Level5-Unit3-Part1-Listening

Seeking a Change

Sam Malone has been working at Ace Express for the past 6 years.

Ace is a shipping company based in HongKong.

It ships dangerous chemicals to all parts of the world.

Last year,Sam was promoted to Vice President.

Along with the promotion he was given a beautiful office.

He was also given a 20% raise in salary.

Sam is well respected within the company and he likes his co-works.

However, he wants to take on new challenges and is looking for a change.

If he stays at Ace,he doesn't see any chance of another promotion.

He is also beginning to worry about the company's future.

He thinks there is a high probability that the company will be acquired.

If that happens he may lose his job.

Last month,he started looking for a new job.

According to his research,about 40% of jobs are found through acquaintances.

So the first thing he did was to contact his closet friends.

He let them know that he was looking for something new.

Many of his friends and acquaintances are in the shipping business,but some have moved into other industries.

He also checked out several companies on the Internet,and updated his resume.

(If the company is acquired by another company,he may lose his job.)

Preparing for an  interview

This morning,Sam got a message from a company based in Japan.

It's a medical supply company that wants to expand it's business in China.

They have a small office in HongKong and will be conducting interviews next week.

Sam is interested learning more about the company,so he replied to their message and set up an interview.

Even if it doesn't work out,it will be a learning experience for him.

In planning for the interview,Sam has made some notes about what to do at an interview.

First,he needs to be well prepared.

He needs to know as much as he can about the company including it's history.

He also needs to know how to present himself including his appearance and body language.

It has been years since he was last interviewed so he needs to be prepared to answer some questions about himself.

For example, he needs to be able to explain what's on his resume including his strengths and skills.

(It's important that he wear the appropriate clothes to the interview.)

In any interview situation,it's important to look right and behave appropriately.

He doesn't want to give a bad first impression.

For example,she should be careful not to talk too much.

That means he should stay focused and keep his comments short.

Throughout the interview he should observe their facial expressions and make eye contact

It's going to be important to listen carefully to what they say and keep things as relaxed as possible.

He needs to remind himself that he is also interviewing them.

He may find that their comoany isn't right for him.

Therefore,he should be ready to ask them questions especially about their expectations.

In an interview like this ,both sides have the same concern.

They don't want to make the wrong choice.