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41
of behavior emerge. They may face questions such as ‘Who is
the best manager you ever worked for and why?’ or ‘What is
your best friend like?’. The answers, psychologists say, reveal
much about a candidate’s management style and about himself
or herself.
The reason for the interrogations is clear: many hires work
out badly. About 35 per cent of recently hired senior executives
are judged failures, according to the Center for Creative
Leadershi p in Greensboro, North Carolina, which surveyed
nearly 500 chief executives.
The cost of br inging the wrong person on board is
sometimes huge. Searching and training can cost from $5000
for a lower-level manager to $250000 for a top executive.
Years of corporate downsizing, a trend that has slashed layers
of management, has also increased the potential damage that
one bad executive can do. With the pace of change accelerating
in markets and technology, companies want to know how an
executive will perform, not just how he or she has performed.
‘Years ago, employers looked for experien ce — has
a candidate done this before?’ said Harold P. Weinstein,
executive vice-president of Caliper, a personnel testing and
consulting firm in Princeton, New Jersey. ‘But having
experience in a job does not guarantee that you can do it in
a different environment’.
At this point, most companies have not shifted to this
practice. Some do not see the need or remain unconvinced
that such testing is worth the cost. But human-resource
specialists say anecdotal evidence suggests that white-collar
testing is growing in popularity. What has brought so many
employers around to testing is a sense of the limitations in
the usual job interview. With so little information on which
to base a decision, ‘most people hire people they like, rather
than the mos t competen t per s on’, sa id Or v O w e ns,
a psychologist in Snohomish, Washington, who sized up
executive candidates. Research has shown, he said, that ‘most
decision makers make their hiring decisions in the first five
minutes of an in terview and spend the rest of the time
rationalizing their choice’.
42
Besides, with advice on how to land a better job about as
common as a ten-dollar bill, many people are learning to play
the interview game.
Even companies that have not started extensive testing
have toughened their hirin g prac tices. Many now d o
background checks, for example, looking for signs of drug use,
violence or sexual harassment. But the more comprehensive
testing aims to measure skills in communication, analysis and
organization, attention to detail and management style;
personality traits and motivations that behavioral scientists
say predict performance.
New York Times
Task 1. What new tendencies of recruiting people are described in
the article?
Task 2. Think of a psychological test or any other task which can be
offered to an applicant.
JOB ADVERTISEMENTS IN DIFFERENT EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES
Job Ads: Reading Between the Lines
Checking out job advertisements is popular with executives
worldwide. But though the activity is universal, is the same
true of the advertisements? Are executive positions in different
countries advertised in the same way? A comparison of the job
pages of The Times of London, Le Monde of Paris and Germany’s
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung suggests not.
First, what UK job seekers an essential piece of information —
what the post pays — is absent from French and German adverts.
It is often left to applicants to raise this themselves. In contrast,
most British advertisements mention not only salary, but also
other material incentives including a car and fringe benefits.
French or German advertisements rarely refer to these.
The attention given to rewards in the UK indicates
the importance of the job and its responsibility. In France and
Germany, that information is given by the level of experience
43
and qualifications demanded. Salary can be assumed to
correspond with this.
If French and German adverts are vague about material
rewards, they are precise about qualifications. They usually
demand ‘a degree in…’, not simply ‘a degree’. In Germany, for
example, a technical director for a machine tool company will
be expected to have a Dipl.-In g. Degree in M echanical
Engineering.
French advertisements go further. They may specify not
just the type of grande ecole degree, but sometimes a particular
set of institutions (Formation superieure X, Centrale, Mines,
HEC, ESSEC), these being the most famous grandes ecoles.
All this contrasts with the vague call for ‘graduates’ (or
‘graduate preferred’) which is found in the UK. British
companies often give the impression that they have a particular
type of applicant in mind, but are not sure about the supply
and will consider others. Their wording suggests hope and
uncertainty as in this advertisement from The Times: ‘Whilst
educational standards are obviously important, a large measure
of personal oomph is likely to secure the success of your
application’.
In the UK qualifications beyond degree level make employers
nervous, but in France and Germany it is difficult to be
‘overqualified’. Many people on German executive boards have
doctorates and the French regard five or six years of intensive
post-baccalaureat study at a grand ecole as ideal training. British
managers are not selected primarily for their intelligence, as
managers are in France, or for their expert knowledge, as in
Germany. Instead, the British give importance to social, political
and leadershi p skills.
