Architektur Bachelor, Englisch 2, Sommersemester Job interviews

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1 Architektur Bachelor, Englisch 2, Sommersemester 2015 Mit den folgenden Online-Ressourcen erwerben Sie Strategiewissen und Fertigkeiten für Vorstellungsgespräche in Englisch. Dieses Thema ist klausurrelevant, Sie erarbeiten es außerhalb der Lehrveranstaltung alleine oder im Team. Job interviews Business English 360 Tips for your First Job Interview, Parts 1 4 Die dazugehörigen Arbeitsunterlagen und Audio-Dateien können Sie im Internet herunterladen: Business English Job interviews 306 Tips for your First Job Interview: Experience 306 Tips for your First Job Interview: Attitude 306 Tips for your First Job Interview: Research 306 Tips for your First Job Interview: Difficult Questions Free Resources: Transcript Game & Quiz Download University of Kent, Careers and Employability Service Die relevanten Informationen finden Sie unter: What are the ten most common interview questions? rechte Maustaste Ziel speichern unter Job interview The real thing Within the first minutes, some interviewers will have decided whether or not you are a likely choice for the job. Therefore, you must use every possible strategy to market yourself most effectively. Read through the extract from Peter s interview and identify sections that need improvement and suggest ways in which he could improve them. Interviewer: Peter: Can you tell us something about your educational background? Yes, of course. As you can see from my CV, I was born in Aachen and I did my first degree in Architecture at the University of Rotterdam. That was a fantastic experience because it was my first time living away from my parents. The subjects I passed are listed in the leaving certificate I have sent you nothing special, all the usual ones. Also, I was a member of several sports teams and represented my university in several national competitions, which was a wonderful experience, because I met so many new people including my girlfriend. Then, when I was in the second year, I was offered the opportunity to take part in an exchange programme at the University of St Petersburg. My university was trying to build up a good relationship with partners in Russia, and they were desperate for volunteers. I volunteered and ended up having a fantastic year there, and made friends with people from all over the world. When I came back, I had a student placement in my third year, when I spent three months in a construction company. Then after my first degree, I went back to Germany to do a Master s

2 Talking about yourself Transferable skills Which transferable skills have you got if the following is true for you: 1 You have the ability to anticipate needs, to plan ahead and delegate, you can manage your time, work result oriented and meet your deadlines easily. 2 You accept responsibility, are a self-motivated team builder, can motivate and manage people but also supervise others. 3 You are a good listener and speak and write well and get your ideas across to other easily, whether to a small audience or in public. 4 You can break a problem down to see what is really going on. 5 You use your imagination to come up with new ideas or to solve problems. 6 You are confident about your abilities, know your own strength and weaknesses. 7 You are good at building trusting relationships with colleagues, you fit in with and get along with the other workers in order for projects to run smoothly in a spirit of cooperation. 8 You have the cognitive ability to generate alternative solutions in a dilemma or difficult situation, then select the best solution from among the alternatives to take action in order to meet the desired objectives. a b c d e f g h analytical skills communication skills creativity leadership skills organizational skills problem-solving skills self-confidence team working skills Look at these sentences taken from a sills-based CV. Cross out the transferable skill which is not demonstrated in the respective sentence.

3 Mit den verbleibenden Lern- und Übungsangeboten vertiefen Sie die in der Lehrveranstaltung vorgestellten sprachlichen Fertigkeiten im Bereich Applying for a Job.

