本文从雇主的视角告诉我们应聘者需要具备什么样的技能和潜质。准备找工作的人或正忙着找工作的人都应该好好看看这篇文章。
Qualities Employers Seek
Knowing what an employer is looking for in a potential employee can help an applicant to prepare for an interview①. An interviewer for a major corporation was asked these questions: What specific skills are you looking for in applicants? And how do you identify these skills? He responded:
The most important for us in the way of skills is the ability to communicate — Can people speak clearly? Can they articulate the kind of person they believe themselves to be? In what kind of work situations do they perform well? What are their strengths and weaknesses? We want to know about the personal qualities of the individual, so I try to ask questions to draw them out and attempt to find out if they have a sense of themselves. If they do have good communication skills, they will be able to do this logically and concisely.
I am looking for creativity — Can they be instinctive? I will ask some “off-the-wall” questions just to see if this throws them. How do they respond in these tough situations — can they be creative with their answers? This is very important when they are out in business situations with customers. They will have to respond to very sudden changes and problem-solving situations that they are not necessarily familiar with, and I want to know if they can handle them.
What we look for the most are personal qualities-assertiveness, self-motivation, drive, ambition, and a competitive instinct. They should be high achievers and want to work hard. I can usually tell about these qualities from the way the person presents himself or herself and some of the activities they have engaged in. I pick up things from the applications and resume — how they have written them and the kinds of things they say. How they present their experiences is often very informative. For example, an assertive person will say, “I can do these things” and “I decided on this course of action”, whereas a more passive person might say, “These are the experiences I have had.”All of these things describe the person in some way.
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行文点评
文章开篇指明作者的写作意图：了解雇主寻求的雇员的品质有助于应聘者为面试做准备。从第二段开始，通过一位大公司面试官的回答，具体阐述了雇主寻求的品质：the ability to communicate，creativity，personal qualities-assertiveness, self-motivation, drive, ambition, and a competitive instinct。
文章结构清晰，每段的首句均为各段的主题句，然后围绕主题展开讨论。提问式的写法能够激起读者对文章的兴趣。
好文妙译
雇主寻求的品质
了解雇主在潜在的雇员身上寻求什么有助于应聘者为面试做好准备。一位大公司的面试官被问及这样的问题：你在应聘者身上寻求什么样的技能?你如何确认他们是否有这样的能力?他回答道：
在技能方面对我们来说最重要的是沟通能力——应聘者是否能清楚地表达?他们是否能清楚地说明他们自己是什么样的人?在什么样的工作环境下他们能出色地发挥自己的水平?他们的优缺点是什么?我们想知道他的个人品质，所以我会通过问问题来探明情况，并试图发现他们是否有自我意识。若他们确实具备良好的交际能力，他们就能清晰而简洁地回答问题。
我寻求创造力——他们是否有随机应变的能力?我会问一些古怪的问题来看看他们会不会为此慌乱、惊愕。在出人意料的情况下，他们如何回答问题——他们的答案会具有创造性吗?这点在他们外出与客户会谈时相当重要，因为他们必须在情况突然改变时合理应对，在不熟悉的情况下尝试着解决问题。我想知道他们在此情况下是否能解决这些问题。
我们最看重的是个人品质——有冲劲，有工作激情，积极主动、雄心勃勃及有竞争意识。他们应有所成就且努力工作。通常我可以通过看他们如何展示自己及一些他们参加过的活动来判断他们是否具有这种品质。我从申请表和简历中来寻求蛛丝马迹，即他们如何写自己及他们的经历。他们如何讲述他们的经历能给予我们很多信息。比方说，一个自信的人会说：“我能做这些事”和“我决定采取这些行动”，而消极的人则会说：“这是我的经历。”所有这些在一定程度上都描述了一个人的品质。
词汇斟酌
articulate vt. 明确有力地表达
concisely ad. 简明地，简要地
off-the-wall a. 非正统的；即兴的
instinctive a.本能的
assertiveness n.冲劲
佳句临摹
①【注释】be looking for sth. 盼望或期待某事物
【临摹】We shall be looking for an improvement in your work this term. 我们期待你这学期功课进步。
思如泉涌
A man’s heart, if without breeding, knowledge and practice, is like a piece of land even if it is fertile, without plaguing and planting, it can not produce any fruit. 人的心灵如果没有教养、学识和实践，就好比一块田地没有耕耘和播种，即使它天生肥沃，也是结不出果实的。
A useful trade is a mine of gold. 一技在身犹如金矿在手。
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