Exercise 3.
Preparation for interviews is very important. You will be better equipped to answer questions and you will walk in to the interview feeling more confident. Here are some tips for preparing for an interview. Read the text below and select the best word in brackets.
If you have 1.________ the interview stage, your CV and letter of application must have been 2 ________! The company now wants to know more about you. But there is still more work to do if you want to get that job! Make sure you have 3. ________ the company as thoroughly as possible - use the Internet, company reports, recruitment literature etc. 4. ________ yourself of why you applied to this company. Make a list of the skills, experience, and interests you can 5. ________ the organisation. Finally, try to 6. ________ the questions you will be expected to answer - imagine you are the interviewer!
| 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. | achieved effective researched remember show ask | gained important discovered remind present suggest | reached impressive inquired imagine offer give | arrived significant examined summerize demonstrate predict |
Exercise 4.
The words in the column on the right are phrases that use the word career. For each definition on the left, match it to the correct phrase on the right:
| 1. Chances of future success in your career 2. The direction you hope your career will take 3. A change you make in order to progress 4. Time when you are not employed, perhaps when travelling or looking after children 5. A series of promotions towards more senior positions | a) career move b) career break c) career prospects d) career ladder e) career plan f) colleagues |
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. |
Exercise 5.
Match the questions on the left with the replies on the right. Fill in the table.
It is always a good idea to try to predict what questions you will get asked in an interview and prepare some answers before you go in. Here are some examples of quite common interview questions.
| 1. Why did you choose this company? 2. What are your strengths/ weaknesses? 3. How would your friends describe you? 4. What is your greatest achievement? 5. How well do you work in a team? 6. Where will you be in 5 years time? | a) People say I’m sociable, organized, and decisive b) I have excellent time management, but I can be impatient for results c) Leading the University football team to the national Championships d) My aim is to have a position in the Management Team e) Because I think I will find the work environment both challenging and rewarding f) I always support my colleagues and believe we should work towards a common goal. |
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. |
Section III
Professional Written Communication
Model letter
| writer’s street address writer’s city/state/zip code writer’s country month/day/year addressee’s full name addressee’s street address addressee’s city/state/zip code addressee’s country opening (Dear) + addressee’s name, beginning and body of the letter ( closing word or phrase, writer’s signature, writer’s name |
Parts of a letter
Opening a letter.
Dear Sirs - to a company
Dear Sir – to a man if you do not know his name
Dear Madam – to a woman if you do not know her name
Dear Mr. Smith – to a man
Dear Mrs Smith –to a married woman
Dear Miss Smith – to an unmarried woman
Dear Ms Smith – to a married or unmarried woman
Dear John – to a friend or someone you know well
Closing a letter.
The way you close a letter depends on how you open it.
Dear Sirs/ Sir/ Madam – Yours faithfully
Dear Mr/ Mrs/ Miss/ Ms Smith – Yours sincerely
Dear John – Best Wishes
Beginning a letter
A. Here are some ways to begin a letter.
| We are writing to enquire about We are writing in connection with We are interested in…………and we would like to know………. |
B. If you are answering a letter, you can start:
| Thank you for your letter of (date) We have received your letter of (date) | asking if… enquiring about…… enclosing………….. concerning………… |
Ending a letter
A. Here are some ways to end a letter.
| I look forward to receiving your reply/ order/ product/etc. Looking forward to hearing from you, |
B. If you give some information in the letter, you can close:
| I hope that this information will help you. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any further information. Please fell free to contact me if you have any further questions. |
PRACTICE
Exercise 1.
