B: I THINK not.
A: DO they MIND if Susan BRINGS her cat along?
B: I SUPPOSE yes.
A: Great! I HOPE they will enjoy their holidays.
B: They ARE GOING to keep me posted, so Ill tell you everything.
Speaking
Task 23. A job interview is a challenging task for an employee and the top assessment tool for an employer. Decide what you should DO and should NOT DO during an interview:
Dos:
Ask questions;
Be confident;
Be courteous and professional;
Dress appropriately;
Maintain eye contact;
Smile;
Donts:
Have little knowledge of the company;
Say fillers such as «um, «basically, «so, etc.;
Site stories from your previous work experiences;
Tap your fingers or conceal your hands.
Task 24. There are different types of job interviews. Match your behavior (19) to the type of the interview (A-I). Select and explain which of the types described below are more common and which are less frequent.
1) Use examples to demonstrate your skills. C One on one interview
2) Look primarily at the person who asked the question. D Panel interview
3) Show your personality, how you «fit in the company more than your skills. F Second interview
4) Keep your resume near to answer questions better and faster. E Phone interview
5) Find a positive way to stand out from the crowd. A Group interview
6) Sleep well the night before, dont try to beat the test. H Testing interview
7) Order simple food so as to focus on the talk. B Lunch interview
8) Be prepared to complete some type of work sample. I Working interview
9) Dont panic! Its not about your skills, but about the way you can handle a situation. G Stress interview
Task 25. Look at the questions asked during a job interview and fill in the table with the phrases that belong either to the interviewer or the interviewee.
Role Play
Task 26. Look at the job interview below and put the sentences in the correct order.
1 2) Good afternoon, Mr. Green. My name is Greg Felton. Im from the HR.
2 5) Good afternoon, Mr. Felton. Nice to meet you.
3 9) Nice to meet you, too. Now, if you dont mind, lets get to business and start our interview.
4 10) Sure.
5 1) Could you please tell me a bit more about yourself?
6 13) Well, Im a good team player and like working with colleagues, even under pressure and tight deadlines. Im a sociable and self-motivated person, good at multitasking.
7 6) I see. Now, tell me about your previous experience of work.
8 7) I worked in the telecommunication industry for 4 years before moving to Chicago, and I believe that this experience will be helpful in my new position. Im a good negotiator last year I signed a contract with our companys main competitor.
9 14) What didnt you like about your previous place of work?
10 8) Its the flexible hours, I suppose. I used to work in shifts and extra hours during weekends. As long as Im settled now, I want a work-life balance and spend more time with my family.
11 12) The position we offer involves fixed hours of work.
12 3) Excellent, it suits me perfectly.
13 15) When are you ready to start, Mr. Green?
14 4) From tomorrow if you wish, Mr. Felton.
15 16) Yes, it would be great. My assistant will explain you the details.
16 11) Thank you, Mr. Felton.
Writing Skills
Task 28. Study the cover letter given below and fill in the missing information from the table.
Dear Mr. Brown,
I would like to apply for the 1) position advertised in the Sunday Times on 23 February for a 2) CPA.
As you will see from my CV, I am 3) currently accountant of a large public accounting firm. In addition to the day-to-day financial analyzing and handling 4) monetary transactions, I represent the Chief 5) Financial Officer on some occasions and am delegated to take certain policy 6) decisions in his absence.
I speak good English, and use it in the 7) course of my work.
I am genuinely interested in this 8) vacancy as I would like to become more involved with green accounting your company promotes and make a 9) valuable contribution to society.
If there is any 10) further information you require, please contact me. I look 11) forward to hearing from you.
Yours 12) sincerely,
Rose Johnson
Rose Johnson (Ms.)
Text Bank
Text 1
The Best Job Candidates
The accounting profession is changing, and that means the ways firms recruit and retain top-tier talent need to change, too. Recent graduates have much different expectations of work and career than a generation ago, and technology is changing the way that firms reach and develop relationships with potential new hires.
However, firms arent just concerned with filling entry-level positions. There is a continuous need to hire and keep experienced CPAs at all levels. Finding a one-size-fits-all strategy for recruitment when the talent pool has diverse motivations and firms have varied needs is nearly impossible.
