Getting a Job: What Employers Look For

👂️ Audio and questions

Which TWO aspects should people just graduating from secondary schools emphasize?

degree of motivation

practical experience

eagerness to learn

educational qualifications

other areas of interests outside work

Which TWO of the following are mentioned about women returned to work after raising children?

they have limited working time

they are more expensive to retrain

they are very mature

they lack confidence

they have difficulty in re-adjusting to work

Which TWO types of people do employers always avoid hiring?

people who have worked for a rival company

people who have worked for their previous company for a long time

people who were sacked by a previous company

people who have been unemployed for a long time

people who quit their job because it was unsuitable

Which THREE factors are mentioned as reasons why people avoid hiring retrenched workers?

lack or experience relevant to new industries

higher costs of employment

comparatively old age

lack of work experience

the difficulty of retraining

the reputation of the previous company

previous skills which are useless

Reasons for rejection during the application process

- unsuitable experience and skills
- applicants’ inappropriate 
10.
            
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 and appearance
- poor social skills

❓ Transcript

Getting a Job: What Employers Look For

Tutor:

For today's session, we're going to look at the job market and employers hiring strategies.

Tutor:

It mainly takes great people to generate and execute efficient strategies and ideas.

Tutor:

In fact, a company's growth is strongly supported by its human resources.

Tutor:

Therefore, we'll look at the determining factors for recruitment, the traits of a successful applicant and the possible reasons for rejection.

Tutor:

First, let's take a look at the job market for students who have just graduated from secondary schools.

Sansa:

So, what should they focus on when applying for a job?

Sansa:

Is education the most important factor in recruitment?

Tutor:

Well, actually the degree is not that important.

Tutor:

It's not the only factor that personnel managers take into consideration.

Tutor:

Some employees with years of work experience still have a competitive edge over fresh graduates with a higher educational degree.

Tutor:

However, with neither an impressive educational background nor practical experience, secondary school graduates should stress that they have great enthusiasm for work.

Tutor:

Employees who are interested in their job often work hard and are willing to take more responsibilities.

Sansa:

What else should they highlight during a job interview?

Tutor:

Well, it is wise for them to demonstrate that they possess valuable characteristics such as curiosity, willingness to learn new stuff and good interpersonal skills.

Tutor:

Companies favour applicants who are easy-going and fit in quickly.

Sansa:

Right, but I guess things get harder for women to re-enter the workforce and reconnect after raising children at home.

Tutor:

Absolutely.

Tutor:

After taking an extended absence from work, women with young children have to strike a good balance between work and family.

Tutor:

Changes have to be made within the family to ensure they have sufficient working hours.

Tutor:

Apart from that, they are working with totally new colleagues in an unfamiliar workplace.

Tutor:

After even two or three years of absence, they face challenges of rusty or obsolete skills.

Tutor:

Even though they are quite confident in themselves, they often find it hard to adapt to these changes.

Tutor:

But on the other hand, many employers find these mature women valuable assets in the workplace.

Tutor:

They are excellent role models for younger employees, as being quite motivated and with strong work ethic.

Sansa:

Indeed, employers not only need qualified but also flexible and well-trained employees.

Sansa:

Given the experience, perspectives and stability, these women are offered unique opportunities in today's workplace.

Tutor:

Yes, exactly.

Sansa:

So what kind of people do companies generally find unwelcoming?

Sansa:

Will they consider candidates from a rival company?

Tutor:

Well, actually, hiring employees from a competing firm is not a taboo.

Tutor:

Highly skilled workers are always welcomed no matter where they're from.

Tutor:

What concerns employers the most is how they left the previous company that they had worked for years.

Tutor:

If they have been fired, they must have done something wrong during the previous job.

Sansa:

What about people who remain unemployed for a considerable period of time?

Tutor:

Well, this type of employee isn't at the bottom of the employment list.

Tutor:

The reason why they remain unemployed is the key.

Tutor:

Actually, most companies cast doubts on applicants who left the job simply because they didn't like the working hours or the work assigned.

Tutor:

Have you read any articles about worker retrenchment?

Sansa:

Yes.

