Practice English Listening A2 Exercises – How long did you work there?

1 b   2 a   3 a   4 c

A

Mandy:   Hello. You’re here for the Market Researcher interview.

Joanne:   Yes, I am. Hi. I’m Joanne Martin.

Mandy:   Hi Joanne. I’m Mandy Wilson. Welcome to TSW Media. Thanks for coming in for the interview today.

Joanne:   Thank you. I’m happy to be here.

Mandy:   You didn’t have any trouble finding the office, did you?

Joanne:   Oh, no, not at all. Thank you. It was easy to find.

Mandy:   Here, let me take your coat, Joanne.

Joanne:   Great, thanks.

Mandy:   You’ve already stopped by Human Resources, haven’t you?

Joanne:   Yes, I have. I gave them a copy of my résumé and cover letter.

Mandy:   Great. I have a copy of them as well. Would you like anything to drink? Some water? A cup of coffee?

Joanne:   Oh, no, thanks. I don’t need anything right now.

Mandy:   OK then. Follow me. Here we are. Please have a seat.

Joanne:   Thank you.

B

Mandy:   Thanks for coming in for the interview today.

Joanne:   I’m happy to be here.

Mandy:   You didn’t have any trouble finding the office, did you?

Joanne:   No, not at all. Thank you.

Mandy:   Great. I have a copy of your résumé and cover letter. Let’s get started.

1 assistant   2 became an analyst

3 big   4 her first project

Mandy:   So, Joanne, tell me a little about your experience. How long have you been at your current job?

Joanne:   I’ve worked at Parrot Creative for five years. I started as a marketing assistant.

Mandy:   Oh, yes. I see.

Joanne:   The head of the marketing department really liked my work and, after a year, I became a market research analyst.

Mandy:   That’s great! And how do you like working for Parrot?

Joanne:   I really enjoy it. But they are a small company and I’m ready for a bigger challenge. I’m looking to grow my career.

Mandy:   That makes sense. Have you ever managed a team?

Joanne:   Yes, I have. I’ve managed two small teams since I became an analyst. I also train new employees.

Mandy:   Great. And what’s the hardest part of being a team leader?

Joanne:   Well, for me it’s having to resolve all the problems that come up. Problem-solving can be tough, but it’s a really important part of my job.

Mandy:   Do you have an example?

Joanne:   Sure. My last project involved new branding for a small airline. We had very demanding deadlines.

Mandy:   Deadlines can be tough!

Joanne:   My team worked really hard but they were stressed out. I was able to hire some extra freelancers so that we could meet those deadlines.

Mandy:   And did you?

Joanne:   Yes, we did, and the team was much happier.

Mandy:   What have you felt the proudest about?

Joanne:   On my first project as a team leader, the client kept changing their minds, and we were really frustrated.

Mandy:   Yes, I can imagine.

Joanne:   But we were still able to come up with a really creative marketing campaign, and the project turned out better than anyone expected. We even won a few awards.

Mandy:   That’s impressive.

Joanne:   Thank you.

B

Mandy:   How long have you been at your current job?

Joanne:   I’ve worked there for five years.

Mandy:   OK. Have you ever managed a team?

Joanne:   Yes, I’ve managed two small teams since I started.

Mandy:   That’s great. What’s the hardest part of being a team leader?

Joanne:   For me, it’s having to solve all of the problems that come up.

1 c   2 a   3 b   4 a

A

Mandy:   It sounds as though you’ve enjoyed your work at Parrot. So, what would you say are your strengths?

Joanne:   First, I’m very creative. I always come up with new ways to do things.

Mandy:   That’s important!

Joanne:   And second, I welcome feedback and I use it to make my work better. I think that’s very important.

Mandy:   Can you give me an example? How have you used feedback?

Joanne:   Sure. When I start a new marketing campaign, I share my ideas with my colleagues and I ask for feedback. I use their ideas to make the campaign better.

Mandy:   That sounds great. And, have you ever been in any difficult situations at work?