4 The job advertisement reading comprehension Look at these extracts taken from job advertisements and match them to the following categories: This is what the company definitively wants. If you don t have it, you ll end up on the no-pile. Similar or alternative careers, knowledge or skills are also welcome. You can score with these abilities, knowledge or skills. You will have a direct supervisor. You will work in a team environment. You will work on your own. 1 A good command of project management software is critical. 2 Applicants should have experience in CAD and model building. 3 Applicants must have management skills. 4 Candidates are expected to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of AutoCAD. 5 Applicants shall be familiar with submissions. 6 Candidates will be able to work without supervision. 7 Applicants must be a current Architecture student with a minimum of 3 years of coursework completed. 8 Experience using STRAP is a plus. 9 Knowledge of project management required. 10 Proficiency in French is a must. 11 Students of Architecture or a similar discipline are welcome to join us. 12 Excellent English communications skills (oral and written) are essential. 13 Successful candidates need to have a university degree in Architecture. 14 Successful candidates will be self-starters with complete responsibility from day one. 15 Tasks, under direction of the project leader may include the following: 16 The post requires excellent leadership skills. 17 Applicants must be a current student working towards an accredited degree in architecture or related field 18 Previous experience in planning software would be an advantage. 19 You ll have the chance to work side by side with some of the most highly respected engineers.

5 The cover letter phrases Which phrases below would you use to express the following? 1 Sie möchten auf eine Praktikumsanzeige im Internet Bezug nehmen und zum Ausdruck bringen, dass Sie sich mit großem Interesse für dieses Praktikum bewerben möchten. Welche Sätze könnten Sie noch für die Einleitung eines Bewerbungsschreiben verwenden? + 2 Sie möchten sich vorstellen und Sie darauf hin weisen, dass Sie derzeit im 4. Semester Praktische Informatik an der HTW Saar studieren. 3 Sie möchten angeben, dass Sie während Ihres Studiums bereits ein dreimonatiges Praktikum absolviert und dabei Kenntnisse und Erfahrung in xyz erworben haben. 4 Sie möchten ausdrücken, dass das ausgeschriebene Praktikum genau das ist, was Sie suchen, und Sie sich sehr freuen würden, wenn man Ihre Bewerbung berücksichtigen würde. 5 Sie möchten auf Ihren Lebenslauf verweisen, der Ihrem Bewerbungsschreiben beiliegt. 6 Sie möchten Ihre Qualifikation ausdrücken. 7 Sie möchten anmerken, dass Sie derzeit als arbeiten. 8 Sie möchten über Ihre Aufgaben in einem früheren Job Auskunft geben. 9 Sie möchten ausdrücken, dass Sie sich über die Gelegenheit freuen würden, von Ihrer Eignung für das Praktikum in einem persönlichen Gespräch zu überzeugen. 10 Welche Sätze könnten Sie noch für einen Bezug zum Vorstellungsgespräch verwenden: + 11 Sie möchten ausdrücken, dass man Sie gerne kontaktieren kann, sollten weitere Informationen benötigt werden Sie möchten ausdrücken, dass Sie sich über eine (baldige) Antwort freuen. 13 Sie möchten am Ende Ihres Bewerbungsschreibens einen netten Satz schreiben. + a b c d e f g h i j k l As you will see from my enclosed Curriculum Vitae, During my studies I have already spent three months on industrial placement where I have gained knowledge and experience in... I am currently working as I am writing with reference to your advertisement and I am most interested in applying for the internship you offer. I hope to have the opportunity to convince you of my suitability for the internship during a personal interview. I look forward to discussing my application with you in greater details. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. I promise that a meeting with me will not be a waste of your time. I qualified as in I would be available for an interview at your convenience. I would like to apply for the post of as advertised in this week s issue of I feel sure that the internship you offer is the opportunity I am looking for and would therefore be most grateful if you could consider my application. m If, meanwhile, you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. n In response to your advertisement on the internet for an Architecture intern, I am submitting my application for your consideration. o p q r In this position, I was responsible for My name is and I am currently enrolled as an Architecture student at the HTW Saar, University of Applied Sciences. I am in my second year. Please feel free to contact me at my home phone number. Thank you very much for your consideration.

