TEACHERS NOTES Job interviews: Part 2: Audio and activities

by Jamie Keddie
Level: Upper intermediate and above time: 60 minutes Language focus: Answers given to the eight standard interview questions. Materials: Audio files for the three interviews Accompanying worksheets

talk about previous achievements, results and work experience. talk about skills that are relevant to the new position. sell himself / herself. have researched the company / employer. not give general answers to questions.

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BUSINESS & ESP / ESP bank / Skills / Job interviews: Part 2: Audio and activities

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business & esP teAchers notes

Listening for general understanding

Tell your students that they are going to hear interview 1 again followed by interviews 2 and 3. Tell them that you want each person to decide who they feel is the best and who is the worst candidate for the job.
8 9 10

Introduction
1 Give your students copies of the advert for the position of Office Manager for Slinky Stationery.

Find out if anyone knows the difference between the words stationery and stationary and explain if necessary.
2 3 Tell your students that they are going to hear three interviews for the advertised position.

Play all three interviews.

Have a secret ballot: Get each student to write on a scrap piece of paper who they think is the best candidate and who they think is the worst. For example:

Revision
Find out if your learners can recall the eight standard interview questions and elicit these (you will probably have to offer some grammatical help).
4

Best candidate 3 Worst candidate 2

Tell your learners that they are going to hear the first interview. Tell them that you want them to listen out for the questions and put them into the order in which they are asked.
5 6

11 Have everyone put their pieces of paper into a box, empty them out, count the votes and announce the winner / loser.

Listening for detail / discussion

12 Ask your students how they came to their decisions. For example, find out exactly why they thought candidate 3 was the best and candidate 2 was the worst. 13 Tell the students that they are going to hear the interviews again and, this time, they are to concentrate on the applicants answers. Tell them that you want them to make very brief notes on:

Play interview 1 (twice if necessary).

Vocabulary activation
Ask your students to complete the gap-fill exercise.
7

Answers: When applying for a job, the ideal interview candidate will be prepared.

Positive aspects of each candidates performance. Aspects of each candidates performance which could be improved.

TEACHERS NOTES TG or WORKSHEET Job interviews: Part 2: Audio and activities title
by Jamie Keddie Author

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BUSINESS & ESP / ESP bank / Skills / Job interviews: Part 2: Audio and activities

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subJect & esP businesstitLe teAchers notes

Play the first interview, ask your students to offer suggestions and then play it again for confirmation. Repeat this process for the other two interviews (NB encourage your students to use language from the language activation gap-fill while they talk about the candidates answers).
14

Give out the transcriptions and let your students read them while they listen to all three interviews.
15

There seems to be a lot of potential at Slinky Stationery for me to use the skills I have acquired I am a very organised person. Im good at dealing with people. Slinky Stationery seems like such a dynamic, forward-thinking organization. What would I be doing on a day-to-day basis, what would the day-to-day tasks be?

Listening for detail

16 Get everyone to turn over and hide their transcriptions (it might actually be better to collect them back in). 17 Give out the Whos who? worksheets and have your students complete them.

Language practice
20 On a separate sheet of paper, get each student to translate the sentences from the Whos who? worksheet into their own language. 21 Put students into pairs and have each pair test themselves: one student reads out the sentences in his/her partners language while the partner attempts to translate them back into English. Roles then reverse.

Play all three interviews again and let your students check their work.
18 19

Give back the transcriptions.

Answers: Candidate 1 I did an Economics degree at University. I feel that I could play a key role in the development of the company. I am looking for new challenges. I can get a bit too involved with work. I was ready to take on more responsibilities. I would like to be managing my own business. Candidate 2 I work quite hard, I think, sometimes. Ive got lots of experience on my CV. Ill call you back, sorry. I get on really well with people. Im looking forward to the freebies. I got bored, just doing the same thing over and over and I wanted a change. Candidate 3 Ive been working for a small stationery company for the last year

WORKSHEET Job interviews: Part 2

by Jamie Keddie

Vocabulary activation
complete the following. Fill in the gaps with the words below.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007 BUSINESS & ESP / ESP bank / Skills / Job interviews: Part 2: Audio and activities
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business & esP worKsheet

When ____________ for a job, the ideal interview candidate will ... be ____________. talk about previous achievements, results and ____________ ____________. talk about ____________ that are ____________ to the new ____________. ____________ himself / herself. have ____________ the company / employer. not give ____________ answers to questions.

applying relevant

experience researched

sell

general

skills

position

work

prepared

Job advert

Office Manager
Do you know the difference between stationery and stationary? Are you organized, experienced and efficient? Slinky Stationery is the fastest growing stationery company in Europe. We provide quality stationery products to offices from Slough to Stuttgart. Were looking for an office manager for our London headquarters. The ideal candidate will have exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to work totight deadlines. For further details and an application form, contact Slinky Stationery Recruitment Services by December 13th (quote ref 62563/G and give your name and address). 59 Compass Street Old Town Online: www.slinkystationery.com Closes December 16th