Sansa:

Worker retrenchment on a massive scale is sometimes introduced as one of the short-term measures to resuscitate the industry through the reduction of overhead costs.

Sansa:

Workers are also laid off as companies restructure and reform.

Sansa:

But what happens to these retrenched workers afterwards?

Sansa:

Is it easy for them to find another job?

Tutor:

Well, generally companies are reluctant to hire them.

Sansa:

Why is that?

Sansa:

They must have plenty of work experience in the previous industry.

Sansa:

Isn't that a strength for them in the job market?

Tutor:

Actually, new industries are eager to hire experienced workers, but retrenched workers know nothing about other industries, and it also costs employers more to retrain them.

Tutor:

They need training courses to acquire relevant skills and qualifications for a new career.

Sansa:

Our government is providing public training programs to help them identify their current skills and acquire new skills to improve their career options.

Sansa:

Isn't that right?

Tutor:

Yes, but retrenched workers are generally too old.

Tutor:

They are less motivated and energized at work.

Tutor:

Companies thus prefer younger employees to them.

Tutor:

They are also reluctant to adjust and are unwilling to be retrained.

Sansa:

Do retrenched workers from companies with big names have an advantage over other job applicants?

Tutor:

No.

Tutor:

Employers today value skills more than where they're previously from.

Sansa:

Right.

Sansa:

So what are the most common factors of rejection during application?

Tutor:

Applicants are rejected mainly for three reasons.

Tutor:

First, they have experience and skills that are irrelevant to the industry.

Tutor:

Even experienced workers may receive rejection letters.

Tutor:

Wearing appropriate clothes and how they look during an interview are key to a successful interview.

Tutor:

No matter how good their presentation skills are, a shirt with stains or informal clothes like a pair of jeans only means the applicants aren't taking the interview seriously.

Sansa:

Yes, during an interview, formal dress is key to a good start and will inevitably affect how people evaluate you later.

Sansa:

What's the third factor?

Sansa:

Let me guess, is it interpersonal skills?

Tutor:

Yes.

Tutor:

Companies are eager to hire people who can work well with others and fit in quickly.

Tutor:

It's difficult to work in an environment full of conflicts.

Tutor:

Therefore, people who don't get along well with others are often rejected.

Sansa:

I see.

🔥 Answer key (đáp án và giải thích)

Giải thích chi tiết

❓ Câu hỏi: Which TWO aspects should people just graduating from secondary schools emphasize?

✅ Đáp án đúng: A. degree of motivation C. eagerness to learn

▶️ Bắt đầu nghe ở: Đoạn nói chuyển sang chủ đề job market for students who have just graduated from secondary schools và ngay sau đó có câu hỏi kiểu “what should they focus on when applying for a job?”.

☺️ Giải thích đáp án:

Trước khi nghe, gạch chân từ khóa: just graduating from secondary schools và emphasize → tức là nên nhấn mạnh điều gì khi xin việc.
Nghe thấy người nói phủ định vai trò của bằng cấp: “the degree is not that important” → vậy đáp án sẽ không tập trung vào educational qualifications.
Người nói kết luận rằng khi không có nền tảng học vấn nổi bật lẫn kinh nghiệm thực tế, học sinh tốt nghiệp THCS nên stress (= emphasize - nhấn mạnh) “great enthusiasm for work” → tương đương degree of motivation (A).
Sau đó người nói khuyên nên thể hiện các đặc điểm giá trị như “willingness to learn new stuff” → đúng với eagerness to learn (C).

🧐 Lưu ý: ❌ B. practical experience => Có nhắc đến work experience để so sánh giữa người đi làm lâu năm (employees with years of work experience) và sinh viên mới tốt nghiệp (fresh graduates), nhưng nhóm secondary school graduates thường không có practical experience, nên họ không được khuyên nhấn mạnh mục này. ❌ D. educational qualifications => Bẫy vì có nhắc degree, nhưng ý chính là degree is not that important, nên không chọn. ❌ E. other areas of interests outside work => Không có thông tin nói cần nhấn mạnh sở thích ngoài công việc; dễ đoán mò nếu nghe không ra 2 ý chính là enthusiasm và willingness to learn.

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