6 The cover letter correcting mistakes The cover letter TechnoPlus English 2.0 Situations Applying for a job The covering letter matching exercise Pages 1-2

7 The CV Which of the following information is typically included in a CV in English? 1 academic qualifications 2 address details 3 current employment and responsibilities 4 education history 5 employment history 6 experience 7 former duties 8 former employers 9 health issues 10 hobbies 11 information about family members 12 irrelevant job experience 13 lecturers 14 leisure activities 15 little white lies 16 memberships of professional organisations 17 name 18 personal profile 19 photograph 20 physical characteristics 21 professional qualification 22 referees 23 religion 24 salary requirements 25 school or university assignments and subjects 26 teachers 27 transferable skills 28 voluntary activities 29 your social media contact information Match the information which is typically included to the CV sections below Personal details Education and qualifications Work experience Additional skills Interests and activities References Do you know explanations or the English equivalents for the terms below taken from the German educational system? 1 Abitur 2 Ausbildung 3 Auszubildende(r) 4 Berufsschule 5 Fachhochschule 6 Gymnasium 7 Mittlere Reife 8 Praktikant(in) 9 Realschule 10 Sekundarstufe 11 Studium 12 Universität

8 The CV TechnoPlus English 2.0 Situations Applying for a job The CV matching exercise Pages 1-3 Page 6 Situations Applying for a job The CV mixed tenses Sentences 1-24 Situations Applying for a job The CV prepositions Pages 1-2 Grammar Tenses Mixed tenses Fill-in exercise 1 Fill-in exercise 2 Fill-in exercise 3 The CV mixed tenses

9 Grammar topics prepositions Fill in the prepositions which best fits the sentence. 1. Laura has got a new job an architecture firm. 2. I have applied the position advertised by HOME last week. 3. I qualified an architect I work a company in France. 5. Peter has a good command AutoCAD. 6. He earned his degree Princeton. 7. I have an aptitude mathematics. 8. For this task you have to be familiar sustainable construction. 9. I have a working knowledge Spanish. 10. In this department you need to be able to work pressure. 11. Susan s resigned her job. 12. Sandra was born 28 July I have been this company last year. 14. I completed my internship two weeks. 15. I am responsible cost analysis. 16. My colleague is in charge launching our new ideas I served an apprenticeship. 18. I have worked in the area of sustainable construction 5 years. 19. My colleague is fluent English and French. 20. I studied Architecture the University of Applied Sciences in Saarbrücken. 21. I was offered a job Harvey & Sons. 22. I graduated Columbia University.

10 Grammar topics tenses Congratulations! Your cover letter and resume have made a good impression and the employer has called you in for an interview. Now it's time to make sure that you also have the right type of English for that job interview. There are some very important game rules to consider when taking a job interview. The job interview in English requires a very specific kind of vocabulary. It also requires good tense usage as you need to make a clear distinction between past and present responsibilities. Here is a quick overview of the appropriate tenses to use: When you make a statement about yourself it is important for the employer to understand whether what you are describing is: Something you did in the past but are no longer doing. Something you did in the past and are still doing. Something you are doing now and intend to do in the future. Something you do habitually. Something you intend to do in the future. The wrong tense can be confusing or create a false impression. When preparing answers to questions about yourself, think carefully about your choice of tenses. Tense Explanation Example Present Simple Past Simple Present Continuous Present Perfect Future Simple Use the present simple to speak about your current position and to describe your daily responsibilities. Use the past simple to speak about past position and describe your daily responsibilities in a former position. Use the present continuous to speak about current projects that are happening around the moment of speaking. These projects are limited in time and should not be confused with daily responsibilities. Use the present perfect to generally describe projects or accomplishments that you have made up to the present moment in time. Remember not to include specific past time references which should be used with the past simple. Use the future simple to discuss your plans for the future. This tense is only used when the interviewer asks you what you plan to do in the future. I collect data from all of our projects and analyze the information on a weekly basis. I attended the University of Helsinki from 1999 to I graduated with a degree in architecture. From 2004 to 2010, I was with Jackson's & Hempstead as a project manager. Last year, I developed an inhouse database for project management. I am currently writing my final thesis. At the moment, we are expanding our project portfolio to broaden our client base. I have participated in over 30 projects so far. I have been with Smith&Co as a consultant for the last 3 years. I will graduate with a degree in Architecture in spring. I will be the manager of a medium sized company. There are a number of other tenses that you can use to speak about experience that you have had. However, if you do not feel comfortable using more advanced tenses, these tenses should serve you well in the interview.