This difference also shows in th e personal qualities
mentioned. British advertisements stress energy, ability to
communicate and motivate. German advertisements like
achievement, but it tends to be less personality-driven. German
companies want candidates with sound knowledge, experience
and competence in their field. They rarely recruit novices as
do British employers. French advertisements refer more to
intellectual qualities like analytical aptitude and independence.
44
Even the tone of the job advertisements is different in
the three countries. By French and German standards, British
advertisements are very racy. They attract young executives
with challenges such as: ‘Are you reaching your potential?’,
whereas French and German advertisements are boringly direct
aiming to give information about the job rather than to sell it.
All this points to three different conceptions of management.
The French regard it as intellectually complex, the Germans as
technically complex. But they agree on one thing: it’s complex.
Jean-Louis Barsoux
International Management
Task. Complete the chart.
What does each country provide in its advertisements
Criteria UK France Germany
Salary
Material incentives
Degrees / qualifications
School attended
Personal qualities
Tone of job advertisement
Conceptions of management
3.3. WRITING A CV AND A LETTER
OF APPLICATION
THE MAIN PRINCIPLES AND RULES OF WRITING A CV
Nowad a y s, e m p l o y er s ten d to r eceive thousand s
of applications for a job as soon as it is advertised on the job
market. Therefore it is vital that your letter should stand out
from the thousands of CVs and letters that people are going to
send. The first impression is always the most important one,
therefore you need a good and well- structured CV in order to
attract the employers’ attention.
45
The most important thing is that your CV is clear. The CV
should be between one or two pages long. Since most employers
have very little time to spend on each CV, they tend to skim
read what you have written. It is therefore better to start by
what is most important and work your way downwards from
what is important to what is not so vital.
The structure of a CV must follow a certain order.
1. Personal Data
First of all, you have got to introduce yourself: full name,
address, date of birth. If you want, you can add your phone
number, marital status and nationality. Even if this is not
compulsory, this might be important for the type of job for
which you are applying. For example, if you are applying to an
international company that requires knowledge of a language
as a native tongue then it might be useful to mention your
nationality. If there is anything that you would feel that is
important to mention, you can do it here.
2. Education and Qualifications
This part of the CV is one of the most important because it
gives the employer an insight into who you are, through your
academic career. The trickiest part of mentioning qualifications
is to try and find the equivalent in English. This is not always
easy as the diplomas in the education system vary from country
to country. The best thing to do is to write the original name
of your qualification along with the equivalents in English in
brackets. Grades can also be a problem.
3. Work Experience
This section can be divided into various sub-sections especially
if you have got a lot of experience (present post, previous
employment, voluntary work). Don’t be afraid to describe
the tasks that you had to do in your different jobs, especially if
these are relevant to the job that you are applying for.
4. Skills
In this section, you can put down all the practical things
that you can do that might be useful for the job: driving
licence, knowledge of languages and computer software.
46
5. Interests
Of course, the employer is not going to hire you because
you have the same hobbies but this section helps him/her get
a better idea of what kind of person you are. However, you
should remain brief.
6. References
It is always good to put down the names of two people who
have agreed to provide references. Ideally, one should be
academic and the other from one of your previous jobs. Give
the name and title of your referee.
A LETTER OF APPLICATION
A letter of application can be as important as a CV in that
it often provides the first direct contact between a candidate
and an employer. If this letter is not well written and presented,
it will make a poor impression. The letter of application normally
contains four paragraphs in which you should:
— confirm that you wish to apply and say where you learned
about the job;
— say why you are interested in the position and relate
your interests to those of the company;
— show that you can contribute to the job by highlighting
your most relevant skills and experience;
— indicate your willingness to attend an interview (and
possibly say when you would be free to attend).
Task 1. Answer the questions.
1) What are the peculiarities of a CV?
2) How many parts does a CV normally consist of?
3) What sort of information does each part of a CV contain?
4) Why is it important to write a letter of application
properly?
5) What parts does a letter of application usually consist of?
Task 2. Look at the job advertisement. Fill in the words below.
Translate the advertisement.
