Vocabulary

Review the list of hackneyed expressions in Chapter 5 Application Letter. Find out if you can add more
trite expressions to the given list.

Model Presentation

Here is a portion of a job interview between an applicant and prospective employer.

Read this carefully and discover the what, why, and how of a job interview.

Employer: Good morning, Rowena Reyes?

Applicant: Yes.

Employer: I am Robert Cruz, personnel director of Filipinas Bank. I would like to ask you some questions
about yourself and your interests.

Applicant: Fine, I've been looking forward to this interview.

Employer: First of all, what prodded you to come to Filipinas Bank?

Applicant: Well, in the past I occupied a position that cooped me up in one corner most of the time. I
didn't find this good for me, so I decided to look for one that can give me more opportunity to work with
people, because by nature, I am a person who enjoys working with people.

Employer: You say you like to work with people. Why do you like to work with people?
Applicant: Well, since my high school days, I have had a lot of people-oriented activities and I enjoyed all
of these, so this may be the reason why I enjoy working with people.

Employer: What kind of qualities do you think you possess that would make you work well with people
or in a job and in different situations?

Applicant:

The varied school activities which were mostly people-oriented I involved myself in, allowed me to
mingle with all types of people. I think this trained me to adjust myself to people with different cultures.

Employer: Um-hmm. Are you speaking of your activities? I noticed when I was reviewing your
application that you have been active in Lyceum Glee Club and Lyceum Outreach Program. What is this
Lyceum Outreach Program?

Applicant: This is a program that intends to alleviate the living conditions of some socially, economically,
and spiritually disadvantaged people living near the university.

Employer: And I see you are the Chairman of this program.

Applicant: Right.

Employer: And what does this position as chairman entail? In other words, what are your duties,
responsibilities, and problems?

Applicant: Basically, I act as the head of a steering committee. I decide on the feasibility of the
committee's suggestions or ideas on raising funds for our projects. I am also responsible for making
activities or find ways and means to make the steering committee meet the objectives of the program.
Employer: I'm glad to hear those from you. I would like to tell you that I enjoyed talking with you. It was
an interesting conversation. I feel that your qualifications fit with the kind of person we are looking for
as a CEO. I should be getting in touch with you by mail three weeks from now.

Applicant: Thanks a lot.

Employer: Have a good day.

Ponder on These

What is the objective of this kind of interview?

What image does the applicant present during the interview?

How does the applicant answer the questions?

Do you think the interview will be favorable to the applicant? Why? Why not?

What are some of the basic principles you have to keep in mind about interview?

Remember These

"Interview is a process of dyadic, relational communication, with a predestined and main purpose,
designed to interchange behavior and involving the asking and answering of questions." (Steward, 1994)

In the sample interview given in the preceding part of this chapter, the interviewee was made to answer
several question. Usually, in a job interview, questions like the ones below come out. Hence, you should
be prepared to answer the following questions:
1. How would you describe yourself?

(Give a response that supports your career objective.)

2. What are your hobbies? Tell me about them.

3. Which do you like best or least about your job?

4. What is the toughest challenge within your work experience?

5. Why do others fail in their jobs or chosen field?

6. What would prevent us from hiring you?

7. Why do you think we should hire you?

8. Which supervisor is easy or difficult to deal with?

9. Describe a work-related problem. How did you deal with it?

10. Give me an example of time you did more than

what was required by the job.

11. Give me an example of a work situation you found it necessary to make an exception to the rules in
order to make things done. 12. What is the best decision you have ever made?
How did you go about it? 13. When did you gain cooperation without asserting authority on those
expected to work with you?

14. Did you have any trouble learning a procedure? How did you go about it?

15. Did you have a problem affecting other departments? How did you deal with it?

16 What is your greatest strength? weakness? 17. What is your major contribution to your last

position?

18. What are your career goals - short and long term?

19. What is your most significant accomplishment?

20. How do you work under pressure?

21. How would others describe you?

22. How do you consider yourself being a team player?

23. How do you feel about your current/last position?

24. Do you have a question about our company? (Ask about the position, not about salary, benefits,
training program, packages)
25. How much do you think should your initial salary be?

You can give excellent answers to these questions if you know these basics of power interview. (Yeager,
1990)

Be real.

The best approach is to be honest and forthright. Give an honest idea about yourself and target your
presentation to the needs of the employer.

