2º NA - File 1 - Work, work...

Dear students & readers of this blog,

A while ago, in class, we talked about work: how to get a job, how to describe it, what makes you happy at work...But unfortunately there's no time to do everything we would like to. Take some time to have a look at the contents of this post. It will be worth your while!!

Thanks to my colleague, Federico, for sharing all this with me!!

First of all, what do we need to know to face a job interview and succeed in getting a job? Watch the following video:

It’s understandable to feel a little nervous before an interview. Maggie Mistal offers some practical advice to help ensure that you put your best foot forward.

• Show up on time.
• Dress appropriately.
• Smile and try to relax! Remember, an interview is a conversation and your interviewer is a person, too.
• Be prepared to answer key questions like, “Why are you looking to leave your current position?”  It is key that you always stay positive, even if you are currently in a difficult situation.
• A way to turn tough questions into positive talking points is to bring the focus to things you are looking for in your next job.  Instead of bashing your current company for their lack of leadership or your lack of mangement experience, emphasize that you are seeking a job where you can work closely with a mentor or take on greater responsibility. 
• Don't get defensive if the interviewer makes a comment like, “you’re over-qualified” or “you’re under-qualified.” Turn the comment into a positive note, addressing the interviewer’s concerns behind the question: "I understand why you might feel I’m overqualified, but at this stage in my career I’m really looking to downshift and am looking for an opportunity where I can contribute but don’t necessarily have to run the show."
• Get as much experience as you can (especially if you are still in school). Highlight your past accomplishments. Show how you have learned, grown and succeeded in the past. Offer references of people who can attest to your ability to learn quickly and perform well.
• Do not be the one to bring up salary. Sell them on why you’re the ideal candidate first.
• Be prepared to answer salary-related questions if asked by the interviewer. Checkout online salary calculators to find out what your role is worth in your geographic area.
• Do not bring up benefits in the first interview; wait until you are invited back for another interview to ask about other benefits like vacation, 401K, etc.

Remember, an interview is the chance to find out if you are right for the company and if the company is right for you. Your odds of getting the job (and perhaps negotiating a higher salary) will improve if you first prove to them why you are the ideal candidate for the job.

Now, click here to take a test on CVs.

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UA FANTHORPE (1929–2009)
You will be hearing from us shortly (1978)

UA Fanthorpe was born in Kent. She studied at Oxford and went on to train as a teacher. She became Head of English, at Cheltenham Ladies' College (1962–70). In 'middle age' she 'dropped out' of teaching after training as a counsellor and took a job as a clerk in a hospital for neuro-psychiatric patients. The shock of what she saw made her write – to give voice to what the patients were experiencing. Her first collection of poems, was published when she was 49. The poems themselves all show a deep compassion for ordinary people and a suspicion of authority.

What is the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly by Ursula Askham Fanthorpe all about?

The poet puts the reader (you) in the shoes of an interviewee who is being asked questions at a job interview. The poem shows how unfair society is, and how qualified people often don't get accepted for jobs because of prejudice. Diferent types of prejudice are dealt with. Looks, accent etc... The words printed at the right after each stanza indicate that the intimidated interviewee doesn't speak in defence of self. The interviewer who doesn't want to employ the interviewee takes advantage of the interviewer's (presumed) silence and sums each attack on the interviewee's privacy with a statement such as 'so glad we agree'.
We assume that because of the interviewer's rude sarcastic remarks and rhetorics, the interviewee feels insignificant for the job. The poem shows us the intensity of unreasonable prejudice and its severe impact on its victims. The way the poet puts the reader in the shoes of the interviewee helps us empathise, sympathise and understand. The poem has an anti-prejudicial message and thus should be taken seriously. It therefore was not written for any humorous purposes.

The poem

You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly

You feel adequate to the demands of this position?
What qualities do you feel you
Personally have to offer?
                                                                          Ah
Let us consider your application form.
Your qualifications, though impressive, are
Not, we must admit, precisely what
We had in mind. Would you care
To defend their relevance?
                                                                          Indeed
Now your age. Perhaps you feel able
To make your own comment about that,
Too? We are conscious ourselves
Of the need for a candidate with precisely
The right degree of immaturity.
                                                                          So glad we agree
And now a delicate matter: your looks.
You do appreciate this work involves
Contact with the actual public? Might they,
Perhaps, find your appearance
Disturbing?
                                                                          Quite so
And your accent. That is the way
You have always spoken, is it? What
Of your education? Were
You educated? We mean, of course,
Where were you educated?
                                              And how
Much of a handicap is that to you.
Would you say?
                        Married, children,
We see. The usual dubious
Desire to perpetuate what had better
Not have happened at all. We do not
Ask what domestic disasters shimmer
Behind that vaguely unsuitable address.
And you were born—?
                                                                          Yes. Pity.So glad we agree.

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And to finish, some tips on HOW TO LOOK BUSY AT WORK.

1. Never walk without a document in your hands

People with documents in their hands look like hard working employees going to important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they are going to the canteen. People with a newspaper in their hands look like they are going to the toilet. Most importantly, make sure you carry a lot of paper home with you at night, this will give the false impression that you work longer hours than you actually do.

2. Use computers to look busy

Any time you use a computer, it looks like 'work' to the casual observer. You can send and receive personal e-mails, chat, read this story, and generally have fun without doing anything remotely related to work. These aren't exactly the social benefits that the fans of the computer revolution would like to talk about but they're not bad either. When you get caught by your boss – and you WILL get caught – your best defence is to claim you're teaching yourself to use new software or English, and so saving the company the cost of expensive training.

3. Untidy desk

Top management can get away with a clean desk. For the rest of us, it looks like we're not working hard enough. Build huge piles of documents around your work area. To the casual observer, last year's work looks the same as today's work. It is the amount of documents you have that is important. Pile them high and wide. If you know somebody is coming to your desk, bury the document you know they will want halfway down an existing pile and rummage for it when they arrive.

4. Voice mail

Never answer your phone if you have voice mail. People don't call you just because they want a chat – they call because they want YOU to do work for THEM. Screen all calls through voice mail. If somebody leaves a voice message for you and it sounds like impending work, reply during their lunch hour when you know they will be in the canteen – it looks like you're hardworking and conscientious.


5. Looking impatient and annoyed 


Always try to look impatient and annoyed to give your boss the impression that you are always busy.

6. Leave the office late

Always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still working. You could read the magazines and books that you have always wanted to read but have had no time. Make sure you walk past the boss' office as you are leaving. Send important e-mails at unearthly hours (e.g. 7.05 am, 9.35 pm) and during public holidays.

7. Sighing for effect

Sigh loudly when there are many people around, giving the impression that you are under extreme pressure.

8. Piling strategy

It is not enough to pile lots of documents on the table. Put lots of books on the floor, etc. (thick computer books are best).

9. Build vocabulary

Read some computer magazines and pick out all the jargon and new products. Use the phrases when in conversation with the bosses. Remember: They don't have to understand what you say, but you will sound impressive.

10. Have two jackets

If you work in a big open plan office, always leave an extra jacket on the back of your chair. This gives the impression that you are still in the office. The second jacket should be worn while you are away from your desk doing something more interesting than work.

Has anyone got any additional suggestions?