A Confession of an Unhappy Professor: Essay Writing

“Here we go again”, I think every time that a new pile of turned in essay papers falls onto my table. I’ve been teaching English in this university for ten years, and still there are only a few students that surprised me with their essay writings. The rest of them seems to discover new and extremely exiting ways to irritate me and turn essay paper reading into a nightmare.

I take the first paper. Go thought it. No, I’m not reading yet. The reason I’m not doing it is because it’s not labeled. I mean, there is not even a small attempt to tell me who this unknown author is, what class he belongs to, and what his topic is. And I’m sitting here, staring confused at the paper…. I start feeling like that Greek hero trying to solve Sphinx’s puzzle. If you want to get an unsatisfactory grade, this is the perfect beginning for it. I’m not even going to read this paper. It’s not like something is going to pop up to make me understand who the ultimate genius of this eternal writing is.

I take another essay paper and realize that my happy essay checking evening has only just begun. A wonderful mixture of fancy typefaces looks right at me, and there is no way I’m going to understand something (or at least a heading) from all these italics and bolds. I bet that even Picasso’s paintings are easier to comprehend. Whatever this essay paper is about, I don’t feel like pretending to be Sherlock Holmes: “It’s simple, Watson! This essay paper is about monkeys that love bananas. How did I come up with such a smart conclusion? Because I’m one smart guy”. Give me a break.

Even though I gave this paper a chance, it failed on the next stage – plagiarism check. And this is something I’m not able to forgive under any circumstances. Every student has a chance to make several essay drafts. Is it so hard to come up with something that can be called “personal opinion”? Why do so many students prefer to take quotations, but don’t feel like providing references? And here’s one more thing about quotations – an essay paper that is made of them on more than a half can not impress any professor. I’m not an exception.

Next essay paper goes to a trash bin, too. No, not because I’m “cute and cuddly”, but because it is full of slang and contractions. Never, please, never use contractions and slang (the last one especially) in your academic writing. Do I look like a jolly uncle that comes to visit and asks his nephews about their trip to Rollercoaster Park? If I do, than… I don’t know what to say.

And here’s one more thing that makes me want to cross an essay paper over with a red marker. A page-long Introduction that is written to impress me and make an essay paper look bigger is worse than bad breath and republicans. If you don’t know what to write about to fit into my requirements for amount of words, try to use your head for a change.

Similar to long Introductions are vague explanations. You probably wanted to make a point. But after that you felt tired, or had to go and water the flowers, or you work as a Superman and have to save the world at nights instead of writing essays for my class… whatever it is that stopped you from writing good explanations, it doesn’t make me feel happy. Maybe, your intentions were different, but I got it this way, and this is the way I grade it.

Why do students want to use the word “believe” instead of “agree”, or “think”? Believe means to have faith, to hold something true on the basis of feelings, without evidence. You are writing as a scientist, so you think, argue, accept, and hold on the basis of some evidence. The rest concerns your religion and believes.

Another thing that irritates me is using “we” instead of “I”. Did Madonna help you on writing this essay, and you feel like giving credit to her? Unless it is a group activity, please use “I”.

And finally – why do you use “its” as possessive, when you mean “it’s” in the meaning it is (which is a contraction, remember)? Can’t you be just a little more attentive?

With respect,

Your grumpy professor.

Jennifer Burns is the head of customer care center at Custom-Writing.org, help essay. Having completed a number of academic assignments himself, Jennifer uses her knowledge to provide individualized customer support to students, who order academic essay and essays writing

Beauty Contest

Beauty contest/beautiful contest.

The usual expression is beauty contest, where the noun beauty is a modifier (in this example a noun functioning as an adjective).

A beautiful contest is rare – what with contestants jealous of one another and back-stabbing or bad-mouthing or sabotaging one another!


source

Affect or Effect?

Affect/effect.

Affect is a verb, and effect can be a verb or a noun.

As verbs, affect and effect have very different meanings.

To affect is to influence, to “have an effect on, make a difference to” (temperature affects the viscosity of a syrup).

To effect is to “cause to happen, bring about” (to effect a change). Incident­ally, affect has another meaning: to “pretend to have or feel” (he affected a British accent when he returned home after a one-year stay in London).


source

There is Or There are?