2. Be together.

Pay attention to the details of the interview such as the exact time of the interview, the food, and the
rest needed for conditioning your body. Remember that tardiness is the, "kiss of death" in interview and
hunger causes poor performance. People are judged by their appearance so you should be at your best
and must have some ideas of the standard of dressing the employees of the company follow.

3. Aggresiveness and Enthusiasm

Show self-confidence and self-assurance through your stories and gestures that reveal your desire or
drive to excel and to prove your expertise in a certain field. Showing your interest in the product of the
company is a good way of proving your enthusiasm.

4. Communication Skills

You are now in the era of globalization or age of information that allows knowledge explosion through
free exchange of science and technology, so you must show that you have the ability to convey
information, ideas, and attitudes clearly and convincingly.
5. Proofs of Success

Tell your success story but stress your distinctive participation in this story, like the contribution you
made to solve a certain problem - an involvement of yourself that highlights your significance as a
person.

6. Rational Thinking

Give signs of your ability to think clearly, critically, and creatively and the ability to see new angles of a
certain issue or problem. Your problem solving techniques must give them the notion that you are a
high-level thinker and a problem solver.

7. Maturity

Always remember that the principal objective of the company is to benefit from you, not to raise you.
Thus, in times of adversities, show you can stand stress by talking about your past experiences that
tested your ability and tenacity to stand pressure.

8. Planning and Organization Skills

Streamlining or reorganization of offices happens periodically. You have to show how you can effect this
effectively in a department you belong to, like showing the employer that you have clear strategies for
analyzing problems, carrying out plans, and evaluating results.

For the interview process, here are the steps that you have to follow. (Kanter, 1995)

Step 1 - Self Analysis

This permits you to take stock of yourself or to have a self-inventory. The probability of reaching your
goals is high if you know yourself, your status, strengths, weaknessess, achievements, and position.

Step 2 - Preparation of Resumé

Your resumé serves as your "silent sales representative," hence you should know how to prepare it.
Employ professionalism and persuasiveness in making this.

Step 3 - Searching of Job

Look for job openings that jibe with your resumé. You can do this by networking with your relatives,
friends, past professors, and agents. A job connotes money, hence to downplay the idea of materialism,
use career opportunity.

Step 4 - Projecting a Favorable Impression

Be positive or optimistic in viewing things. Bad- mouthing people will immediately end an interview.

Step 5 - Answering Questions

To ensure success in this step, anticipate the kinds of questions to be asked. Ask your friend to be your
partner in practicing this step. In case nervousness sneaks into the picture, concentrate on what is going
on and continue answering the questions. Successful answers are clear, succinct, specific, and straight to
the point.

Step 6 - Asking Questions

If you are given the chance to do this, ask questions carefully and thoughtfully. Your questions can reveal
a lot about your values, interests, nature, intelligence, and the like. Questions that will earn your big
points are open-ended questions that dwell on the problems of the position and the organization rather
than closed questions like those on trivial matters- money, benefits, salary, uniforms, and others.

Step 7 - Evaluation/Follow up

Never forget to thank the person who interviewed you. You can do this by sending him a thank you
note. In fact, this can be a good way to follow up your application and to make yourself memorable or
notable in the mind of the employer. Likewise, this shows a sign of the interest you have in the
company.

Here are examples of a thank you note.

Dear Mr. Roces

Thank you again for sharing your time with me. Your interest and pieces of advice are encouraging and
valuable.

As you suggested, I will get in touch with you to find out if the situation in your company

has changed. Meantime, I hope you'll keep me in mind for any opening that may occur. Very truly yours,

Dear Mrs. Perez:

The meeting we had in your office with Mr. Rivera was enjoyable. Based on what you said about the job
and the firm, I am eager to get the job. I hope you'll find me fit to work with you. Very truly yours,

Language Focus
Read these lines in an interview:

Applicant: The teaching loads were prepared by me alone.

Employer: You prepared the teaching loads alone, didn't you?

Focus your attention on the subjects of the sentences. Which sentence has a subject that acts as the
doer of the action?

If the subject of the verb is the doer of the action, the verb is in active voice. If the subject of the verbs is
the receiver of the action, the verb is in the passive voice. The active voice gives more force and strength
to the sentence, hence writers of correspondence are encouraged to use the active voice rather than
the passive voice.