WORKSHEET Job interviews: Part 2

by Jamie Keddie

whos who?
Look at the following statements. can you remember who said what? on each space, write one of the following: Candidate 1 Candidate 2 Candidate 3
I am a very organized person. __________ I am looking for new challenges. __________ I can get a bit too involved with work. __________ I did an Economics degree at University. __________ I feel that I could play a key role in the development of the company. __________ I get on really well with people. __________ I got bored, just doing the same thing over and over and I wanted a change. __________ I was ready to take on more responsibilities. __________ I work quite hard, I think, sometimes. __________ I would like to be managing my own business. __________ Ill call you back, sorry. __________ Im good at dealing with people. __________ Im looking forward to the freebies. __________ Ive been working for a small stationery company for the last year. __________ Ive got lots of experience on my CV. __________ Slinky Stationery seems like such a dynamic, forward-thinking organization. __________ There seems to be a lot of potential at Slinky Stationery for me to use the skills I have acquired. __________ What would I be doing on a day-to-day basis, what would the day-to-day tasks be? __________

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007 BUSINESS & ESP / ESP bank / Skills / Job interviews: Part 2: Audio and activities
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TG or WORKSHEET TRANSCRIPT title interviews: Part 2 Job

Author Keddie by Jamie

transcript
interview 1
Interviewer: Julian: Interviewer: Julian: Interviewer: Julian: Interviewer: Julian: So Julian, today we are interviewing for the position of office manager here at Slinky Stationery. At the end of the interview I will answer any questions that you might have, Okay? Okay. First of all, can you tell me a little bit about yourself? Um, well, Im from Australia and, uh, Ive got a really keen interest in business. I did an Economics degree at University and, um, I love travelling and I love working hard. And why should we recruit you? Um, I think I am really good with people and I have a very good worth, work ethic. Um, I uh, am good with computers and, um, I like to use my mind. What do you know about our company? Um, I had a look at your website and was quite interested by your product range. I noticed that you stock over 25, 000 competitively priced products and seem to be continually looking for new ways to expand the business and improve your customer service. I guess I feel that I could play a key role in the development of the company. Good! And why do you want to work here? Um, I suppose I am really interested in getting some experience in a managerial role. As yet, um, Ive only had limited experience, but I enjoy, um, managing people and I am looking for new challenges. And what do you feel are your weaknesses? Um, I think sometimes I can get a bit too involved with work. Sometimes I can take it home and, uh, and I find it a bit hard to switch off. But otherwise I think um, generally, uh, you know I bring a positive influence to the work environment. Okay. And why did you leave your last job? Um, I suppose in my last job, I, uh, I didnt really feel like there was much scope to progress in the company and I really felt like, um, I was ready to take on more responsibilities, which is why I am applying for more of a management role, um, such as this job. And, where do you see yourself in five or ten years time? Um, I suppose in five or ten years time I would probably like to be managing my own business. Um, I suppose, being in control of my business life has always been a passion of mine. So I hope that in five to ten years I can achieve that. And, finally, do you have any questions that you would like to ask us? Um, I suppose the biggest thing would be, um, how would performance be measured and reviewed? Okay, well, we organize appraisals twice yearly, where we set and review targets and consider any training requirements. This is also an opportunity for you to raise any concerns about particular aspects of your job. Cool! Okay, well thank you for coming in Julian, well be in touch. Thanks for having me.
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Interviewer: Julian: Interviewer: Julian:

Interviewer: Julian:

Interviewer: Julian:

Interviewer: Julian: Interviewer: Julian: Interviewer: Julian:

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007 BUSINESS & ESP / ESP bank / Skills / Job interviews: Part 2: Audio and activities

