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
OK. Welcome back from the break, friends.
How can you improve your chances of landing a job?
Well, leave your cockatoo at home and do what your mother has been telling you
to do since you were a baby - Mind your manners.
OK. Our third tip might be the most obvious, but it's still worth mentioning -
Dress appropriately - at the top of page 32.
How Not to Get Hired: Bring Your Cockatoo to the Interview.
Dress appropriately.
A cat suit isn't really appropriate for most professional settings, nor is
wearing a bird as an accessory.
Stick to the industry norm when dressing for the interview.
Ask yourself what the employer will remember.
Whenever you're thinking of taking a risk in an interview, whether it's wearing
a cat suit or sending your sister to the interview in your place,
just ask yourself if there's a reason people don't normally do it.
If you can think of one way, or many, that the plan could backfire, reconsider.
How about you, job seekers - have you ever looked back at a past interview and
realized you made an outrageous mistake that causes you to cringe even to this
day?
(Music).
So we've gone through some of these mistakes you need to... but we're also
talking about tips to make yourself a better interviewer.
You need to mind your manners.
And you need to be innovative, think positively, not relying on gimmicks.
Now these are all talking specifically about these mistakes that we have seen.
Yeah. We're seeing people make a few mistakes and using them as examples of what
not to do.
And now we're telling you what you should do instead.
Remember the example of someone wearing a cat suit to an interview?
Well, don't do that.
You should dress appropriately.
Yes, that's right. Dress appropriately.
"Appropriately" means fitting for the situation.
It is proper and correct for where you're going.
Now a cat suit isn't really appropriate for most professional settings, nor is
wearing a bird as an accessory.
That's right.
So it's not appropriate, you should not wear it in an interview setting.
And that means the environment where you're being interviewed.
And the example we saw, of course, was someone who brought the cockatoo, or the
bird, and wore as an accessory.
Now an "accessory" is something that is added to something else.
Now usually we think about them with clothing as jewelry, or if you're wearing a
necklaces or earrings, or if you have a belt,
or anything that you add to your outfit is an accessory.
Now a bird is not a good accessory.
You should leave the bird at home.
Birds are fun at home, but they don't belong at an interview.
So you wear things that are nice like necklaces or earrings if you're a girl.
That's fine, just not a bird.
So what should you wear instead?
You should stick to the industry norm when dressing for the interview.
Now "stick to the industry norm." That means when you are applying for a job,
depending on the kind of job depends on what you should wear.
Right. Now the industry norm is talking about what is normal, what should be
worn in that environment.
And if you're sticking to something, that means you continue to stay doing...
doing the same things, stay within those boundaries.
For example, if you're interviewing for an office job, you should wear certain
kind of clothing.
But if you're interviewing for maybe a job at a camp working with kids, you
should have a different kind of outfit on.
So just know what the industry, what that type of work would require.
OK. Ask yourself what the employer will remember.
Now whenever you're thinking of taking a risk in an interview, whether it's
wearing a cat suit or sending your sister to the interview in your place,
just ask yourself if there's a reason people don't normally do that.
That's right.
Think through it.
You want to be bold, you want to stand out.
But if there's a reason most people don't do it, it's probably a very good
reason.
Now if you can think of one way, or many, that the plan could backfire,
reconsider.
That's right.
Now when something "backfires," that means it happens in the opposite way than
you wanted it to.
So you do want your interviewer to remember you, but you want them to remember
you for the right reasons.
You don't want them to remember you for sending your sister instead of yourself.
That's right.
Now backfire is not something we like in life.
You want your plans to go the direction they should.
So if you can think of even just one reason that this might not work, don't do
it.
Yeah. I think that's a good point.
If you can think of something that can go wrong, maybe avoid doing that.
Think of what people normally do and do that instead.
That's right.
Don't... you don't have to stick to exactly everybody does.
Be courageous.
Try something interesting.
But be smart about it.
Think carefully, maybe even ask your friends if they think it's a good idea or
not.
OK. So now we're going ask you a question:
How about you, job seekers, if you've been... if you've been looking for a job,
have you ever looked back at a past interview and realized you made an
outrageous mistake that caused you to cringe even to this day?
OK, so that's a long question.
Have you ever done anything that was outrageous, that was ridiculous, that was
way beyond what you should have done?
And does it make you cringe even today?
Well, the word "cringe" usually means to kind of be afraid of something, to step
back from something.
But here it's referring to feeling embarrassed about something.
So if you're remembering maybe a bad interview you had, does it make you cringe?
Does it make you feel embarrassed that you did it?
Ooh, maybe it does.
Well, I hope it doesn't.
But if it does, you should write to us at letters@StudioClassroom and tell us
about these experiences.
Well, I hope this has helped you.
That last sentence is our Grammar on the Go, so we're going to visit Liz.
But stay tuned for today's skit.
Hi, friends.
I hope you're all doing well today.
My name is Liz.
And it's time for Grammar on the Go.
Our article today is on job interviews.
And the writer ends with this question:
... have you ever looked back at a past interview and realized you made an
outrageous mistake that causes you to cringe even to this day?
That's our Grammar Tip sentence.
Notice the phrase at the end of the sentence, even to this day.
That's our focus for today.
It means "from that moment until now." So what the writer is asking is:
Have you ever made an outrageous mistake in a past interview that can still make
you cringe right now, even after all this time?
We use this phrase when we want to talk about how an event has had such a strong
effect that the effect can still be felt right now, even though the event has
already passed.
For example, let's say Richard did not like chicken when he was a kid, and will
never eat it even as an adult. So we can say:
Richard has never liked chicken since he was a kid; even to this day, you'll
never see him eat it.
Or let's say a classmate performed a great magic trick in front of everybody,
and everyone is still wondering how he did it. So you can say:
Our classmate's magic trick was so good; even to this day, we're still guessing
how he did it.
If you'd like to see some more examples, you can check out today's Grammar Tip
section in your Studio Classroom magazine.
That's all the time we have for today.
This is Liz with Grammar on the Go signing off.
Bye-bye.
Job seekers are constantly looking for ways to stand out and impress me.
But many applicants stand out for the wrong reasons.
Hello!
(Background Noise).
I'm here for the job interview.
But why are you wearing pajamas?
Well, I want to stand out.
Look, I also have handcuffs.
Why?
Well, I'm relying on these gimmicks to grap your attention.
These ideas are innovative, but they overshadow your skills and experiences.
Oh. I don't have any skills or experience.
So how else can I impress you?
Be polite.
Give a firm handshake.
Make eye contact.
And engage in conversation.
Oh, so I'll just be myself.
Great, great.
I want to find out if you're a nice person.
Oh, I really am a nice person.
I'm pretty easy to get along with too.
And next time, dress appropriately.
So no pajamas or cat suits?
No parrots?
Right. Stick to the industry norm.
I'm really embarrassed and I'm sorry.
I've made some outrageous mistakes today, haven't I?
Yes. One day this interview will cause you to cringe.
Yeah, you're right.
So did I get the job?
Well... let me put it this way.
Knock, knock.
Oh, who's there?
Donut.
"Donut" who?
"Donut" call us. We'll call you.
Bye-bye.
(Music).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And that's it for today.
Don't forget to come back next time for more Language Tips.
OK, friends.
As always, we encourage you to use the Talk About It questions as a springboard
for short English conversations with classmates, friends, siblings, or even
yourself.
Opening your mouth is the secret to better English conversation skills.
It will help you remember more of what you've learned too.
And if you want yet more practice with today's lesson, go to StudioClassroom.com
and download our free Activity Sheet about Role Playing.
Now go out and have a great day. Bye-bye.