Here are some other examples of there is/there are use.

• There’s a lot of reasons to be optimistic. (incorrect)
• There are a lot of reasons…. (correct)

• There’s two sides to every story. (incorrect)
• There are two sides….(correct)

• There’s several storms arriving in the West. (incorrect)
• There are several storms arriving in the West. (correct)

• There’s not options out there that they like at the moment. (I actually heard this one on ESPN.) (incorrect)
• There aren’t options…. (correct)

How To Write An Essay

Essay writing is definitely considered to be a part of academic life and essay writing requires certain skills or the part of the writer. A good written essay exhibits the skills of proper organization of ideas, good vocabulary, systematic argument and collection of relevant ideas. Fare importance should be given to diction and style used for essay writing. Certain important points to be considered while writing an essay are as follows:

1) Formulate a plan :

Get into the habit of writing a plan before starting an essay or project. A plan in hand can help you to formulate ideas and thus allows you to structure your final essay in an appropriate and logical way. Essay plans can be helpful in reminding you of important points that can be used to cover in your essay.

Your plan towards essay writing should involve using of keywords and phrases, making of notes of important references and formulating the essay in a logical order. Your planning should also consist of finding which words you may need to define and find out what you could research to make your case stronger. Try to eliminate anything that is irrelevant. In other words, make note of key things that will be relevant for the essay writing.

2) Work on your title:

It is preferable to choose and write your title with proper heading before you proceed further with the other paragraphs. Keeping the title in mind, you can write your essay in an easier manner. You will be able to write easily, once you have managed to remain focused towards your title.

3) Have a proper structured body :

The body of an essay plays an important role in the over all making of the essay. The body of the essay will consist of points for discussing, elaborating, describing and arguing about the subject. Once you structure your concerned topic for production, you can then put in your ideas within the body paragraphs.

Jack william is a freelance writer who writes about the topic of college students. Mr. william often writes about specific topics used in college such as Buy Essay.

When Is Mother's Day?

When is Mother's Day in Malaysia?

In Malaysia, Mother's day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May every year.

Mother's Day Date

Different countries celebrate Mother's Day on different dates. Check out the exact date for Mother's Day in your country from the list of Mothers Day dates 2010 given below and start preparing for a big surprise of love for her.

Mother's Day 2010
Country	Day	Date
India	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
United States	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Australia	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Belgium	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Brazil	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Canada	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Denmark	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Finland	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Germany	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Greece	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Italy	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Japan	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
New Zealand	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Singapore	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
South Africa	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Turkey	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Sweden	Last Sunday in the month of May	May 30, 2010
Austria	First Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Hong Kong	First Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Netherlands	Second Sunday in the month of May	May 9, 2010
Taiwan	First Sunday in the month of May	May 2, 2010
Hungary	First Sunday in the month of May	May 2, 2010
Portugal	First Sunday in the month of May	May 2, 2010
Spain	First Sunday in the month of May	May 2, 2010
United Kingdom	Fourth Sunday in the month of March	March 14, 2010
Romania	First Sunday in the month of May	May 2, 2010

Why Were After If?

The word ‘were’ after ‘if’

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED by FADZILAH AMIN -THE STAR

I’M A little confused on how and when to use the word “were” after the word “if”. Must “were” be used after “if” in any circumstance? The attachments were taken from newspapers here on the use of ‘if’ and ‘were’. – Marc Ong

No, “were” need not be used after “if” in all circumstances, only in some. There are so many other verbs in the English language that can be used in the past tense in second conditional sentences when we are talking about an unlikely or impossible situation. Here are some examples in which the simple past tense of verbs other than “are” are used in the if-clause with “would” in the main clause:

“If I had wings, I would fly.”

“If you lost 100kg in a week, you would really be slim.”

However, in second conditional sentences beginning with “I”, “were” is usually used instead of “was”, for example in:

“If I were you, I would not buy that car.”

“If I were young again, I would try to be a professional tennis player.”

Writing Good Memo in Business Communication

Tips for Writing a Good Memo in Business Communication

Business writing differs significantly from article or academic writing. Business communication is generally in the form of reports, policies, instructions, procedures, memos, letters, orders or rules & regulations. Memos are business letters but only for employees & used within an organization.

