第十一部分：个人兴趣和爱好(1～5问)

        问：除了工作之外，告诉我一项几年来你一直对其保持兴趣的活动。

?　答：自从我祖母死于癌症，我就一直参与癌症协会资金筹集的工作。在我内心深处，我希望研究工作有所突破，以便及时挽救我家其他人的生命。

　　在这里，面试官想在应聘者身上寻找出持之以恒的精神和对兴趣从一而终的经历。你的爱好是否只维持了短短一段时间，或者你的兴趣每年都不同？你的兴趣与你所申请的工作是否一致?它们是否在某方面对公司有利呢？??

　　Q:Other than work, tell me about an activity you've remained interested in over several years.

　　A:I?ve been involved in Cancer Society fundraising ever since my grandmother died from the disease. In the back of my mind I guess I?m hoping that the research can lead to findings in time to save the life of someone else in my family.??

　　问：你在业余的时间里会做些什么？?

　　答：我实在很喜欢外出——我经常去露营和远足，因此我对不同种类的布料有一定的认识，了解到不同的布料适合于不同的气候环境，这也是为什么我对你们纺织公司如此感兴趣的原因。

　　面试官希望你是个全能型人才，而不是只有某方面的能力，他也在寻找彼此共同的兴趣或者相一致的地方。你总是应该在某种程度上把你的回答和该工作的要求联系起来。??

　　Q:What do you do in your spare time?

　　A:I really enjoy getting outside—I often go camping and hiking. I've learned a lot about different fabrics¹ that are good for various weather conditions. That's why I'm so interested in your textile operations.?

　　问：你的生活方式健康吗？?

　　答：我每周两次挤出时间休息。下班回家后我就带着狗出去散步，那是使我最放松的事情之一，它还有助我想出工作中出现的难题的解决方法，尽管我不是有意识地去想着解决这些难题。

　　你有发泄情感、能从工作中获得休息，以便每天都能以新面貌出现且以最佳的状态去工作的方法吗？描述一些能让你放松的具体事情。从逻辑角度或思维过程看来，你的个人兴趣与职业兴趣相一致吗？??

　　Qo you have a balanced lifestyle?

　　A:I make an effort to get out of the office at a reasonable hour twice a week. I go home and walk my dog. That?s one of the most relaxing things I do, but it often helps me think of solutions for problems at work, even though I'm not consciously trying to solve those problems.??

　　问：什么业余活动能增进你的工作兴趣？?

　　答：我一直都很喜欢打网球。在许多方面，这是一种讲究策略和速度的运动。当某种策略在第一局中不起作用的时候，你必须在第二局中改变它。你还必须保存体力准备进入第三局，而且要不断地观察和了解对手的反应。我是个坚毅的网球手——有时我力争拿高分——不过我会小心掌握时间。这也是我的工作方法。

　　面试官有兴趣知道，应聘者的个性是否在工作和业余活动中都反映出来。你对这个问题的回答会清楚地反映你的个性，也很可能反映你与该工作的相容性。

　　Q:What outside activities complement² your work?interests?

　　A:I?ve always enjoyed tennis. In many ways it's a game of strategy and pacing. When something isn?t working in the first set, you have to change your strategy for the second set. You also have to pace your energy in case you go to a third set, and constantly watch and read your opponent's reactions. I'm a gutsy tennis player—I go for the big points sometimes?but I'm careful with timing³. That?s the way I am at work, too.??

　　问：谈谈你在业余消遣时所获得的对你工作有帮助的构思。?

　　答：我在墨西哥度假时曾见过一个女人使用一块自制的跷跷板，当她要把篮子里的衣服拿出来洗时，她就用这块跷跷板把篮子提起来。这使我想出一个制造新型支架的主意。上班后，我把支架设计出来了，现在我们的彻砖工人都配有一个及腰的旋转工作台来运送材料，这样就可以减轻背部疲劳。

　　面试官想知道你是否有综合处理信息和把你所见到的应用到工作上的能力。要表现出你对该工作有天生的兴趣，而非不得已而为之。你能否能突破陈规而得出新的办法呢？一定要举些具体的例子。??

　　Q:Tell me about a time you were in a recreational setting and got an idea that helped in your work.

　　A:I was on vacation in Mexico and saw a woman with a homemade seesaw⁴ she was using to lift her laundry basket when she needed something out of it. It gave me an idea for a new type of scaffolding, which I designed when I got back to work. Now our brick masons have a rotating bench that keeps their materials at waist level, which reduces back fatigue⁵.?