraphy, different crafts...etc. I can design and create artworks. I'd like to blend and practice creative and artistic teaching methods in my teaching.

I always put my passions to elaborately prepare my teaching plans, and do research on the internet to make all teaching plans juicy. 

I can take care of the students with patience and encouragement. I am a problem solver in classes. 

I can do well in communication with parents.

I love my students , I am always responsible for them with my sincere heart.