Memos are used to give information to employees such as changes in some procedures or rules, policy change or for specific purpose like request to attend a meeting. The format of the memo differs from business letter format. Memos generally contain sections like to, from, date, subject & text of memo.

Points to remember while writing a memo:

If you are sending memo to specific person, then you should write correct name of the reader. You can write job title along with name to make it more formal.

Subject should not be vague or unclear. It should be brief & specific, which can give an idea about the purpose of the memo.

Generally, memos do not contain salutation or complimentary closing.

The text in text section of memo should be concise, clear, to the point.

Avoid use of long and complex sentences that contain too much information. Short sentences make your message more readable and understandable. You can use headings & bullets to make your memo easy to read.

First paragraph in text area or opening paragraph should contain background of the problem & purpose of the memo. Memo’s recipient should get an overview of the memo by reading the first paragraph only.

In next paragraphs, you can explain the steps you have taken or methods and sources you have used to solve the problems.

Last paragraph should be the closing segment, where you can request your reader to take an action to solve the problem. Some people use conclusion at the end of memo to summarize the content. Conclusions are also useful for suggestions and recommendations or if you wish to make a request to the reader.

If there are any attachments, always mention at the end, after closing segment.

Always proofread your memo before sending it. You can use software programs, which are available for business writing, for proofreading & to check and correct English grammar & spellings in your memo. Some software programs enrich your text with adjectives & adverbs, which enhances the simple sentence into more professional and sophisticated one & suggest context related synonym for repeated words.

For information on business English writing software please visit

http://www.truevalue4money.com

MUET Clinic

Dear students,

I will conduct a MUET class today at 4pm. Those interested please be at A11 - 4pm today.

Thank you

From The Secret

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne

From The Secret Daily Teachings

Most people don't realize how much passion they put into what they don't want. When you speak to a friend and you tell them all about an "awful" situation, you are putting passion into what you don't want. When you react to an event negatively, with the response that it is "terrible", you are putting passion into what you don't want.

You are a beautiful passionate being, so make sure you direct your passion wisely.

May the joy be with you,

hehe!

I like.... hehe... so cute right?

I am guilty of that too... ngeee...

Malaysian English

Hey all...

I just want to introduce my friend's blog

http://malaysian-english-for-dummies.blogspot.com

Learning & Teaching English : How to Teach Adults English As a Second Language

Persuasive Essay

Writing a persuasive essay is much like preparing for a debate. You need to study your persuasive essay topic from various perspectives, establish your main argument and gather supporting evidence. You also need to know how to write a persuasive essay, namely how to organize parts of the persuasive essay in the way that will work best.

Try the following instructions on how to write a persuasive essay. They are indispensable in writing a well-planned and thoroughly considered persuasive essay.

1.Start with an Impressive Lead-In

The introduction of your persuasive essay is the first words you utter to render the readers to be well-disposed to you. Moreover, it is by the introduction that the reader decides whether to go on reading you essay or leave it in peace. Thus, the introduction of your essay should be attention grabbing and impressive enough to induce the reader to read further on.

Writing a persuasive essay, you need to pay particular attention to the first sentence you are going to write down, namely a lead-in. It is the most important part of the whole persuasive essay, out of which you come out either a winner or a loser.

To write a strong and impressive lead-in, try the following strategies:
7.start with an unusual detail;
8.put a strong statement;
9.quote a famous person;
10.introduce a short and up-to-the-point anecdote;
11.open the essay with a statistic or fact;
12.start with an emphatic rhetorical question;

Before deciding on one of the strategies, try all of them. You will be surprised to find out how different strategies can enrich and smarten up the introduction to your persuasive essay.

After you have put the opening sentence, be sure to introduce a sentence that will show that you see both pros and cons of the subject matter under consideration. Then write a thesis or focus statement, which has to reveal your own point of view. A well-formulated thesis statement is the key to success, as it is the central part of your essay, around which all other parts are organized.

Remember that a good introduction should be brief, concise and end with a closing sentence that will be transitional to the next paragrath.

2.Support Your Thesis in the Body

The body of your persuasive essay is the main part of your writing where you present supporting evidence and elaborate on the reasons you stated previously. The body should be a proof that you have researched and examined your persuasive essay topic and that your arguments are reasonable and reliable.

In order to prove your thesis statement and dispel the opposing arguments, you need to: 1) state the facts of the case; 2) prove your thesis with arguments; and 3) disprove your opponent's arguments in three consecutive steps.

Statement of facts is a non-argumentative presentation of details, summaries and narration concerning the problem discussion. In this part of the body you should present supporting evidence without stating your own point of view and trying to persuade the readers in it.

First, you should remind the readers of some events, provide vivid illustrations that will show the significance of the topic. Statement of facts should be clear, brief, and vivid. If you obscure the facts, you are defeating the purpose. Thus, delete irrelevant information and information which contributes little to the reader's understanding.

After you've introduced some facts, you can get down to proving your thesis with arguments. This should be the longest section and the central part of your persuasive essay. With the readers rendered attentive by the introduction and informed by the statement of fact, you must show why your position concerning the facts should be accepted and believed.

Now comes the time to deny the truth on which the opposing argument is built. Be patient in thinking over the refutation. It is the most difficult stage that needs time, concentration and absorption.

The proven way to hook readers' attention is to leave your strongest argument for last so that to leave them with your best thought.

3.Write a Memorable Conclusion.

Your conclusion should be a "mirror image" of your introduction. It means that you should refresh the reader's memory and remind him of the thesis statement you put in the introduction. It is not a mere waste of time or words, but the best way to convince the reader to take your side.

As well as in writing the introduction, you can try several ways to write a memorable conclusion for your persuasive essay.

Except for restating the introduction, you can summarize the main points to enable the readers to recall the main points of your position.

A nice way to conclude the persuasive essay is to write a personal comment or call for action. It could be: 1) your prediction; 2) a question that will let the readers make their own predictions; 3) your recommendations to solve a problem; 4) a quotation. It's up to you to decide!

The last line of your persuasive essay, that is the "tag line," needs special attention, for it is the second most important line after the lead-in. Thus, it is important that it:
4.renders the readers to be well disposed to you;
5.magnifies your points;
6.puts the readers in the proper mood.

Once you have put the full stop after the "tag line", your work is over. But make sure that the words you have put in your persuasive essay will be "working" long after your readers stop reading it.

written by: Linda Correli

Public Speaking – The Art of Speech Making

Public Speaking – The Art of Speech Making

How do you speak naturally while all those people are watching you?

This document covers hints and tips on public speaking and presentation skill, dealing with public speaking nerves and anxiety, public speaking skills and public speaking techniques, public speaking training.

Common Fears of Public Speaking

What happens when you have to speak in public?

Did you know that public speaking tops the list of phobias for most people? Not spiders or heights – public speaking – speech in public!

Well, if you didn’t know that, we bet your body does. It will do all kinds of unpleasant things to you when you have to stand up and face a sea of faces with the hope of getting your message across in a compelling and interesting way.

Your hands may sweat and your mouth goes dry. Your knees may shake and a quaver affects your voice. Your heart may race and those well known butterflies invade your stomach.

When all that happens most people don’t think of getting their message across in a compelling and interesting way; they just think of getting off the ’stage’ as quickly as possible!

Have we frightened you sufficiently yet?

It’s normal

We don’t really mean to frighten you, just remind you that your body reacts ‘in extremis’ when put under pressure, and for most people, public speaking is just about the worst pressure they can be put under.

It’s normal to be nervous and have a lot of anxiety when speaking in public. In a way, it’s less normal not to have nerves or anxiety; in fact, to feel you have a phobia about public speaking.

Why do we get Public Speaking anxiety?

Fight or flight

Our bodies are geared to fight or flight from ancient time – fight that mastodon or get the hell out of the way. We don’t have too many mastodons around these days, but the body still reacts as though we do. So, if we have to get up and speak in public, all that adrenalin and noradrenalin goes coursing through our bodies – way more than we need.

We can’t run away (well, we could, but we’d be out of job pretty quick if we did it too often), so our only option is to fight. But in terms of speaking in public, it can be hard to define just what we’re fighting.

Why does public speaking do this to us?

Good question. You’d think that for most people, being given the opportunity to impress their audience would be a fantastic one. There you are in front of a group of people, the spotlight is on you and for the length of time you’ve been give, the world is yours.

Or is it?

The very fact that the spotlight is you is enough to trigger every fear, anxiety and phobia you’ve ever had about public speaking.

Here’s why

You may be judged by all those people, and judged badly
You may feel like a fool
You might make mistakes and loose your way
You’ll be completely humiliated
You’ll never be as good as _________ (fill in the blank)
‘They’ won’t like you
‘They’ won’t ‘get’ what you’re trying to say

How to overcome fear of Public Speaking
What good are Nerves

Public speaking may not be comfortable, but take our word for it, nerves are good. Being ‘centre stage’ is not a good place to feel too comfortable.

Nerves will keep you awake and ensure you don’t get too complacent. Hard to feel complacent when your heart is beating so hard you’re sure everyone watching you can hear it.

If channelled well, nerves can make the difference between giving a humdrum presentation and giving one that keeps people listening.

Get your attention off yourself

It’s very tempting to keep focused on how you’re feeling, especially if you’re feeling really uncomfortable. You’ll start to notice every bead of sweat.

To make your nerves work for you, you need to focus on just about anything other than yourself. You can distract yourself by paying attention to the environment in which you’re speaking and seeing how you can make it work for you.

Once you’re actually in front of your audience, pay attention to them. If you can, notice how people are dressed, who’s wearing glasses, who has on bright colours. There will be dozens and dozens of things you can pay attention to help you trick your mind into not noticing what’s going on with you.

Anything will do and you will find that the less you concentrate on how you are feeling and the more you concentrate on other things, the more confident you will feel.

How to build confidence in Public Speaking

Your audience can be your friend

Unless you know you’re absolutely facing a hostile group of people, human nature is such that your audience wants you succeed. They’re on your side!

Therefore, rather than assuming they don’t like you, give them the benefit of the doubt that they do.

They aren’t an anonymous sea of faces, but real people. So to help you gain more confidence when speaking in public, think of ways to engage your audience. Remember, even if they aren’t speaking, you can still have a two-way conversation.

When you make an important point pay attention to the people who are nodding in agreement and the ones who are frowning in disagreement. As long as you are creating a reaction in your audience you are in charge.

Keep them awake

The one thing you don’t want is for them to fall asleep! But make no mistake public speaking arenas are designed to do just that: dim lights, cushy chairs, not having to open their mouths – a perfect invitation to catch up on those zzzzs.

Ways to keep them away include

Ask rhetorical questions
Maintain eye contact for a second or two with as many people as possible
Be provocative
Be challenging
Change the pace of your delivery
Change the volume of your voice

Public Speaking Training

Get a coach

Whatever the presentation public speaking is tough, so get help.

Since there are about a zillion companies out there all ready to offer you public speaking training and courses, here are some things to look for when deciding the training that’s right for you.

Focus on positives not negatives

Any training you do to become more effective at public speaking should always focus on the positive aspects of what you already do well.

Nothing can undermine confidence more than telling someone what they aren’t doing well.

You already do lots of things well good public speaking training should develop those instead of telling you what you shouldn’t do.

Turn your back on too many rules

If you find a public speaking course that looks as though it’s going to give you lots of dos and don’ts, walk away! Your brain is going to be so full of whatever it is you’re going to be talking about that to try to cram it full of a whole bunch of rules will just be counterproductive.

As far as we’re concerned, aside from physical violence or inappropriately taking off your clothes, there are no hard and fast rules about public speaking.

You are an individual not a clone

Most importantly, good public speaking training should treat you as a unique individual, with your own quirks and idiosyncrasies. You aren’t like anybody else and your training course should help you bring out your individuality, not try to turn you into someone you’re not.

Hints and Tips for Effective Public Speaking

Here are just a few hints, public speaking tips and techniques to help you develop your skills and become far more effective as a public speaker.

Mistakes

Mistakes are all right.

Recovering from mistakes makes you appear more human.
Good recovery puts your audience at ease – they identify with you more.

Humour

Tell jokes if you’re good at telling jokes.
If you aren’t good, best to leave the jokes behind.
There’s nothing worse than a punch line that has no punch.
Gentle humour is good in place of jokes.
Self-deprecation is good, but try not to lay it on too thick.

Tell stories

Stories make you a real person not just a deliverer of information.
Use personal experiences to bring your material to life.
No matter how dry your material is, you can always find a way to humanise it.

How to use the public speaking environment

Try not to get stuck in one place.
Use all the space that’s available to you.
Move around.
One way to do this is to leave your notes in one place and move to another.
If your space is confined (say a meeting room or even presenting at a table) use stronger body language to convey your message.

Technology

Speak to your audience not your slides.
Your slides are there to support you not the other way around.
Ideally, slides should be graphics and not words (people read faster than they hear and will be impatient for you to get to the next point).
If all the technology on offer fails, it’s still you they’ve come to hear.

You can learn to enjoy public speaking and become far more effective at standing in front of a group of people and delivering a potent message.

When it comes to improving your public speaking skills we have three words:

practise, practise, practise!

Jo Ellen and Robin run Impact Factory and have trained thousands of people in the art of Public Speaking for events from Wedding Speeches through to Key Note Conference Speeches.

Ace that interview By CHRISTINE JALLEH

For my INK 226 students...

Ace that interview
By CHRISTINE JALLEH

There are several things you can do to create a good impression during a job interview.

WOULD you be free for an interview next week?” Congratulations if you have just received such a phone call. For the job-seeker or the student applying for a scholarship, this is an important stage towards achieving your goal.

Now that you’ve got your foot in the door to the application process, your next step would be to convince the interviewer or interviewers that you are the candidate they are looking for.

Before you put on your colour-coordinated suit and shiny shoes, be sure that you are prepared for the interview ahead.

What is an interview?

Bruce Elder, the author of Communication Skills, defines an interview as “a meeting of persons face to face for a particular purpose in which one asks questions that the other is expected to answer.”

While interviews are still conducted to get answers to questions, today’s interviews can range from the one-to-one, panel, face-to-face, telephone to even an online chat or Starbucks café interview!

Whichever the situation, always remember that the interviewer(s) have arranged to talk with you because they like what they see on your cover letter and resume. Now, they would like to get to know you better.
Be confident: Always remember that the interviewer has arranged to talk with you because she likes what she sees on your cover letter and resume.

The first impression

The interview begins the moment you step into the room even if no questions have been asked.

Everyone gets a first glimpse of you and immediately, a first impression is formed.

Here are some common positive and negative comments after meeting a candidate:

“I think she forgot to iron her shirt!”

“Is he auditioning for American Idol? I thought we were looking for an accounts executive, not a rock star.”

“She looks so worried! I’m worried if she can do the job.”

“He looks friendlier in person. He looks so serious in his photo.”

“She looks so confident. I like her.”

Some of the comments may seem unkind but that’s the reality of first impressions.

Put your best foot forward by appearing friendly, calm and confident. Remember your parents’ advice: smile and sit up straight!

The interview

Before going to the most important part of the interview, the interviewer(s) would introduce themselves and their roles in the organisation.

Then, they will ask a few questions to put you at ease:

“Have you had your lunch?”

“So ... you’re from Penang. What are your favourite hawker foods?”

“How did you come here? Could you easily find our office?”

“You have such an unusual name. Is it a Malay name?”

Relax and answer the questions as briefly and as best as you can.

Even if these are casual questions, take note that the interviewer(s) are evaluating you and your answers.

Now is not the time to share your gastroenteritis problem or your dislike for hawker food (unless you can recommend other appetising alternatives).

Questions and answers

After the introductions, the interview will begin in full swing.

The interview is your chance to demonstrate how capable, intelligent and dedicated you are while the interviewers want to see if you’re a good fit or representative for their organisation.

Most of the questions will seek to discover your abilities, past experiences and your approach to people, tasks, responsibilities and most importantly, dealing with difficult situations.

Interview questions can be neutral:

1. Tell us about yourself.

2. What do you know about us?

3. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?

