Question 1
Choose the best substitute for the phrase or sentence in bold:
We received resumes from two candidates that sparked our interest. Please call them to arrange interviews.
If something sparks your interest, it makes you interested in it. Here, the two resumes made the managers want to meet the candidates, so they look promising: they seem likely to be good. Not will definitely be hired, because they have only been invited to interviews.
Question 2
I'm currently between jobs, but I'm confident I'll find something soon.
Between jobs is a polite way to say unemployed: you have left one job and haven't found the next one yet. The clue is I'll find something soon.
Question 3
No wonder Carl is so good at sales. He's a real people person.
A people person is someone who is friendly, enjoys being with others and is good at dealing with them. That skill helps in sales. Not He's good at his job, because the idiom is about his skill with people, not his work in general.
Question 4
Working at a small company with only four employees, Vijay is used to wearing many hats.
To wear many hats means to have several different roles or jobs at the same time. In a company with only four employees, each person has to do many different things. It has nothing to do with real hats.
Question 5
Working as a summer intern is a good way to get your foot in the door with a company.
To get your foot in the door means to get a first chance at a company that can lead to a real job later. An internship can help you get a full-time position there. Not get promoted, because an intern is not yet an employee who can be promoted.
Question 6
Where does Wendy work? I know she told me, but I'm drawing a blank.
I'm drawing a blank means you can't remember something at the moment. The clue is I know she told me: the speaker heard it but has forgotten it. Not I wasn't listening, because the speaker says Wendy did tell them.
Question 7
I suggest you take the sales analyst position. It's a stepping stone to a better position.
A stepping stone is a step that helps you move towards something better. This job can help you get a better job in the future. It doesn't promise a specific promotion, so guarantee you'll be the sales director is too strong.
Question 8
Angela hardly ever sees her boss. He's hands-off.
A hands-off boss doesn't watch or control his employees closely and lets them work on their own. The clue is that Angela hardly ever sees her boss. He has his hands in everything means the opposite.
Print this test
Free worksheets for class or home
LESSON 28 – Job Interview 1
JOB INTERVIEW 1
Donna, a Human Resources Manager, is interviewing Marina for a sales position.
Donna: Tell me about your most recent work experience.
Marina: Right now I’m between jobs. In my last position, I was a marketing associate at Comtek International. I was there for two and a half years.
Donna: I know I’ve heard of them, but I ‘m drawing a blank right now. What do they do?
Marina: They produced international trade fairs. They were bought out last month by a much larger company and all of us were let go.
Donna: I see from your resume that you also worked in sales for the company.
Marina: Yes, that’s right. It was a small company, so I wore many hats. It was very exciting.
Donna: What are you looking for in a job?
Marina: Well, I’m a real people person, so I would like to take a position where I have lots of interaction with different people.
Donna: Describe your ideal boss.
Marina: I work well with all different types of people. But I guess my ideal boss would be hands-off. I prefer to work independently and not to be micro-managed.
Donna: Tell me about a time when you had to think outside the box in your work.
Marina: When I was at Comtek, we didn’t have any money to buy advertising. I put in place a program offering magazines a stand at the trade show in exchange for an advertisement in the magazine.
Donna: That sounds like a good idea! Tell me, what sparked your interest in our sales position?
Marina: I noticed from your job description that it requires a lot of interaction with the marketing department. I’m very interested in marketing, so I thought this would be a good stepping stone to a marketing position.
Donna: Yes, this would be a good way to get your foot in the door of the marketing department.
IDIOMS
- between jobs
→ out of work; unemployed
EXAMPLE: Barbara is between jobs right now. She hopes to find a new job soon.
NOTE: Saying one is “between jobs” sounds better than saying one is “unemployed.”
- (to) draw a blank
→ to be unable to remember
EXAMPLE: I can’t remember the name of the hotel where we stayed in Budapest. I’m drawing a blank.
- (to) buy out
→ to purchase an entire business or someone’s share of the business
EXAMPLE: When Victor’s company was bought out by Microsoft, he was able to retire.
- (to) let someone go
→ to fire someone
EXAMPLE: Mepstein Industries let their accountant go after he made a major mistake calculating the company’s tax bill.
- (to) wear many hats
→ to perform many different job responsibilities; to play many different roles
EXAMPLE: There are only five employees at our company, so we all have to wear many hats.
- people person
→ somebody who likes working with people; a friendly person
EXAMPLE: You’re sure to like Paul. He’s a real people person.
- hands-off
→ not too involved; passive; not interested in managing details
EXAMPLE: Don’t worry, Chris won’t get involved in all of your projects. He’s a hands-off manager.
- (to) micro-manage
→ to manage too closely; to be too involved in the details
EXAMPLE: Heidi gets involved in every detail of her employees’ work. She has a reputation for micro-managing.
- (to) think outside the box
→ to think creatively; to think in a new and different way
EXAMPLE: The small law firm is losing business to larger rivals. The firm needs to think outside the box and come up with some creative ways to market its services.
NOTE: This expression is now overused. You will likely hear it, but you may not want to use it.
ORIGIN: This phrase refers to a puzzle used by consultants in the 1970s and 1980s. To solve it, you must connect nine dots, using four straight lines drawn continuously. Your pen must never leave the paper. (The only solution to this puzzle is to draw lines outside the border of the box. Therefore, you must “think outside the box” to solve the puzzle).
- (to) put in place
→ to establish; to start; to implement
EXAMPLE: Next month, the company plans to put in place some new rules for filing expense reports.
- (to) spark one’s interest
→ to raise one’s interest; to cause one to become interested in
EXAMPLE: An article in the Wall Street Journal sparked Don’s interest in investing in Brazil.
- stepping stone
→ a way of advancing or getting to the next stage; a position, a product, or an activity that comes first and prepares the way for what will come next
EXAMPLE: Jennifer views her position as a human resource manager as a stepping stone to a larger position within her company.
- (to) get one’s foot in the door
→ to get into an organization; to take a position with an organization that could lead to a bigger opportunity in the future
EXAMPLE: Taking a job as a receptionist is one way to get your foot in the door of a company.