WORKSHEET Job interviews: Part 2

by Jamie Keddie

transcript
interview 2
Interviewer: Mike: Interviewer: Mike: So Mike, today we are interviewing for the position of office manager here at Slinky Stationery. At the end of the interview Ill answer any questions that you might have, okay? Okay, um, sorry Im a bit late, I missed my train. Alright. Um, first of all, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Uh [pause], I like football. Um, I go out a lot. Um, I work quite hard, I think, sometimes. Um, Ive got lots of experience on my CV. [Mobile ring blares in background.] Ooh sorry, hang on. Hello mate! Ill call you back, sorry. [sighing] And Mike, why should we recruit you? Uh, because Im good! Im really good. I work hard. I get on really well with people. And, um, I dunno, I like the company I think. Right, so what do you know about our company then? Um, not an awful lot to tell the truth. Um, I know that you make some pretty nice stationery; Im looking forward to the freebies. And what do you think are your weaknesses? Uh, ooh, Im quite a bad time-keeper. I sometimes miss my alarm and I stay in bed too late. And why did you leave your last job Mike? I got bored, just doing the same thing over and over and I wanted a change. And what about in five or ten years time, where do you see yourself then? Ooh, uh, Spain probably! And finally, do you have any questions that you would like to ask us? Um, hmmn, job sounds alright. How much does it pay? Well, we tend not to discuss those details until a formal offer has been made. What about holiday, how many days holiday do I get? The same, we dont tend to discuss that until an offer has been made. Oh, okay. Okay Mike, thank you for coming in today. Well, well be in touch. Thanks very much.

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007 BUSINESS & ESP / ESP bank / Skills / Job interviews: Part 2: Audio and activities
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O FR BE C O DO O M W P W N IA EB LO B SI A L TE DE E D

business & esP trAnscriPt

Interviewer: Mike: Interviewer: Mike: Interviewer: Mike: Interviewer: Mike: Interviewer: Mike: Interviewer: Mike: Interviewer: Mike: Interviewer: Mike: Interviewer: Mike:

TG or WORKSHEET WORKSHEET title interviews: Part 2 Job

Author Keddie by Jamie

transcript
interview 3
Interviewer: Jane: Interviewer: Jane: So Jane, today we are interviewing for the position of office manager here at Slinky Stationery. At the end of the interview, Ill answer any questions that you might have, okay? Yup. So, first of all, can you tell me a little bit about yourself! Um, well, Ive been working for a small stationery company for the last year, um, doing day-to-day admin, um, making sure the orders are sent out on time, um, liaising with other suppliers. Um, and so I am really looking now for the chance to expand and really to work for a bigger company. Um, and there seems to be a lot of potential at Slinky Stationery, um, for me to use the skills I have acquired, um, in a way that I think would be really beneficial. And so why should we recruit you, do you feel that your personality is suited to the role of office manager? Well, I definitely feel that I am a very organized person. Um, and also I found in my last job that people would get very stressed and annoyed if there were problems with orders, or if something wasnt going quite right or if they themselves were under pressure. So, Id like to think that Im good at diffusing those sorts of situations, that Im good at dealing with people, um both people that Im dealing with as customers and also, um, other people within the company that Im working with, often have to be very diplomatic. Okay, and Jane tell me, what do you know about Slinky Stationery as a company? Um, well I was very impressed to see that youre the fastest growing stationery company in Europe, um, and that youve just opened an office in Germany. Um, I was looking through one of your catalogues and I, I thought that the product range looked really excellent, um, and also the delivery and the speed with which you are able to supply products was really good. Um, so that is one of the major reasons I want to work for Slinky Stationery, because it seems like such a dynamic, forward-thinking organization. And what would you say are your main weaknesses? Um, I think there are certain things that maybe I could have more experience of and I think, I mean, obviously the company Ive been working for is quite small, so I havent had the opportunity to work with a h.., a large number of the people in the way that this job would require. But, I really think thats something that I could grow in experience and really kind of, really improve. Okay, and why did you leave your last job? Um, well, I just really felt that having been there for a couple of months, sorry, for a year, that it was really time to move on, that Id given what I could give to the company, and I and they are both looking for fresh ideas. That I could have a lot to give somewhere else and that they would benefit from someone new giving a fresh approach to the organization. Okay, and where do you see yourself in five or ten years time?

Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2007 BUSINESS & ESP / ESP bank / Skills / Job interviews: Part 2: Audio and activities

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business & esP subJect titLe trAnscriPt

Interviewer: Jane:

Interviewer: Jane:

Interviewer: Jane:

Interviewer: Jane:

Interviewer:

WORKSHEET Job interviews: Part 2

by Jamie Keddie

transcript
interview 3 (cont.)
Jane: Well, I think doing a job that I find interesting, that whether thats in stationery, or whether thats in something else, but I think the crucial thing about this role is, Im really interested in logistics, um and in the idea of organization and the liaison with clients I think is also really important. Good, and finally, do you have any questions that youd like to ask us? Um, well I guess what Id like to know is what I would be doing on a day-to-day basis, what the day-to-day tasks would be? Well, this is an extremely varied and interesting role. On a daily basis, youll be carrying out duties such as writing reports, chairing meetings, delegating work and workload planning. Youll also be in control of the office budget. You will be discussing any problems that arise with staff and liaising with our senior management team. Okay, so thank you for coming in Jane. Thank you very much. Well be in touch.

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Interviewer: Jane: Interviewer:

Jane: Interviewer: