Foscari - Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica

impulsiveness or a lack of emotional warmth. But data collected over 50 years gives a clear message:
still stable after all these years. Extroverts become slightly less extroverted; the acutely shy appear a
little less so, but the fundamentals remain much the same. Personal crisis can affect the way we cope
with things: we might take up or drop drink, drugs, religion or relaxation techniques, which can have
pretty dramatic effects. Skills can be improved, and new ones introduced, but at rather different rates.
People can be groomed for a job. Just as politicians are carefully repackaged through dress, hairstyle
and speech specialists, so people can be sent on training courses diplomas or experimental weekends.
But there is a cost to all this which may be more than the price of the course. Better to select for what
you actually see rather than attempt to change it.
From the Financial Times
Read the article again and answer these questions.
1 What types of failures do companies experience, according to the article?
2 What does a fine future behind them mean?
3 What advice does the article give to managers?
In another part of the article (not included here), the writer suggests that selectors should look
for three qualities:
a) Intelligence and ability b) emotional stability c) conscientiousness.
1 Do you agree? Explain your opinion.
2 Place the following words under these three headings. What other words can you add?
astute bright calm clever easy-going neurotic punctual quick-tempered reliable hardworking
moody responsible sharp slow
Intelligence and ability emotional stability conscientiousness
Read the following article and decide if the following statements are true or false.
I’m very nervous about my job interview. What’s the best way to prepare for it? Do you have any tips
on what I should focus on?" RD, London
Preparation, preparation, preparation
There's no excuse for a lack of research. With the internet, there is so much information close to hand.
Of the hundreds of candidates that I have interviewed, lack of preparation is the number one mistake.
Almost all of us feel interview nerves – especially if we have not been interviewed for quite a while.
On the one hand, the adrenaline can work in your favour by helping you think faster on your feet. On
the other, you can become tongue-tied, forget to talk about some of your most important achievements
and talk about things you did not really mean to mention.
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