Complete the sentences with a suitable word or word combination.

applicant a vacancyinterview

a covering letter financial package

a headhunter a reference
a probationary period resume

a shortlist

a The starting salary of the successful..... applicant... will be decided on the basis of qualifications and experience.

b The usual American English word for 'CV' is '………………….'.

c Our company has ……………. for a graduate in economics.

d Applicants will be called for ………………… between 10 and 16 April.

e We ask all our new employees to work............................ of between one and three months.

f The interview panel will draw up …………………. of only five candidates.

g Please send ……………………. together with your CV.

h It is usual to ask your previous employer for ……………………. when you apply for a job.

i For high performers, a good …………… is not all that matters. They need a challenge as well.

j They hired ……………… to attract some executives from a rival company.

1. 
   Cross out the item which does not normally go with the key word.

Reading

A) Read a leaflet from a recruitment agency giving advice about interviews. Choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs A-E. There are three extra headings.

1. contact details 5. survey results

2. shock tactics 6. hypothetical questions

3. attitude 7. one person's experience

4. appearance 8. advice

A________________________

When it comes to interview questions, it pays to expect the unexpected. This is a true story of one candidate's experience. This is how his interviewers greeted him: 'We've been interviewing candidates all morning and we're getting bored. Do something to impress us’. Then the interviewers got out their newspapers and started reading them.

The candidate said, 'Well, I've been waiting in this office for more than two hours because you've been running late. Actually I'm not impressed by your organisation and not sure I want to work for you. Goodbye.'

The interviewee walked out, was invited back the next day and was offered the job.

B__________________

How would you act in a situation like this?

That interview was rather extreme, but a lot of employers have turned to using 'killer questions' or 'shock tactics', such as these:

‘Tell me something about yourself that you have never told anyone’.

'Which three famous people would you invite to a dinner party and why? '

'We have employed people from your university, and they haven't been good. Can you tell us why you think you'd do better? '

Killer questions often come early in the interview and are aimed at throwing the candidate off guard. By surprising the candidate with an original or difficult question, interviewers can get an honest reaction and an unplanned response. They also want to see candidates think through their responses calmly.

C_________________

D_________________

So, what should you do in these circumstances? Imagine: an interviewer has asked you a 'killer question' and you just don't know how to answer it - your mind is blank. Remember, the interviewer isn't interested in your response as much as the way you respond. So, stay calm, take a few deep breaths and buy some time, e.g. 'Actually, that's interesting. I haven't thought about it, but maybe I'd …’ It’s a good idea to practice asking and answering some of these questions with friends. You can find some typical 'killer questions' on the front of this factsheet.

E _______________

J0BS4U have prepared three other leaflets, full of hints and tips about interviews. We can be reached in the following ways: Telephone 01865 701813

Email info@jobs4u.com

B) Read the leaflet again. Which of the following ideas are mentioned?

1. Your answers to killer questions are extremely important.

2. An interviewee left the interview before it was meant to finish.

3. The way candidates look and dress was one area which bosses thought could have improved.

4. Difficult questions often come at the end of an interview.

5. Some experts prefer candidates to talk about things they have done rather than answer hypothetical questions.

6. You should not hesitate when answering killer questions.

C) Find words in the leaflet for someone who:

1. is applying for a job.

2. asks questions at an interview.

3. has other people working for him/her.

4. is attending an interview.

5. is paid to work for an organisation or another person.

6. has special knowledge of a subject.

2. Read this typical job interview questions and think about your answers. What are the most difficult questions to answer? Visit the following web page read and compare your answers with the best answers to these and other job interview questions: https://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest.htm

Interview Questions: Work History

• Name of company, position title and description, dates of employment.
• What were your expectations for the job and to what extent were they met?
• What were your starting and final levels of compensation?
• What were your responsibilities?
• What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?
• What have you learned from your mistakes?
• What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
• What was the biggest accomplishment / failure in this position?
• What was it like working for your supervisor?

· What problems have you encountered at work?

· Who was your best boss and who was the worst?

• Why are you leaving your job?
• Why were you fired?