节目资讯
刊物:大家说英语
日期:2012-05-16
难易度:High
关键字:overshadow, accessory, backfire, cringe, gimmick
Hi, everybody.
Thanks for joining us today here at Studio Classroom Worldwide.
My name is Steve.
Maybe you've been out of work for weeks, people are starting to think you're
lazy.
Bills are starting to pile up.
You need a job fast.
With dozens, or sometimes hundreds, of people applying for the same job,
it's important you make yourself stand out so the hiring manager will remember
you, and hopefully, hire you.
But as we are finding, there's a right way to go about getting noticed and a
wrong way.
Let's find out more as we begin today's reading on page 31.
How Not to Get Hired: Bring Your Cockatoo to the Interview.
Although job seekers are constantly looking for ways to stand out and impress
interviewers, all of the above applicants stand out for the wrong reasons.
Mind your manners.
Be polite, give a firm handshake, make eye contact, engage in conversation.
Employers want to hire a nice person they'll get along with, and finding out if
you're that person is one of the reasons they're interviewing you.
Have innovative ideas.
Handcuffing yourself to the interviewer's desk says nothing about your skills.
In fact, it overshadows your skills and experience.
Rather than relying on gimmicks to grab the hiring manager's attention, have
some creative ideas to offer.
Hello, everyone.
Thank you for joining us.
My name is Ryan.
And my name is Kaylah.
And we're in our third day talking about some really funny interview mistakes.
That's right.
Now yesterday we gave you a lot of strange and funny examples of what some
people did in job interviews that were bold and a little bit strange,
but they definitely broke a lot of etiquette rules.
That's right. They were definitely misguided in the way they decided to
interview.
So we're continuing on, we're talking about these people. And we say:
Although there... these job seekers are constantly looking for ways to stand out
and impress interviewers,
all of the above applicants stand out for the wrong reasons.
Now we say "the above applicants" because we are continuing from yesterday.
Right. We're referring to the same examples we gave yesterday.
And they were trying to be bold. They were trying to stand out, but they really
ended up making the wrong decisions.
So what should you do when you go into an interview?
Well, first of all, you need to mind your manners.
Now Ryan, I do want to point out before we continue: You do need to be bold.
You do need to be... you want to stand out, just make sure you do it in the
right way.
And following these guidelines will help you stand out in the way that you want
to be remembered.
Now the first one I said was: Mind your manners.
Right.
What does that mean?
Well, manners are the way you behave around other people in certain situations.
So when you're going to a job interview, we see how you should behave there.
That's right.
We say mind your manners.
That's something you would grow up with your parents telling you to be aware of
and to keep good manners, to be polite at all times.
Right. And we see you should do that here too.
Be polite, and give a firm handshake just like we told you before, and you
should make eye contact.
That's right.
So be polite, give a firm handshake - we've talked a lot about that, make eye
contact - look them in the eye and engage in conversation.
So don't just sit there and have them talk at you, and only ask... only give the
answer to questions.
Try to have a conversation.
Yeah. Actually care about them and talk with them and try and learn a little
bit.
That will show them that you are not only interested in them, but also
interested in the job.
That's right.
Now don't ask personal questions.
That could be very uncomfortable for the interviewer.
But definitely take time to... to talk about the job, to talk about the company
to show an interest.
That's right.
Now employers want to hire a nice person that they'll get along with, and
finding out if you're that person is one of the reasons they are interviewing
you.
That's right.
You may have great qualifications, you might be perfect for the job.
But if you don't get along with the people in charge, you're not going to get
the job.
So be polite.
Be yourself, but be polite.
Yeah. Try to be nice to them, care about them.
And that's why you're there.
They want to learn about you and see if, well, they can actually hire you.
That's right.
You don't... but don't be something fake.
You want to make sure you're still really you.
Now what's the next tip?
OK. Have innovative ideas.
Something that is innovative is new and creative.
That's right.
We talked about that word last month about having... innovative people around.
So you want to be that kind of person - somebody who has new ideas that can give
something back to the job.
OK. Now handcuffing yourself to the interviewer's desk says nothing about your
skills.
We were referring earlier to that example.
And that says nothing about a person's skills if they do that.
That's right. And your skills are your abilities, what you can do.
Well, this not only doesn't show you're... that how not talented you are, it
does not show your skills.
In fact, it overshadows what skills you have and your experiences.
Yeah. OK. So if something "overshadows" something else, that means it makes the
other things seem less important.
That's right, or less happy.
So, less important.
So you want them to see your skills and your experiences, not remember the
handcuffs.
OK. So rather than relying on gimmicks to try and grab the hiring manager's
attention,
you should have some creative and, well, maybe innovative ideas to offer.
Now a "gimmick" is something that is not serious, and it doesn't really have
much value, but it's something you'll remember.
Now you want them to remember you, but you want them to remember you for your
value and your skill, not for something stupid.
Usually the word I think of with a gimmick is it's temporary.
It doesn't really last.
So don't rely on gimmicks.
Have creative ideas.
All right. Now let's visit the Chat Room.
Hey, Bryan.
Hi, Ken. What's up?
Well, I'm applying for a volunteer position, and I need three reference letters.
Could you write one for me?
Sure, I don't mind.
You don't mind?
Uh... does that mean you are interested or not?
Saying I don't mind means I don't object, which is another way to say: Yes, I'm
willing to do that.
Oh, great. Thanks.
So if you say you do mind, then that means you are not willing, right?
Right. That would be the meaning.
But like I said, I don't mind writing a reference letter for you.
Great.
Are there any other uses of "mind" as a verb that I should know?
Sure. "Mind the gap" is probably one of the most common uses you'll find.
Oh, yes. I've seen signs saying that in the subway stations.
Obviously, "mind" here doesn't mean to object.
Right. "Mind the gap" means to pay attention to or watch out for the gap between
the train and the platform.
Is "mind the gap" used in subways all over the world?
Well, the phrase comes from England, but it is used as the English warning in
most subway systems around the world.
Including America?
Well, there are a few systems that say "Watch the gap" instead.
But you'll find both phrases used here.
I don't hear local people use "mind" to mean "watch out" very often.
You're right, Ken.
This usage of "mind" is more common in British English, but it seems to be
catching on globally.
A friend of mine in Asia sent me a picture of a sign saying: Mind your head and
hands.
That sounds a little strange.
I supposed there was some danger to be avoided.
You're right.
If I could, I would change the sign to: Watch out for low hanging objects ahead.
Well, thanks for explaining all of those uses of the verb MIND.
I don't mind helping you at all, Ken.
Thanks.