11 Grammar topics tenses Fill in the right tenses. Interviewer: Tell me about yourself. Candidate: I (1. geboren sein) and raised in Milan, Italy. I (2. besuchen) the University of Milan and (3. erreichen) my Master's degree in Architecture. I (4. arbeiten) for 12 years as an architect in Milan for various companies including Rossi Construction, Quasar Building and Sardi & Sons. I (5. gerne mögen) playing tennis in my free time and learning languages. Interviewer: Tell me about yourself. Candidate: I (6. Abschluss machen, [gerade eben]) from the University of Singapore with a degree in Architecture. During the summers, I (7. arbeiten) as a mason for a small company to help pay for my education. Interviewer: What type of position are you looking for? Candidate: I (8. sich interessieren für) an entry level position. Interviewer: What type of position are you looking for? Candidate: I (9. suchen) a position in which I can utilize my experience. Interviewer: Can you tell me about your responsibilities at your last job? Candidate: I (10. beraten) customers on low energy design. I then (11. zusammenarbeiten mit) with colleagues to prepare the best possible design package of energy efficiency measures for the client. The clients were then (12. vorlegen) with a summarized report. Interviewer: What is your greatest strength? Candidate: I (13. gut arbeiten) under pressure. When there is a deadline, I (14. können) focus on the task at hand and (15. strukturieren) my work schedule well. I (16. sich erinnern an) one week when I (17. abliefern müssen) design packages for 6 new customers by Friday at 5. I (18. fertigstellen) all ahead of time without having to work overtime. Interviewer: What is your greatest strength? Candidate: I (19. sein) an excellent communicator. People (20. vertrauen) me and (21. um Rat fragen). One afternoon, my colleague

12 (22. beschäftigt sein) with a difficult customer who felt he was not being served well. I (23. zubereiten) the customer a cup of coffee and (24. einladen) both my colleague and the client to my desk where we (25. lösen) the problem together. Interviewer: What is your greatest strength? Candidate: I (26. sein) a trouble shooter. When there (27. geben) a problem at my last job, the manager always (28. fragen) me to solve it. Last summer, the computer network at work (29. zusammenbrechen). The manager (30. verzweifelt sein) and (31. um Hilfe bitten) to get the network back online. After taking a look at the daily backup, I (32. erkennen) the problem and the network (33. sein) up and running within the hour. Interviewer: What is your greatest weakness? Candidate: I (34. arbeiten) too hard and (35. werden) nervous when my co-workers are not doing their job. However, I (36. sein) aware of this problem, and before I (37. sagen) anything to anyone, I (38. fragen) myself why the colleague is having difficulties. Interviewer: Why do you want to work for Smith & Sons? Candidate: After following your firms progress for the last 3 years, I (39. überzeugt sein) that Smith & Sons are becoming one of the market leaders and I (40. mögen) be part of the team.

