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Lesson04TextAWhyShouldWeHireYou?VOCABULARYITEMS1.query:n.aninstanceofquestioning问题，疑问，询问2.postsecondary:adj.ofanyeducationortrainingafteryoursecondaryeducation(typicallyhighschool);thiscouldmeancollege,technicalschoolanduniversity高中之后的；大学的；大专的3.credentials:n.documentsattestingtothetruthofcertainstatedfacts资格证书4.downsize:v.toreduceinsize（指公司、机构为降低成本）裁员，紧缩编制5.slack:(1)adj.lackinginstrengthorfirmnessorresilience(弹回,恢复力);lackinginrigororstrictness松（弛）的；清淡的；懈怠的(2)n．松驰；空隙；不活跃（时期）；萧条6.nasty:adj.thoroughlyunpleasant;disgustinglydirty令人讨厌的；令人厌恶的；污秽的7.[(1)adj.残忍的;n.畜生]brutish:adj.]resemblingabeast;showinglackofhumansensibility如野兽般的，粗野的8.(complacence=complacency)complacent:adj.contentedtoafault;self-satisfied自满的，自鸣得意的9.make-over:n.usingagaininalteredform;remaking;makingnew修改，改造10.communitycollege:anonresidentialjuniorcollegeofferingacurriculumfittedtotheneedsofthecommunity社区学院（一般为大专）11.contractwork:aworkbasedoncontract合同制工作（通常没有正式工的福利）12.turnaround:toturntotheoppositedirectionororder反过来；转换方向；改变意见；曲解13.soundout:tospeak,pronounce,orutterinacertainway;flytolearnsomeone'sopinionsandintentions试探意见，探听口气14.payoff:toeliminatebypayingoff(debts);yieldaprofitorresult;doorgivesomethingtosomebodyinreturn付清，还清；使得益；有报偿TextAWhyShouldWeHireYou?JimMaloneyI[1]Whyshouldwehireyouforthisposition?[2]IrememberthefirsttimeIwasaskedthatquestion.IrememberitthesamewayIrememberthefirsttimeapoliceofficeraskedtoseemydriver'slicenseandregistration.IwasnomorepreparedtobecaughtspeedingthanIwaspreparedtoexplainwhyIshouldbepermanentlyemployedteachingEnglishatacommunitycollege.Inbothcases,Iexperiencedasinkingfeelinginmystomach,andaquickeningofmypulse:thesensationsthatcomewithbeingcaught.[3]Igotaspeedingticket,butIdidn'tgetthejob.[4]LookingbackatthedifficultyIhadwiththatbasicquestion,Ican'tbelievethatIapproachedtheinterviewsobadlyprepared.IfIhadbeenaspreparedforthejobinterviewasIwasfordoingthejob,Iwouldhavefeltnosurprise.IhadanumberofpreviousjobswhereIwashiredonlyformyabilitytoperformphysicaltasks,sotheinterviewsforthesejobswerefarlesscrucialthanwasthesimpleabilitytodothework.However,justasexceedingthespeedlimitwill,whentrafficpoliceareperformingproperly,leadtoaspeedingticket,sobeinginterviewedforanattractivecareer-entrypositionwill,whentheinterviewerknowswhattolookfor,leaddirectlyorindirectlytothequestionWhyshouldwehireyou?[5]Thequestionisasignificantone,notjustbecauseyouwillencounterit,insomeform,aspartofajobinterview,alongwithotheropen-endedqueriesdesignedtouncoveryourunderstandingofthepositionandofthesuitabilityofyourqualifications.Thequestionisalsoimportanttoconsiderinpreparingyourrésuméandapplicationletter—documentscrucialtocreatingpossibleinterviews.Moreover,thequestionisrelevanttoyou,whohaven'tyetfinishedyourpostsecondarycareerpreparationand,therefore,won'tbeimmediatelyfacinginterviewsforpositionsinyour-chosenfield.Foryouatthisstage,thequestionWhyshouldwehireyou?mayseempointless,premature,orirrelevant.Tryturningthequestionaround:WhyshouldIbehired?Nowthequestionmayhavemoremeaningtoyou.Indeed,consideredinthisform,thequestioncanguideyoutowardspreparingforacareer.So,thinkingabouthowyouwillanswersuchaquestionwillhelpyounotonlytounderstandthesignificanceofthequestionbutalsotobackupyouranswerswiththerightcredentials,skills,andexperiences.II[6]Toofrequently,studentsseemtotakeforgrantedtheirright,oreventheiraccess,tointerviewsandtojobsneededtobegintheircareers.Suchoptimismcannolongerbejustified.Tenyearsago,graduatingstudentswerewarnedthatcontinuedemploymentinonefieldforonecompanyforone'sentireworkinglifewasincreasinglybecomingathingofthepast.Studentscouldexpectthreeorfourcareershifts.Today,manycollegeoruniversitygraduateswillneverhavethechanceeventobegincareersintheirchosenfields.Othersmayfindonlypart-timeorcontractwork.ThelastdecadehasproducedenormouschangesinthewaybusinessandindustryoperateinNorthAmerica,andinthewaysinwhichpeopleareemployed.[7]Corporatedownsizing—reductionsintheworkforceneededbyacompanyforoperatingpurposes—hasbeenafactinbusinesslifeforsometimenow.Globalcompetitionisusuallygivenasthereasonforsmallerworkforcerequirements,while,itisclaimed,technologicaldevelopments,especiallycomputerization,haveledtomassiveemployeelay-offswithnolosstoproductivity.Ofcourse,thereisanalternativeviewofdownsizing:thatremainingemployeesareexpectedtobemoreproductive—toworklongerandharder—topickuptheslack.Aconsequenceofdownsizingandtechnologicalchangeisareducedfull-timeworkforce,manyofwhomeitherhandlemoretasksorperformmorespecializedtechnologicalactivities.Insomecompanies,anotherconsequenceofasmallerworkforceisthereplacementofpermanentfull-timeemployeeswhoreceivehighersalariesandsignificantbenefitpackageswithpart-timeorcontractworkerswhoareofferedlowersalariesandfew,ifany,benefits.Somecompanieshavevirtuallynothingtoofferbuttheselimited,ratherunpromisingpositions.[8]Thesechangesarenotlimitedtotheprivatesector.Recently,somelocalgovernmentsinitiatedlarge-scaledownsizingprojectsintheircivilservices.Manyjoblay-offsinhealthcare,education,andlocalgovernmentshaveresultedfr