Job Interview

Although I'm currently working in a company where you need to speak english all day long because our bosses are from abroad and english native speakers, I decided to accept an interview in a recruitment office in ZA.

The job offer was to become part of the company, for passively recruiting candidatesfor their clients' companies. 5 people interviewed me and seemed to be happy with my ansewrs and my character. Everything went well until the BOSS came to interview me. Here is where the problems began.

I've never been sooooo insulted in a job interview like I was here. Since he sat down (sorry, he didin't sit, he lay) and asked me the first question, he started snoaring and having side conversations about room temperature and air conditioner with his
employees (yes, while I was still talking).

After that lapsus, he stopped me promptly and asked me to tell him the story of a movie i liked...and as i didin't remember anyone in that particular moment, he became hasty and practically yelled at me saying..."please...any movie...now!!!"...So i started talking about "Cocktail" the one with Tom Cruise, telling him the linear story: boy works as a bartender, boy meets, girl, boy gets girl knocked up...etc etc etc.

That's it? -he replied -That's a 3 out of 10 in english speaking skills -he continued to say...and after that, a humdrum of explanations and pedant comments started to come out from his mouth saying that i didn't have the level they needed, that he didin't care about my bilingual 15-year school expierence and my degrees on english skills' exams, and that i didn't even have the british accent he would expect me to
have after all the years of british education I had.

He finished by saying..:"here's my contact card. Please take it and call me back when you've improved your english writing and speaking"...And with that, the interview ended.

You can't imagine my face during his part of the interview. I couldn't recall on what he was saying. I know that i have things to improve and all of that, and he even agreed with me that what he was asking for could be seen after a week of speaking and writing in english 24/7. I now that i'm not a native english speaker, but it's my second toungue, and my british born english teachers at school told me that my level of english was profficient!

Please! What a cocky person! I've never been so humilated in my life. I read his resume in the Internet and it's as cocky as he is (he's American, by the way)...horrible experience.

When I reached home, i e-mailed my ex english teacher (native speaker, by the way) asking for shrink advice because I still couldn't believe what i had been through. Here's his wonderful response:

First of all I would like to tell you that this guy is a Grade A Asshole, and that you should be glad that you are not working for him! Imagine having to speak; or even be in the same building, as this idiot. Next time some prick disrespects you, please tell him to go to hell. He probably has a small winky and wants to compensate for it by being a dick himself!

If you ever bump into him again you should ask him if the worldleaders in business and politics( from non-English speaking coutries ) should be fired beause they don't have the bastardised accent he speaks with...idiot.

No matter how high-profile he thinks he, or the company he works for is, his people skills are very much third-world and I believe he owes you an apology.

As far as your English is concerned, you need to bear the following in mind:

- You are a fluent speaker who is actively trying to improve her life by perfecting her second
language.

- You have a good vocabulary which I saw improve from day to day.

- There is nothing; and I repeat nothing, wrong with your accent. In fact you have a very
neutral accent which is easy to understand.

There is of course room for improvement - as is the case with all languages - even our own. The main hurdle you have to overcome is to be organized in your thoughts and focussed on being accurate rather that fluent. This comes with oral practice and exposure to the language.

Keep the faith, ignore all idiots and keep a smile on your dial!

Cheers for now
*English Teacher*


Ahhhhh...love this guy!!!This is what i call a role model and a VERY GOOD teacher!!!