Mihai Bianca Alexandra

Facultatea de Limbi si Literaturi Straine

Programul de Studii de Master:Anglo-American Intercultural Studies
Anul II, semestrul I
English Discourse Analysis
Lect. Univ. Dr. Moraru Alexandra

English Discourse Analysis

The purpose of my essay is to highlight the do's and don'ts for a job interview. I chose
different videos and made a comparison between them, in order to identify the good and the bad,
regarding the language, gestures, efficient communication, vocabulary and attitude.

 The Entrance – The art of meeting and greeting

Interviewee: Hi, pleasure to meet you..I’m Andrew Smith!

Interviewer: Oh, Andrew Smith, great! I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!

 First name first, last name last. Also, the vocabulary used is ok: “It’s a pleasure/
Nice/Pleased to meet you.”
Versus:

Interviewee: Sup, bro?

Interviewer: Um, I was expecting a job interview…

Interviewee: Oh, that’s me. Andy Smith.

Interviewer: You’re Andy Smith ?

 Wrong attitude

 Not a professional vocabulary; slang

 Clothing needs to indicate you are professional and polished; also, simple things like
sitting up straight tells you want to be there and that makes a good first impression.
Interviewer: It seems that you’re running a little late today…

Interviewee: I had some trouble finding you guys. This place is bigger than I thought, so I had to
google you.

 Major mistake here. Always research where you’re going and time your trip. Don’t
wait until the last minute.

 The Performance- Core of the Interview

Interviewer: One of the things on the application that we did not have room to list there, were
references..um, do you have something with you ?

Interviewee: Yes, I took the liberty of printing out my CV, along with my references and there is
a contact information for each of those

Interviewer: Thank you very much, and this gives us a good picture into your professional
qualification, which is very good. You’ve got all of your job experience listed here.

 Well-prepared, friendly attitude

Versus:

Interviewee: Yep, this is my, uh..this is my resume.

Interviewer: Is that a typo ?

Interviewee: Yeah, you know what ? My girlfriend was just playing a joke on me, it’s alright.
Don’t worry about that!

 Wrong attitude, vocabulary; lacking any sense of respect as he was talking to his
interviewer as he was his close friend
 use semi-formal/formal tone- no chatty, slang language

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Interviewer: Why don’t you tell me what you know about Chesapeake ?

Interviewee: Um..well..I know you have a lot of really pretty Christmas lights. When do you start
putting up those lights ?

 All wrong
 Research the company and the position you are applying for, as the recruiter is
interested in your reasons for being there and ask questions that pertain to your
interview. Christmas lights, seriously ?
Versus:

Interviewee: Well, actually I’ve done research about the company already and I understand that
the company is very stable and it’s been around since 1890 and I am just curious about the
opportunities of growth within the company.

 Useful grammar: “I am curious” (adjective), “about the opportunities” (nouns)

 Present simple- to express permanent situations and facts
 The use of positive words such as: “stable”, “growth”
 Positive character traits: “curious”
 Useful patterns: “I am”, “I have done”, “I understand”

Interviewer: What are the qualities that you possess that would make you stand out in the
position that you are applying for ?

Interviewee: I am organized, I work well with others, I am a team player, I am a self starter and I
take initiative.

 Useful grammar:”I am organized” (adjective), “I am a team player” (noun), “I take

initiative (verb), ed/past participle form used as adjective:”organized”
 Nouns that define your traits: “self starter”, “take initiative”
 Adverbs to modify degree: “well”

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 Versus:

Interviewee: Well, you just saw me, I am really good at texting, phone skills.

Interviewer: Before we go, were there any other questions that you had, uh, about the job ?

Interviewee: I am actually very eager to fill the position and I was wondering when it is that I
can start.

Interviewer: I like that attitude.

 Useful grammar
 Adverbs to modify degree: “actually”, “very”
 Adjective: “Very eager”
Versus:

Interviewee: What kind of vacation does this job have ? I’d really like to start off at about three
weeks. And..does this job pay pretty well ?

 Never start requesting specific benefits information during an intial interview and
maintan a positive attitude throughout your discussion and stay focus.

 The exit- Thanking and Taking Leave

Interviewer: So, we’ll be in touch shortly and it certainly was a pleasure meeting you.

Interviewee: Thank you, Mr. Carson! It was a real pleasure for me, too!

 Friendly attitude
 Keeping the language positive
 Thanking and being polite

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References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16-TwlwzZEw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmzYrjAsDng

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/tell-me-about-yourself-job-interview-question-2060956
accessed link on 31.01.2019