Job Interviews

Job Interviews

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Even without saying anything, we are able to communicate a lot of information to other people.

The way we walk, sit, stand, hold our hands, use facial expressions and hand gestures, and what we wear, can tell a trained observer quite a bit about what type of person we are.


Look closely at each situation listed below.

Answer 'a' is one meaning that could be communicated non-verbally to an interviewer.

If the other reasons applied to you in such a situation, how would you go about (convincingly) telling the interviewer what is actually happening?


1. Wore good jeans to an interview

a. doesn't care much for an office position
b. best pants that the person owns
c. the good pants have a busted zipper


2. Just had a haircut the day before the interview

a. normally not so tidy - had haircut just for interview
b. had to get the chunk of chewy out somehow
c. has one every six weeks-including yesterday


3. Arrived late

a. normally arrives late
b. the bus broke down
c. got caught in heavy traffic

4. Wore brand new clothes to the interview

a. done especially to impress us? Hmmm . . .
b. had to buy something that was good enough to wear
c. I like to look good in new clothes all the time


5. Very nervous and can't calm down

a. not prepared . . . too jittery to work for us
b. I'm prepared . . . but I just can't beat the nerves
c. wouldn't you be if the lift got stuck?


6. Doesn't really appear positive and keen

a. doesn't seem interested enough in the job
b. I know I haven't got a chance anyway
c. I'm trying to appear that way, but it's not working


7. Didn't sit straight in chair

a. lazy . . . wouldn't work in an iron lung
b. I've got this back problem . . .
c. these chairs are terribly uncomfortable


8. Didn't look at interviewer - gazed out the window all the time

a. very shy-or have they got something to hide?
b. the view over the park is just terrific!
c. yuk! . . . What an ugly person!


9. Only occasionally looked at me

a. why are they trying to ignore me?
b. it's a bit hard looking at all three interviewers at once
c. it embarrasses me to look directly at people


10. Appeared to be too friendly

a. too easy-going, has little respect for authority
b. I may have overdone the 'be confident' approach
c. I'm normally easy-going-I'll talk to anyone

Mr. Liu	Ah - Miss Chan - Miss Catherine Chan isn't it? Well, now let me see. You're a graduate of CUHK aren't you? In Marketing? So why do you want to work in Publishing? Wouldn't an Arts degree have given you a more suitable background? Is this really your kind of job?
	Catherine Chan	I think the job of Marketing Executive in a company of this sort is very much my sort of job. I'm not a graduate yet, though, my final exams begin in June.

2	Mr. Liu	Yes, well all right. How much do you know about what we do I mean - publishing business books? Any experience of that at all? It doesn't look like it from what you say in your letter. What sort of place was it that you worked in last summer as a - what did you say? a sales lady?
	Catherine	It was a department store. I said so in my letter.

3	Mr. Liu	Oh yes - I see - well, what part of the store? Books? Stationery?
	Catherine	Well no. Nothing like that. Most of the time I was in the basement where they sell kitchen-ware and small electrical applicances - toasters and irons, and things like that.
4	Mr. Liu	Were you good at selling?
	Catherine	I can't really tell from having done that. People know what they want when they come into that sort of department. Eith-either you have it or you don't - and if you haven't, you can't persuade them to buy something else instead , can you? I mean - somebody who finds you haven't got the right sort of kettle isn't going to buy a suction cleaner instead.
5	Mr. Liu	Mm. OK OK Let's try again. Now you said you worked in this advertising agency. Now you say you learned how the company operated. Tell me how you did that and what was that that you learnt.
	Catherine	Well, I was in the General Office. I did some word processing, and made tea and answered the telephone - I was a sort of office Junior really. And once when the people, when the person who was usually in Reception was away, I ...
6	Mr. Liu	Did you attend any Meetings?
	Catherine	No meetings.
7	Mr. Liu	Did you work at all closely with anyone who had responsibility to company decision making?
	Catherine	Well no. - No I I don't think so. Not really.
8	Mr. Liu	Well, I don't see how you could have found out how erm much about the company and how it operate.
	Catherine	Well but... I talked to ...I tried to.

9	Mr. Liu	You say you learn quickly. So what evidence can you give me that you do?
	Catherine	Well.. when I was in Secondary School - and still more in Primary.. - I was always near the top of the class .. I always wondered why teachers were saying things so, so many times ...
10	Mr. Liu	Yes, very well, but recently, recently, have you learned anything on your own - right outside the University syllabus? Like mm, language? Have you learned to swim? Can you play an instrument? Erm can you drive a car? So what are you good at?
	Catherine	No, I-I can't swim. Yes, I do drive a car - but that was why I was late - I couldn't find anywhere to park it - but isn't driving more useful than swimming? I mean to you, I mean .. I still think I learn quite fast, compared with most people, I seem to ..

11	Mr. Liu	Well OK, Let's get back to the matter in hand. So you're a graduate - or you soon will be as you said. You want to be a Management Trainee in our company. You say you want to work overseas. If you worked for us, you might have to do it - no choice about it. You say you respond well to pressure. Not much Uh, evidence of that, I have to say. Well, I'm going to offer you this job though. Low salary. Six months probation. Out after that if you don't make the grade. If you do, we'll raise it and send you to Korea.
	Catherine	I'm not at all sure I would want ..
12	Mr. Liu	Oh my goodness nor am I. Go and have your lunch and think about it, and I'll go and have mine. Now you can ring me tomorrow morning before 11am please. Miss Wong - see Miss Chan out please - oh, and please go down and show her where the car park is please.