本文從雇主的視角告訴我們應聘者需要具備什么樣的技能和潛質。準備找工作的人或正忙著找工作的人都應該好好看看這篇文章。
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.
［372 words］
行文點評
文章開篇指明作者的寫作意圖：了解雇主尋求的雇員的品質有助于應聘者為面試做準備。從第二段開始，通過一位大公司面試官的回答，具體闡述了雇主尋求的品質：the ability to communicate，creativity，personal qualities-assertiveness, self-motivation, drive, ambition, and a competitive instinct。
文章結構清晰，每段的首句均為各段的主題句，然后圍繞主題展開討論。提問式的寫法能夠激起讀者對文章的興趣。
好文妙譯
雇主尋求的品質
了解雇主在潛在的雇員身上尋求什么有助于應聘者為面試做好準備。一位大公司的面試官被問及這樣的問題：你在應聘者身上尋求什么樣的技能?你如何確認他們是否有這樣的能力?他回答道：
在技能方面對我們來說最重要的是溝通能力——應聘者是否能清楚地表達?他們是否能清楚地說明他們自己是什么樣的人?在什么樣的工作環境下他們能出色地發揮自己的水平?他們的優缺點是什么?我們想知道他的個人品質，所以我會通過問問題來探明情況，并試圖發現他們是否有自我意識。若他們確實具備良好的交際能力，他們就能清晰而簡潔地回答問題。
我尋求創造力——他們是否有隨機應變的能力?我會問一些古怪的問題來看看他們會不會為此慌亂、驚愕。在出人意料的情況下，他們如何回答問題——他們的答案會具有創造性嗎?這點在他們外出與客戶會談時相當重要，因為他們必須在情況突然改變時合理應對，在不熟悉的情況下嘗試著解決問題。我想知道他們在此情況下是否能解決這些問題。
我們最看重的是個人品質——有沖勁，有工作激情，積極主動、雄心勃勃及有競爭意識。他們應有所成就且努力工作。通常我可以通過看他們如何展示自己及一些他們參加過的活動來判斷他們是否具有這種品質。我從申請表和簡歷中來尋求蛛絲馬跡，即他們如何寫自己及他們的經歷。他們如何講述他們的經歷能給予我們很多信息。比方說，一個自信的人會說：“我能做這些事”和“我決定采取這些行動”，而消極的人則會說：“這是我的經歷。”所有這些在一定程度上都描述了一個人的品質。
詞匯斟酌
articulate vt. 明確有力地表達
concisely ad. 簡明地，簡要地
off-the-wall a. 非正統的；即興的
instinctive a.本能的
assertiveness n.沖勁
佳句臨摹
①【注釋】be looking for sth. 盼望或期待某事物
【臨摹】We shall be looking for an improvement in your work this term. 我們期待你這學期功課進步。
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. 人的心靈如果沒有教養、學識和實踐，就好比一塊田地沒有耕耘和播種，即使它天生肥沃，也是結不出果實的。
A useful trade is a mine of gold. 一技在身猶如金礦在手。
相關推薦：英語六級寫作經典范文及點評：求職信
更多信息請訪問：考試吧四六級欄目
＞＞＞來四六級論壇看看吧
＞＞＞四六級博客圈，你開博了嗎？