13 Answer key Job interviews Business English 306, see model answers there Job interviews The real thing I was born in Aachen and I did my first degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Rotterdam: no new information; don t just repeat what s in the CV. That was a fantastic experience because : explain what it taught him, e.g. how to be independent all the usual ones: relate subjects to the skills and knowledge they are looking for and support this claim with examples I was a member of several sports teams and represented my university in several national competitions: which type of sports, which transferable skills? How successful were they, and if unsuccessful, what else did it teach him? including my girlfriend: no private details taking part in the exchange programme in Russia: he puts himself in a bad light (seems he was only accepted because nobody else wanted). What did he learn, which intercultural skills did he gain, how did this time abroad affect his view on his home country, his studies etc. student placement in 3rd year: what was he in charge of, what did he learn? Talking about yourself Transferable skills 1e, 2d, 3b, 4a, 5c, 6g, 7h, 8f 2 creativity, 3 analysis, 4 writing, 5 research, 6 teamwork Vocabulary C I N T E R N S H I P O E V J A P P L I C A N T R E O U S P R O B A T I O N A R Y P E R I O D I R N N I C A N D I D A T E N G N C E T U L L E K N O W L E D G E E R U D A T V M E E P T I X X P P R E F E R E N C E V P A L R W I E R I A B I L I T I E S R T C A A K I M A P J O B A D V E R T I S E M E N T P L N N I L E T T E R O F A P P L I C A T I O N Y S E N O F R R A G I M S P O N T A N E O U S B N N E F F I C I E N T I D L T S L F A M I L I A R E Y C O S D O U Y D N S A S E E F P T X T I C R E A T I V E E X P E R I E N C E D E I M E R O E L T A R M M N I U T I I M O T I V A T E D I E N I B E C O N F I D E N T L C D T E H O N E S T E D P G R E T I R E O V A D M E R I O X N P O S I T I O N M I O E I O T M S S N O T I C E P E R I O D A S C M L L E M P L O Y E R A L Y E R O V A C A N C Y Y R E U E I T

14 The job advertisement 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16 This is what the company definitively wants. If you don t have it, you ll end up on the no-pile. 11, 17 Similar or alternative careers, knowledge or skills are also welcome. 2, 8, 18 You can score with these abilities, knowledge or skills. 15 You will have a direct supervisor. 19 You will work in a team environment. 6, 14 You will work on your own. The cover letter phrases 1d; k + n, 2p, 3b, 4l, 5a, 6i, 7c, 8o, 9e, 10f + j, 11m +q, 12g, 13h + r The cover letter correcting mistakes Is In reply of who were advertisment Servises I graduate I has expierince great Britain I am responsible of I have implemented systeme for deal complains I would like proffesional oportunity for improve I inclose for you reference happy to coming to made nesessary Should be In reply to which was advertisement Services I graduated I have experience Great Britain I am responsible for I implemented system for dealing complaints I would like to professional opportunity to improve I enclose for your reference happy to come to make necessary The cover letter TechnoPlus English 2.0 See solutions provided by the programme. The CV 1 academic qualifications 2 address details 3 current employment and responsibilities 4 education history 5 employment history 6 experience 7 former duties 8 former employers 9 health issues 10 hobbies 11 information about family members 12 irrelevant job experience 13 lecturers 14 leisure activities 15 little white lies memberships of professional organisations name personal profile photograph physical characteristics professional qualification referees religion salary requirements school or university assignments and subjects teachers transferable skills voluntary activities your social media contact information

15 Personal details: 2, 17; Education and qualifications: 1, 4, 21; Work experience: 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 27; Additional skills: 27; Interests and activities: 10, 14, 16, 28; References: 8, 22 1 General entrance qualification for universities / general qualification for university entrance 2 apprenticeship 3 apprentice 4 vocational school 5 university of applied sciences 6 upper secondary school 7 first public examination in secondary school 8 intern 9 intermediate secondary school 10 secondary school 11 studies of 12 university The CV TechnoPlus English 2.0 See solutions provided by the programme. Grammar topics tenses 1. was born 2. attended 3. received 4. have worked 5. like 6. have just graduated 7. worked 8. am interested in 9. am looking for 10. advised 11. collaborated 12. presented 13. work well 14. am able to 15. structure 16. remember 17. had to deliver 18. finished 19. am 20. trust 21. ask for my advice 22. was busy 23. made 24. invited 25. solved 26. am 27. was 28. asked 29. crashed 30. was desperate 31. requested my help 32. detected 33. was 34. work 35. become 36. am 37. say 38. ask 39. am convinced 40. would like to be Grammar topics prepositions 1. with 2. for 3. as / in 4. for 5. of 6. from 7. for 8. with 9. of 10. under 11. from 12. on 13. with / since 14. ago 15. for 16. of 17. from / to 18. for 19. in 20. at 21. by 22. from