Rob: Welcome to 6 Minute English with me Rob.
Finn: And me, Finn.
Rob: Finn, I'd like to start by asking you: How many job interviews have you
had?
Finn: That's difficult. Maybe ten interviews in my life.
Rob: Ten. That's quite a few – and do you enjoy going to job interviews?
Finn: I absolutely adore them! No, I'm joking! Who does? Nobody does.
Rob: Well, for me, they are torture! I hate being grilled by a panel – or group
– of people. I know I can do the job but I hate having to convince them!
Today, we'll be discussing some odd job interviews and looking at some
related vocabulary. So Finn, are you ready for your first interview
question?
Finn: Yes Rob, I am raring to go!
Rob: Good to hear. Well, it's important to know what type of job you are being
interviewed for. Some job titles are a bit exaggerated. So, what type of
job has been named a 'Field Nourishment Consultant'? Is it:
a) A waitress
b) A school dinner lady
c) A petrol station assistant
Finn: I think that it's b) a school dinner lady.
Rob: An interesting choice. I'll let you know if you are wrong or right later on.
Let's talk more about job interviews. A traditional interview usually
involves being asked a list of questions, and sometimes you have to give a
short presentation.
Finn: Yes, questions like: "Why do you want this job?" or, "Where do you see
yourself in five years' time?"
Rob: Yeah, that's a tricky one to answer! But some interviewers – the people
who ask the questions – go a bit further and ask the interviewees – the
people being interviewed – to do some inappropriate things.
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Finn: You mean they are asked do things are not really relevant to the job.
Such as Alan Bacon, a university graduate, who last year was asked to do
a dance as part of his interview.
Rob: Well, maybe the position – or job – was for a dancer or a children's
entertainer?
Finn: No – it was actually for a job as a sales assistant in an electronics shop;
so, someone who works on the shop floor, giving advice to customers
about what to buy. There's no dancing involved.
Rob: Let's hear from him now. What did he do at the interview to look positive?
And how did he really feel about doing a dance?
Alan Bacon, university graduate:
We all wanted the job, some of us are desperate, like myself, and the idea is just to
keep smiling and go for it. On the surface I had to look positive, I was smiling, I was
laughing along with it, but inside I felt degraded and humiliated especially.
Finn: Oh poor Alan. He felt degraded – so he lost respect from other people –
and he felt humiliated – so he felt embarrassed and ashamed.
Rob: So that's how he felt on the inside but he wanted the job so he put on a
brave face – a positive attitude and a smile on his face; he even laughed.
Finn: Well, later on, he did complain and he got an apology.
Rob: But experts say there are now too many candidates chasing too few jobs
so companies are trying unorthodox – non-traditional ways of recruiting
people - to see who stands out.
Finn: Yes, well, in any job interview it's good to leave a lasting impression –
that means to get noticed and make people remember you. I suppose
doing a dance is a good way of breaking the ice – making people feel
relaxed – but being asked to do something outside your comfort zone also
seems a bit unfair to me.
Rob: Yes, but I guess if you want that job, you'll do anything.
Finn: Well, almost!
Rob: I've heard about people who have had to sing at an interview and also,
role playing – pretending to be someone else and acting out a situation.
Finn: I find just being asked odd or random questions in an interview can make
me feel uncomfortable. And a US employment website carried out a
survey about this and discovered some strange questions…
Rob: Yes they did, such as: "How would you cure world hunger?" and: "If you
were a computer programme, which one would you be?" Here's one for
you Finn: "If you were a word in the English language, which word would
you be?"
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Finn: Which word would you be? Oh, come on, that's unfair. Just asking like
that – that's outside my comfort zone Rob!
Rob: Indeed, but I'm trying to break the ice here Finn! Never mind, I'll give you
the job anyway! Seriously, there's no perfect way to interview someone
for a job. If you are having a job interview, my advice would be to keep
calm, think before you speak and if you are asked to do something
inappropriate, tell them how you feel about it!
Finn: And if all else fails you could use a bribe? What do you think? No?!
Rob: Not recommended. However you can bribe me to get the answer to
today's question?
Finn: I don't think I need to. I think I've got the answer right.
Rob: OK, let's find out. Earlier I asked you if you knew what a 'Field
Nourishment Consultant' really is.
Finn: I said b) a school dinner lady – but it could be a man. Is it right?
Rob: It has something to do with food but it's not school dinners. It's actually a
waitress – or waiter. I wonder how we could describe our jobs – maybe we
could be 'Educational Dissemination Executives'?
Finn: Oh yes, very grand. I like that!
Rob: We hope you've enjoyed today's 6 Minute English. Please join us again
soon for another programme.
Both: Bye.
