Arhiva OPRIȚ–MAFTEI Carmen

Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii “Ovidius” Constanţa nr.30 / 2019 nr 1

OPRIȚ–MAFTEI Carmen - JOB INTERVIEW SIMULATION - DEVELOPING ESP STUDENTS' COMMUNICATION SKILLS (pag. 127-136)

It is common knowledge that a CV or a résumé reflects an applicant’s education, skills, relevant experience and volunteer work. It could make a good impression or a bad one as it does not reflect that person’s genuine enthusiasm, positive attitude, talent or other qualities that might be highly sought by employers. If it catches the eye of recruiters, the next step is getting an interview invite. Attending an in-person interview could be a dreadful experience for undergraduates seeking employment or even for new graduates since most of them are familiar neither with the requirements of the labour market nor with the eligibility criteria. Moreover, since communication skills have been held in high regard in today’s business environment, students should learn how to develop these skills in order to better “sell” their abilities and thus to improve their chances of success. The present paper is part of a broader project on oral presentations which will materialize in a course book designed for ESP students in general and for Business English students in particular. It basically aims at improving their communication skills, on the one hand, and at increasing their self-confidence, on the other. The section presented in this paper intends to develop ESP students’ communication skills by involving them in a job interview simulation activity. Its main purpose is to familiarize students with the main steps (collecting job-related data, understanding job description and job specifications, supporting documentation, how to research the companies they wish to get employed at, etc.), the special requirements of a job interview (including proper job interview etiquette) and the basics of negotiation tactics in order to be better prepared and to make a good impression on a real employment interview