But firms can address this steady demand for high-quality, talented CPAs in a tight labor market by being insightful, authentic, and proactive, according to Sarah Dobek. The founder and president of Inovautus Consulting, a marketing firm that helps CPAs grow their business, Dobek discussed staffing strategies at the AICPA ENGAGE 2018 conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Speaking in an interview prior to the conference, Dobek offered tips to firms looking to improve their recruitment and retention efforts.
Attracting the right candidates: The first step is getting the right candidates to apply for the opening, and reaching them requires understanding their job search motivations.
«In order to attract the right candidates, you have to speak to them about what they care about,» said Dobek.
Millennial candidates in line for early career positions are looking for flexibility in work time and location, a personalized career path, efficient use of technology within the firm, immediate learning opportunities, and brand authenticity, according to Dobek.
It is important that candidates see those qualities in a firms online presence, in their brand reputation, and in interactions with the firm, she said. That means making an effort to reach candidates as soon as possible in ways different from what firms may have traditionally done.
«Culture is still really important,» said Dobek. «You cant just give them a marketing message. They want you to be true and honest. They want to hear from their peers as well through testimonials, case studies, and videos.»
However, firms dont hire just people between the ages of 22 and 30, and candidates of different experience levels have different motivations.
To better understand what drives job seekers, Dobek recommends that firms talk with candidates about their motivations and needs throughout the recruitment process, and hold exit interviews with departing employees to gain insight into their motives.
Craft the right job description: A good job description can persuade the right candidate to apply for the job, and crafting that standout description will be easier once you understand your target audience, according to Dobek.
«When you write in the right context, it can attract the right person,» she said. «When you start focusing on the type of individual that you need, youre going to start using language that that person would identify with.»
An effective job description also tells the story of your firm along with the features and benefits of the position.
«The job description is not just a bullet point list description of your job responsibilities,» she said. «An attractive job description is going to be much more than that; its really going to be a sales pitch of why you should come work for us.»
Dont be afraid to be innovative in how you deliver the job description either, Dobek said. Younger candidates in particular are more open to different media, and you can reach them in new ways. Look to video, audio, and other multimedia opportunities to create and deliver your job description.
Actively recruit: Dont wait until you need to fill a position to start recruiting and then expect HR to do all of the work, Dobek cautioned. Building an effective network that you can tap before it is hiring time means starting early, taking a proactive approach, and including a wide range of the firms stakeholders.
«It is not just the HR departments job to recruit for your firm,» Dobek said. «Every partner has a role, every higher-level staff person should be involved in recruiting because every person has a network.»
Take advantage of digital platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and firm websites to build a brand network that draws an audience. Firm executives should be using their digital platforms, and their audiences, to promote the firm as an employment destination, according to Dobek.
«You have to be actively posting about your firm and your culture,» she said. «You need to be attracting people to your brand, to your firm, before you need to fill those positions.»
Even if you arent immediately hiring, Dobek sees value in using digital tools to expand a firms network and sees it as an investment in the firms future.
Task 1. Answer the questions (16) using information from the text. The correct answer is in bold.
1. A one-size-fits-all strategy for recruitment is
A. quite widespread
B. diverse among firms
C. highly likely
D. almost impossible
2. What should companies do to be able to hire talented CPAs?
A. Be proactive and determined
B. Be insightful and authentic.
C. Offer a good salary.
D. Provide better working conditions.
3. How many tips did Sarah Dobek mention in the interview?
A. one
B. two
C. three
D. four
4. What are the job search motivations of millennial candidates?
A. flexibility, efficient use of IT within the firm, brand authenticity;
B. flexibility, personalized career path, remote learning opportunities;
C. personalized career path, efficient AI in the firm, brand authenticity;
D. immediate learning opportunities, culture, flexibility.
5. What will not make a job description attractive, according to the text?
A. Writing in the right context.
B. Telling the story of the firm.
C. A bullet point list description.
D. Innovative ways of its delivery.
6. What does Dobek see as an investment in the firms future?
A. Expanding a firms network.
B. Involving HR department in recruiting.
C. Taking advantage of digital platforms.