Applications and Interviews

In different countries, different conventions apply to the process of job application and interviews. In most parts of the world, it’s common to submit a typed or laser-printed CV (curriculum vitae – British English) or résumé (American English). This contain all the unchanging information about you: your education, background and work experience. This usually accompanies a letter of application, which in some countries is expected to be hand-written, not word-processed. A supplementary information sheet containing information relevant to this particular job may also be required, though this is not used in some countries.

Many companies expect all your personal information to be entered on a standard application form. Unfortunately, no tow application forms are alike, and filling in each one may present unexpected difficulties. Some personnel departments believe that the CV and application letter give a better impression of a candidate than a form.

There are different kinds of interviews: traditional one-to-one interviews, panel interviews where one or more candidates are interviewed by a panel of interviewers and even “deep-end” interviews where applicants have to demonstrate how they can cope in actual business situations. The atmosphere of an interview may vary from the informal to the formal and the interviewers may take a friendly, neutral or even hostile approach. Different interviewers use different techniques and the only rules that applicants should be aware of may be “Expect the unexpected” and “Be yourself”!

Progress interviews are interviews where employees have a chance to review the work they are doing and to set objectives for the future. Such interviews usually take place after a new employee has been working within a company for several months, and after that they may take place once or twice a year.

In different countries, and in different trades and different grades, the salary that goes with a job may be only part of the package: extra benefits like a company car or cheap housing loans, bonuses paid in a “thirteenth month”, company pension schemes, free canteen meals, long holidays or flexible working hours may all contribute to the attractiveness of a job.

12.1. Найдите в тексте 7 предложений с модальными глаголами, выпишите их, подчеркните модальные глаголы и переведите предложения письменно на русский язык.

12.2. Найдите в 4-м абзаце текста предложение, содержащее глагол в Present Continuous tense, выпишите его и переведите письменно на русский язык.

13. Прочитайте и устно переведите текст, содержащий рекомендации по составлению CV/Resume. Выполните задание после текста.

Effective Resumes

A resume supplies the pertinent work and other experience, education, and personal information by which employers judge a job applicant’s qualifications. No resume alone will guarantee a job. But it can do a great deal to get the applicant a favorable hearing. A good resume opens doors to interviews; a poor one closes them.

Employers usually conduct personal interviews before hiring a person for a position of real responsibility. They want to learn everything they can about an applicant. They want to make certain that the applicant’s personal qualities match the requirements of position that is open. Not least, they want to see the kind of impression the applicant makes in person.

There are various ways to set up an effective resume, but at the least your resume should meet the requirements of clarity, compactness, and completeness. For most resumes, a perfectly typed and intelligently arranged listing of qualifications is sufficient. Note that the typing should be perfect – no handwritten corrections or insertions of any kind.

Once you have achieved a perfect master copy, however, the tedious work is done: from then on, you will be able to make photocopies of this master copy, and the photocopies are what you will mail out. Keep the master (do not fold it or let it get soiled) in case more copies have to be made. Should you apply for another position a year or two later, this master can easily be updated and retyped.

Depending on whether your resume is being prepared for an entry-level or a more advanced position, the weight given to the separate elements will vary. All resumes you create, however, will include the following.

1. Your name, mailing address, and phone number where you can be reached during working hours.

2. Your work experience. This category will, of course, list any jobs in the same field in which you are now seeking employment. But any related work experience should also be cited.

3. Your educational background, including any college and advanced degrees and fields of specialization.

4. Any volunteer experience, hobbies, or special skills you have that are pertinent to the job you are applying for.

5. References. It is current practice not to list the names and addresses of people willing to supply references. On your resume, instead, supply a line reading “References supplied on request”, “References available upon request”, or similar wording.

In addition, you may want to include a line indicating the type of job you are seeking.

In the past many people included personal statistics on their resumes – birth date, height and weight, marital status, and physical condition. This information is no longer considered relevant. In fact, legislation forbidding discrimination against women, against the handicapped, and so forth makes it inadvisable to include such data.

The two principal ways of setting up the information in the resume are chronological and functional.

In a chronological resume the separate categories of education and work experience are listed backward in the order of occurrence-most recent job first, then the one preceding it, and so forth; latest degree earned or latest school attended first, and so on.

