Tell me about yourself

This is a classic question at job interviews. Seems easy, right? However, it's not. There's so much we can say. How can we choose the right thing to say? Watch this video and learn some tips.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ezFNrWMTlc

For more practice on job interviews:

http://www.businessenglishsite.com/exercise_jobinterview1.html
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/exercise_jobinterview2.html

Writing a cover letter

When applying for a job, you will need to send your CV or résumé together with a cover letter. What is a cover letter? Watch this video and find out.



For useful expressions to write a cover letter, click onto:
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/exercise_coverletter1.html
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/exercise_coverletter2.html
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/exercise_coverletter3.html
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/exercise_coverletter4.html

Talking about salary

Talking about your salary seems to be one of the most difficult issues when interviewing for a job. This video will give you some ideas on how to make it easier.


You can also read these negotiation tips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOF1tJPqFRY&feature=related

Learn some collocations with the word "salary" by clicking onto these links and doing the exercises after reading the info.:
http://www.hrenglish.com/salary/menu.php
http://www.hrenglish.com/pay2/menu.php
http://www.hrenglish.com/pay3/menu.php

Listen to this interesting piece about the giant search engine Google. When you listen (then, you can read the script), pay attention to all the vocabulary connected with employment.

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

BY PAUL ROLFE


It’s a big payday for Googlers. Each of the search giant’s 23,000 employees is getting a 10% pay raise come January -- plus -- a $1000 Christmas bonus. Fox Business has some reasons that this makes sense for the company.

“Its trying to create a moat around itself from its employees leaving to Facebook. Ten percent of Facebook employees have Google on their resume in some way shape or form... People are often a competitive advantage in these technology companies. The brain trust -- it wants to protect that. Frankly its also cheaper to retain employees than hire new employees... Last but not least, frankly the company can afford to do so. Profits were up more than 32% in the third quarter. It has $33 billion of cash sitting on its balance sheet.”

Google doesn’t usually comment on internal matters, but in a statement to the press it said competitive compensation plans are important for the future of the company. CNN Money points out how important it is for Google to retain good employees, after losing some noteworthy ones.

“Google has lost top minds such as YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley, AdMob co-founder Omar Hamoui, and Google Maps and Wave creator Lars Rasmussen.”

Many ex-Googlers have defected to Facebook. Computer World spoke to an analyst from Gartner who highlights the growing tension between the two companies.

“There is a battle for the future of the Web, and it is not about search engines, but about the social Web. The competition is between the new and the old -- between Facebook as the early leader in the social Web, and Google as the dominant player in the content Web.”

But wait a second -- aren’t we in a recession? Well -- The Wall Street Journal says its actually not bad news for investors.

“If Google is making this ten percent raise now, it means that they’re doing probably pretty well in the fourth quarter. So, I don’t know how concerned investors are going to be. Google has been acquiring a lot of companies for talent. They’ve also been acquiring a lot of companies for technology. I don’t think this is going to be too big of a concern.”

Oddly, Google is already number four on Fortune’s top 100 companies to work for. Facebook -- not even on the list. So, what do you think? Will this move spark other tech companies to start hiring -- and paying -- more?


Get more multi-source tech news analysis from Newsy.com

For more practice on the language of work, you can click on these links:
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/lefg1_vocabulary34.html
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/lefg1_vocabulary38.html

5 Mistakes to Avoid

Looking for a job? Check these tips on things to avoid when you attend a job interview. Can you add any other?



Read these sentences from the video. Can you guess what they mean? If not, click on them and find out.
"Many people try to cover up their nervousness by rambling "
"The way you dress can speak volumes to someone you're meeting for the first time"
"Stomach butterflies are to be expected"

You may also take this quiz to learn new vocabulary on applying for jobs:

http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/lefg1_vocabulary37.html