4. Who has influenced your life and why?

They can also be questions inviting positive answers:

5. Why do you think you are the right candidate for this position or scholarship?

6. Tell us about a personal achievement that makes you proud.

7. What are your strengths?

But they can also be questions inviting negative answers:

8. What are your weaknesses?

9. Tell us about a mistake that you made and what you learned from it.

10. It’s very difficult to work with different types of people. Describe an experience where you had a conflict with someone and the results of the situation.

It’s easy to look your best when you answer the neutral and positive questions but the negative questions can be the deciding factor that differentiates you from the rest.

More and more organisations are looking for people who can handle both pleasant and painful situations.

Be prepared for such questions and think it through before you give your best answer of how you positively handled that prickly situation.

Don’t forget to dazzle them with your charming personality – show them that friendly, kind or funny person your family and friends know you as.

Here are some links to:

Job interview questions and answers

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interview questionsanswers/a/interviewquest.htm 50 common job interview questions and answers

http://www.eveandersson.com/general-comments/attachment/1565/50interviewqas.pdf

Sample scholarship interview questions and answers

http://opsf.byu.edu/Advice/ScholarshipInterviewQuestions.aspx

One vs many

The one-to-one interview is still quite common but the more popular practice is the panel interview.

Even if you are expecting a one-to-one interview, be prepared to speak with a group of three or even five people.

One of my first job interviews involved talking to four people who were seated in chairs scattered across the room – thankfully, I remembered my manners and greeted each person individually. I also took care to remember each person’s name and looked at everyone when I answered their questions. Needless to say, I was hired!

You may also be interviewed in groups of three or four by a panel of interviewers. Even if you need to stand out from the other people you are interviewed with, you can still be cordial and courteous with each other.

The final flourish

The interviewer or interviewers will signal the end of the interview by asking if you have any questions.

“Does my work experience fit into the needs of the organisation at this time?”, “Are my qualifications and skills suitable for the position?” and “Is there anything I could do to improve my chances for this position?” are some questions recommended in the book Communication Skills.

Other useful questions include, “What is a typical day/week like for this position?”, “When can I expect to hear from you?”, “Will travel be required for this position?”, “Will training be provided for this position?”

In most cases, you will be asked about your expected salary and given a summary of staff benefits. Do hold off these questions until you are offered the job.

Here is a link to other suitable questions to ask during a job interview:

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interview questionsanswers/a/interviewquest2.htm

Remember to thank the interviewers for their time and follow up with a phone call or an e-mail to find out the outcome of the discussion. All the best!

Christine Jalleh is a communications specialist with a Master’s degree in English Language Studies. She blogs about communications, culture and travel at http://christinejalleh.com

Today's Quote

Motivation is what gets u started
Habits is what keeps u going

A Week Later

It has been a week since my last post! I've been busy (what a cliche excuse) with work and also because this blog can no longer accept anymore photos adds the laziness to update this blog.

Anyway, lately I've been reading a lot about our National Education Blueprint which really gives me clearer understandings on our education in general. Education is such a big agenda in our Ninth Malaysia Plan and not to forget the latest one; GTP - Government Transformation Programme.

It is really interesting to see how our government has invested a lot in education.

erkk.. this post is not going anywhere.. haha.. need to continue on my readings..

see ya!

What Should I Do?

This blog account has reached its limit for photos. It means that I can no longer upload photos (not even 1 photo actually) to this blog. 

What should I do? Are there any other ways that I can use to put photos here?

I just don't want to delete any of the photos from my previous post.

arrghhhh... !

Outstation

Where is Miszsensei? I haven't seen her for the past few days..

Owwhh.. she is outstation

That's the common usage of 'outstation' in our country and that is not how we convey the message that the person is actually out of town. So, let's see the explanation I got from Mind Our English - The Star

The word “outstation” is not used in modern standard English to mean “out of town” or “out of the capital city”, although some Malaysians use it to mean that. It was a British colonial word, when there were still main trading stations and outstations, which is defined by the OED as “a station at a distance from headquarters or from the centre of population or business.”

The modern meaning of outstation (outside Australia and New Zealand) is “a branch of an organisation situated far from its headquarters.” (Concise OED 2009)