47
1) Munich 5) PR/press
2) German 6) writing
3) Californian 7) public Affair
4) February 8) outdoor Clothing
Patagonia
‘Prefer a camping tri p to a cocktail party?’
PATAGONIA has a new position open:
___ ___ Associate.
Job is based in ___. Candidates must have substantial ___/___
experience and strong ___ skills. They must have serious
proficiency in technical sports (skiing, kayaking, climbing) and
outdoor exper ience . ___ mother tongue. Environmental
background a plus. No glamour… it’s a gritty job! Patagonia is
a ___ company which designs and distributes functional __ ___.
Send CV with picture to:
Nathalie Baudoin
Patagonia Gmbh
Reitmorstrasse 50
8000 Munich 22 — Germany
The interviews will be in Munich during the last week of___.
Task 3. Fiona Scott is going to apply for the job at Patagonia.
Here’s her CV. How has she presented the information about
herself? Where should the following headings be placed?
References Activities Personal Details
Education Skills Professional Experience
1_______
Fiona Scott
52 Hanover Street
Edinburgh EH2 5LM
Scotland
Phone: 0131 449 0237
E-mail: fiona.scott@caledonia.net
48
2_______
2001–2002 London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Diploma in Public Relations
1998–2001 University of London
BA (Honours) in Journalism and Media Studies
(Class II)
1991–1998 Broadfield School, Brighton
A levels in German (A), English (B), History (B)
and Geography (C)
3_______
2005–present Public Relations Officer, Scottish Nature Trust
Responsible for researching and writing articles
on all aspects of the Trust’s activities and ensuring
their distribution to the press Editor of the Trust’s
monthly journal
In charge of relations with European nvironmental
agencies
2002–2005 Press Officer, Highlands Tourist Board
Preparation of promotional materials and brochures
Co-ordination of media coverage
Summers of The Glasgow Tribune newspaper
2000 and 2001 Two three-month training periods as assistant to
the Sports Editor
Arranging and conducting interviews
Preparation of articles covering local community
sports events
4_______
IT MS Office 2003, MS Windows XP, Internet,
Powerpoint
Languages Fluent German and proficient in French
Additional Driving licence (car and motorcycle)
5_______
Cross-country skiing, rock climbing and swimming
Ski Instructor (grade II)
Secretary of the local branch of ‘Action’, as association organizing
sports activities for disabled children
6______
Geoffrey Williams Brenda Denholm
Professor of Journalism Sports Editor
University of London The Glasgow Tribune
49
Task 4. Below you can find details from Fiona Scott’s letter
of application (fig. 4). Look at the outline of the letter and indicate
where the information below should go.
Fig. 4
Task 5. Read the following job advertisements. Discuss with your
partner what an applicant can write in his/her CV and letter
of application.
R & D SECRETARY
Telectronics Pacing Systems, a world leader in cardiac device
technology, has an immediate opening for an R & D secretary.
Responsibilities will include technical library maintenance,
mail distribution, typing, file maintenance, coordination
of travel arrangements and other special projects.
Requires : H.S . di ploma, 55 wpm typing, computer
experience (MS Office) and a minimum of two years previous
50
office experience. Must have excellent verbal and written
communication skills.
We offer a competitive salary and benefits package. Send
resume and salary history to:
Telectronics Pacing Systems
Attn: Human Resources RDS
7400 S. Tucson Way
Englewood, CO 80112
EOE M/F/H/V
MEDICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE
DENVER BASED
— Sherwood Medical, one of the mo s t respec ted
manufacturers in the disposable medical products industry, has
an immediate opening for a qualified sales representative to
sell our broad line of Kangaroo brand enteral feeding products,
electronic thermometers and wound care products to hospitals
and dealer networks in the Colorado/Utah area.
— R.N. or Bachelor’s Degree required with one to three
years outside sales experience preferred.
— In addition to a challenging career opportunity, we
provide complete product and in-field training, company car,
base salary, bonus opportunity, expenses, and an excellent
benefits package.
Qualified applicants are invited to send resume, including
salary history to: Sherwood Regional Manager, P.O. Box 6549,
Moraga, CA 94570 Equal Opportunity Employee, M/F/H.
Agencies need not reply.
Task 6. Think of an ideal job you are going to apply for. Write your
real CV and a letter of application.
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