Listen to two candidates interviewed for the job of a sales-person

Comments on the candidates answers.

Question 1.

The second candidate gives a more detailed answer but this does not mean
The more you say the belter in general. The details he gives are relevant to the
situation and he tries to explain why he wants to get a job. The first candidate speaks
about her parents, which is a bit irrelevant and makes her sound less independent
and mature than the second candidate.

Question 2.

The second candidate has prepared for the interview because he sounds confident and
doesnt pause before the answer. He mentions very specific things he noticed about the
firm, whereas the second candidate sounds too general and less prepared (she pauses).
The second candidate sounds humorous, which creates an effect of being confident.

Question 3.

Both answers arc quite OK, but the second candidate sounds more attractive to the
employer because he mentions being part of a team, which is very important for
such a well-organised firm. He speaks not only about his own perspective but takes
into account the employers perspective and requirements.

Question 4.

This question is more difficult to answer for the second candidate because he has
no work experience at all, whereas the first candidate has some relevant experience.

But in spite of this the second candidate deals with the question very well because
he sounds more enthusiastic about working at Happy Pizza. Hie ability to deal with
difficult questions characterizes a person as confident and is very important for an
employer. The first candidate also gives a good answer but she does not exploit it
fully and doesnt demonstrate her enthusiasm to work for the company.

Question 5.

Both candidates deal well with the first positive question. As for the second part,
the first candidate sounds too negative, whereas the first one is very positive,
not saying directly what he didnt like about the job but saying what he would like to do.

Question 6.

The employer is interested in candidates future professional expectations rather
than personal ones, which is irrelevant. The second candidate gives relevant
details, whereas the first one speaks about travelling and starting a family, which
is quite irrelevant.

Question 7.

The first candidate is not prepared for this question at all because she hasnt
spoken to anyone about giving her a reference. The second candidate is well
prepared for it.

Question 8.

This is an awkward question. But Ss should remember that they should never give
answers like no, dont know or others of this kind at job interviews. It is possible
to prepare for such questions in advance by practicing with a friend. The second
candidate deals with the question very well.

Question 9.

This is another question, which should be thought over in advance.

In general, the second candidate is more likely to be accepted because he seems to have
prepared for the interview better.

Tapescript (Ex. 2A)

Interviewer: Briefly, tell me about yourself, please.

Anna: I am 21, a fourth-year student at the University studying English and French.
I was bom in Vladimir and have lived here all my life with my parents, who arc teachers at
the University.

Boris: I am 22, a fiflh-year student at teacher-training college studying English and Spanish.
I was bom near Suzdal and came to Vladimir to attend college. I live in a student hostel
and would like to work part-time to gain experience and to earn money so that I can rent a
room or a small flat, as the hostel is not a very nice place to live.

Interviewer: What do you know about our company?

Anna: Your company is the best-known supplier of fast food in the world -everyone knows
Happy Pizza. Sometimes 1 go to Moscow and I always like going to Happy Pizza there.

Boris: The whole world has heard of Happy Pizza and when I have visited your restaurants
I have been very impressed by the service your staff provide and the quality of the
food - there are never chips of bone in your burgers that might damage my teeth!
Also, I have been impressed by the way your staff seem to work well together and
are polite to both the customers and to each other.

Interviewer: Why have you applied for this job?

Anna: My parents cant support me as they would like to and I want to become more
independent and stop being a burden on them.

Boris: As I said earlier, l would really like to move out of the hostel into private
accommodation, but as my parents cannot help me financially I must help myself.
Also, I would like to become part of the team as I mentioned earlier and to get
experience of working in an organisation which is based in the west but has
been operating in Russia for long enough to have adapted to Russian conditions.

Interviewer: Have you got any previous work experience of any sort?

Anna: Well, there isnt much work around in these difficult times, though I
did help my mother selling stationery before the start of the school year
once and I did enjoy that.
Boris: Getting a job as a student is pretty difficult these days, so, my only work
experience has been at home on my fathers small private plot, or during
harvest on the local former sovkhoz. Though that is different from selling
burgers for you, I know that I can work hard and would like to have the
chance to do more normal work.

Interviewer: What did you enjoy or not enjoy about that work?

Anna: I enjoyed selling, helping a potential customer to choose the item
that they thought was best for them. But it wasnt very well paid and
lasted only a few days.

Boris: There is always satisfaction in being asked to do something,
getting it done and being paid, even only a little. But I am a fairly
sociable person and I would much rather do something that involved
working with other people, both collegues and customers.

Interviewer: Where do you want to be in, say, ten years time?

Anna: In ten years...by then I hope to have done some travelling
and to have a job which makes use of my English I hope to have improved
more by then - and maybe to have started a family.

Boris: That isnt easy to say because my future is very dependent on the general
situation in Russia, but 1 hope I will have a job or be self-employed, using all my
talents, experience and education.

Interviewer: Can you give me the name of someone we can contact for a reference?

Anna: I dont know who exactly you want, but I could ask the senior lecturer in the
English Department at the University.

Boris: This is the name, address and telephone number of my senior lecturer in
English who has known me for three years and has already agreed to write or speak to you.

Interviewer: Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

Anna: Er, um, no.

Boris: Well, let me think... Simply that I am healthy, fit and keen to work for your
company.

Interviewer: Do you have any questions for us?

Anna: Er, um, no.

Boris: In the long run, is it possible for part-time workers to become full time and permanent?