Joanne:   Yes! I’m sure most people have! I’ve had to deal with conflict among team members.

Mandy:   I see. So, how have you dealt with conflict? Can you explain?

Joanne:   Sure. Well, I noticed that two people on my team weren’t working together well and I spoke to each of them privately.

Mandy:   Did that help?

Joanne:   Yes. I found out what was going on and I was able to help each of them understand the other person’s point of view. I believe it made a big difference!

Mandy:   I’m sure it did. Now, tell me about something that you still want to improve about yourself. For example, are there any work skills you’re still working on?

Joanne:   Yes. I’ve worked hard to manage my time better.

Mandy:   Time management is often a problem! What have you done specifically?

Joanne:   Well, for me, the problem is that I can always see ways to improve what we’ve done. I’ve had to accept that sometimes our work is fine as it is. I just don’t have the time to make it even better.

Mandy:   Oh!

Joanne:   I’ve learned that it’s OK to sometimes let things go.

Mandy:   That’s a hard lesson to learn. Well, Joanne, it’s been wonderful talking with you. We’ll contact you very soon with our decision.

Joanne:   Thank you, Mandy. It was a pleasure.

B

Mandy:   What are your strengths?

Joanne:   I welcome feedback and I use it to make my work better. I think that’s very important.

Mandy:   Can you give me an example? How have you used feedback?

Joanne:   Sure. I share my ideas with my colleagues and I ask for feedback. I use their ideas to improve my work.

Mandy:   That’s interesting. Are there any work skills you’re still working on? What have you done specifically?

Joanne:   I’ve worked hard to manage my time better. I’ve learned that it’s OK to sometimes let things go.

A

c

B

1 b   2 a   3 a   4 c

INTERVIEWS: MORE THAN JUST THE BASICS!

Everyone knows (or should know) the basics about going on a job interview. You need to be on time. You should have a positive attitude and dress well. You also need to know about the company and the position. These are all helpful tips, aren’t they? But sometimes, even if someone gets all those things right, the interview can still go very, very wrong. I should know—I’ve worked in human resources for 20 years! Here are the most common mistakes I’ve seen in an interview.

Right Candidate, Poor Interview Skills

The perfect candidate applied for a position in our sales department. His application and résumé were impressive, but he was really shy and nervous. He wouldn’t even make eye contact. Throughout the interview, he mumbled his answers to all my questions and spoke really quickly. His interview skills convinced me that he wasn’t a good ­ t for this position.

When you’re at an interview, it’s important to make good eye contact, but look away once in a while so you don’t make the interviewer uncomfortable. If you feel nervous, pause to think about your answers before you speak. It’s also okay to speak slowly. Speaking slowly is better than speaking too quickly.

Incorrect Body Language

A candidate came in to interview for a project manager position and she made a great ­ first impression. She had all the right answers to my questions. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Well, during the interview she kept looking at her watch. She couldn’t sit still, and she kept crossing her arms. Her body language was telling me that she didn’t want to be in the interview.

During an interview, pay attention to what your body is doing. Your body movements are just as important as your answers to the questions—they’re a language of their own. First, remember the basics: Sit up straight and don’t slouch in your chair. Then remember to be still when you’re listening and to think about each movement when you’re talking. And of course, avoid nervous habits like crossing your arms, shaking your legs, or ­ fidgeting in general.

A

Possible answer: his dream job

B

Possible answers:

1   He wants to open his own restaurant.

2   He has been the assistant manager of a large restaurant for five years / has trained (over 25) new employees / resolved problems and handled challenges / built good relationships with team.

3   He needs more experience in marketing.

Hi, Alex here. My dream job is to own my own restaurant. I already have a lot of skills and experience. For example, I’ve been the assistant manager of a large restaurant for five years. During that time, I’ve trained over 25 new employees. Also, I’ve communicated with the staff to resolve problems and handle challenges. I’ve built good relationships with my team, and we are now one of the most popular restaurants in the city. I don’t have a lot of experience in marketing, so I’m going to take a marketing class this fall.