In a functional resume, work experience is divided not by time but by the kind of work performed-administrative, for example, or work requiring the operation of certain machinery or equipment, and the like. The other categories (such as hobbies) follow the same pattern established for each type of resume.

Your resume will also vary somewhat depending on whether you are seeking work for the first time or have a background of related work experience to offer. If you are seeking work for the first time, list your educational background first and in the greatest detail. If you have had jobs in the field in which you are seeking employment, supply your work experience first and make it highly specific. You then may summarize your educational background in a few lines.

13.1. Переведите на русский язык слова и словосочетания.

pertinent work; experience; applicant’s qualifications; conduct personal interviews; personal qualities; match the requirements; in person; handwritten corrections; tedious work; updated; working hours; employment; educational background; special skills; apply for a job; references available upon request; marital status; relevant; include. 13.2. Найдите в тексте и напишите ответы на следующие вопросы.

1. What does a resume supply? 2. What do employers usually do before hiring a person for a position of real responsibility? 3. What are the possible ways to set up an effective resume? 4. What requirements should your resume meet? 5. Are corrections and insertions permitted in the resumes? 6. What must all the resumes include? 7. Describe the two principal ways of setting up the information in the resume.

14. Руководствуясь правилами написания резюме, данными в тексте задания 13, заполните его информацией, данной ниже, расположив ее в нужном порядке.

1. St Andrew's Board of Governors, rugby, drama, chess

2. 1996-99 Intelel London, UK

National Sales Manager

- Increased sales from £60 million to £100 million.

- Doubled sales per representative from £5 to £10 million.

• Implemented Internet sales grossing £25 million

3. 1991-95 Teletrona Systems Edinburgh, UK

Northern Sales Manager

- Increased regional sales from £95 million to £200 million.

- Expanded sales team from 30 to 60 representatives.

• Suggested new services adding £35 million to revenue.

4. 1982-86 London University London, UK

– BA, Business Administration and Information Systems

– Captain of university Rugby Club.

5. 1978-82 St Andrew's School, Plymouth, UK

GCE 'A' Levels. President of school's Drama Society.

6. 1986-89 ESS Holdings Cambridge, UK

Sales Representative

- Increased sales by 300% annually.

- Awarded company's highest sales award each year.

• Developed 'Winning Presentations' training course.

7. 1989-90 ESS Holdings Cambridge, UK

Senior Sales Representative

- Increased sales by 300% annually.

- Closed deals with 100 major new accounts.

-Won over 25 competitor clients – adding £50 million to revenue.

8. Seeking an International Sales Management position in Information Technology where my extensive sales experience will be used to the full

9. 17 King's Terrace, Richmond, Surrey, UK Tel: +44 181 123 456 Email: tc@repu.com

10. Thomas Crown

11. Languages: English – mother tongue, German – beginning

Computer literate: word-processing. Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.

12. Available upon request

Personal Information

Objective: __________________________ Experience: __________________________ Education: __________________________ Special skills: __________________________ Interests: __________________________ References: __________________________

15. Составьте и напишите резюме, используя информацию о себе.

16. Подготовьте ответы на следующие вопросы, которые могут быть заданы вам на собеседовании при устройстве на работу.

1. Where and when did you study? 2. Are you satisfied with the kind of education you received? 3. How can your education help you to find a good job? 4. Why did you choose to apply to our company? 5. Are you a computer user? 5. How long have you been using computers? 6. What do you use your computer for? 7. What kinds of software are you familiar with? 8. Do you like to travel on business? 9. What means of transport do you prefer when you travel on business? 10. Tell me about your last business trip. 11. Do you think business trips are necessary for each company? 12. If you have to go on a business trip, would you like to go alone or with a group of colleagues? 13. Tell me about the company you are currently working for. 14. What are your duties at work? 15. What do you like and dislike about your current job? 16. Do you have any hobby? 15. Tell me about yourself. 16. What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses? 17. Which is more important for you: status or money? Give reasons to support your answer. 18. What would you like to be doing ten years from now? 19. What are you most proud of having done recently? 20. What are your long-range goals?