(Lesson Title)



How to Make a Positive First Impression

|CLB Level: 3 to 5 |Method: #1 Why is a first impression important? |

| |1. Group discussion: Brainstorm and write answers on the board. What are job interviews like in |

|Essential Skills Focus: |your country? In Canada? Compare and contrast. Do you need to make a good impression for |

|Oral communication (discussion, small talk) |both? |

|Working with others |2. Use a scale from 1-10. Draw it on the board. 1 is a bad first impression while 10 is a good|

|Thinking skills (cultural differences, |first impression. Why do you need to make a good first impression? |

|Canadian job culture) |3. Discuss briefly a few things involved in making a good first impression. Use notes 1-8 on |

| |attached Teacher Information page. Refer to the scale and ask questions, for example, what if |

|Task: Participate in various activities to |you chew gum at your interview? What if you wear jeans? What if you arrive late? |

|learn how to make a good impression at a job| |

|interview |#2 How should I dress? |

| |1. Have the students work in pairs to complete the exercise in Looking for Work in Canada Part |

|Purpose: Students will |2 Handouts, page 25 |

|understand how to: | |

|dress appropriately for a Canadian job |as well as Practice Sheet 1 attached to this unit plan. |

|interview |Correct as a group and discuss reasons why the person would be giving a positive or negative |

|give a firm handshake |impression. Use the rating scale as a visual aid. |

|make good eye contact with an interviewer |2. Have the students discuss what they would wear to a job interview with a partner. |

|make small talk with an interviewer at the | |

|beginning of an interview |#3 When do I arrive? |

|use correct body language at an interview |1. Discuss the importance of arriving early and the consequences of arriving late for an |

|Students will understand when to arrive at a|interview. Brainstorm ideas that would help students to arrive on time for an interview; for |

|job interview. |example, picking your clothes out the night before or making sure you know which bus to take. |

|Students will understand what to bring to a | |

|job interview. |#4 Why do I need to shake hands? |

| |1. Discuss the importance of shaking hands with an interviewer. Use a volunteer or a student to|

|Materials: Worksheets attached to this |model a correct handshake for the class. Show students the correct grip (hands lock between the|

|lesson |thumb and forefinger). Shake hands with all of your students. If their grip is too soft, |

| |gently squeeze their hand so they can feel a firm grip. |

|Learning Style: Auditory, visual, tactile |2. Divide the class into 2 lines and have them practice handshakes and formal greetings by going|

| |through the “receiving line” shaking hands and saying “Nice to meet you”, “Nice to meet you |

|Time: One week |too”. |

| | |

| | |

| |#5 Why do I have to make eye contact? |

| |#7 What is the correct body language for an interview? |

| |1. Use the video series Looking for Work in Canada |

| | |

| |Part 3 Handouts pages 24, 25 |

| |2. Watch Looking for Work in Canada (The Interview). Look at the body language of the |

| |applicants in the video. Have students use the 1-10 scale to rate the applicants’ eye contact |

| |and body language. |

| | |

| |#6 What is small talk? Why is it important for me to be able to do this correctly? |

| |1. Hand out Small Talk Practice Sheet 2 attached to this unit plan. Discuss posssible answers |

| |with students reminding them that they must make a good first impression with their answers. |

| |Tell the students that if the interviewer asks about the weather and it is an awful day, it is |

| |important that they remain positive by saying, “I don’t mind the weather.” Complaining about |

| |the weather could be seen as a negative. It is important that the student remains as positive |

| |as possible. The best advice to give students is to not accept coffee or tea as this could |

| |become a problem, particularly when students are looking for their resumes or worse yet the |

| |interviewer must spend interview time making coffee for the student. Culturally, during an |

| |interview, the interviewer will ask if you want a beverage to be polite, but does not really |

| |expect you to accept. |

| |2. Practice small talk with a partner. |

| |3. Do Small Talk Practice Sheet 3 cloze exercise. |

| | |

| |#8 What should I bring to the interview? |

| |1. Brainstorm with students what they think they should bring to the interview. This can be |

| |done as a whole class or in small groups. |

| |2. Tell the students what they should bring. Ask them to give a reason why. For example, Why |

| |should you bring a transit guide? |

| | |

| |Follow Up: #2. How should I dress? |

| |Have a Job Interview Day. Students can wear what they would wear for an interview to school. |

| |Students can cut pictures of correct interview attire from clothing flyers and make collages or |

| |posters. |

| |As a review, divide chart paper into two columns: one men and the other women. Have the |

| |students work in groups to put correct dress under each heading. |

| | |

| |Part 3 Handouts page 31 for another practice paper on proper dress. |

| | |

| |#3. When do I arrive? |

| |Give students the name and address of a company where they will be having an imaginary interview|

| |at 11:00 a.m. Have students plan how they are going to get there from their houses or |

| |apartments using a street or transit map. If students would be leaving from school, have them |

| |work in pairs or groups to find a bus or car route from the school to the company. |

| | |

| |#6. What is small talk? Why is it important for me to be able to do this correctly? |

| |Small talk can be a very stressful part of the interview. To recreate a little of that stress, |

| |ask students various small talk questions at the beginning of each class so that they become |

| |more automatic with their responses. Explain your reasoning behind this activity. It is better|

| |to make any errors in class, than at the interview when the interviewer is checking their |

| |English. Vary your tone and speed. Have students listen carefully for coffee or copy. This is|

| |a common mistake students may make. |

| | |

| |Debrief/Transfer: |

| |Debrief daily with students. |

| |What essential skills did you cover in this activity? |

| |How do you think you will apply these skills at a job interview? |

| |Do you think you can use any of this information in another situation other than a job |

| |interview? For example, making eye contact, shaking hands, small talk, etc. |

| | |

| |The hope is that students will use the knowledge gained in these lessons and transfer it to a |

| |real job interview to make a positive first impression. |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

Information for Teachers

Notes: Job interview culture and its nuances are generally difficult even for people born in Canada. What is the correct answer? How will my answer be interpreted? What is the interviewer really asking me? Is this a legal question? Interview questions are created for people who are fluent in English. Very few employers have cross-cultural training or EAL skills to deal with low level English speakers. There is little we can do to change Canadian interview culture, but we can prepare our students to better face this challenge.

1. Why is a first impression important?

When you meet someone for the first time, you give an impression to the other person that they may perceive as either good or bad. The goal of an interview is for the applicant to make a good first impression, particularly in areas where he or she has a lot of control such as appearance, body language, eye contact, facial expressions, and a firm handshake. Most interviewers know if they like you or not within the first five minutes of the interview.

2. How should I dress?

Try to dress conservatively. Make sure clothing is clean, neat, and pressed. Avoid loud colours like yellow and orange. Dark colours like brown, black and blue are best. Make sure that hair is neat and cut. Ensure that fingernails are cut and clean. Never wear perfume or cologne. Interviewers may have allergies. Avoid too much jewelry. Interviewers may think you really don’t need the money. Men should always shave before an interview or trim moustaches or beards. Women should avoid high heels and tight fitting clothing as well as blouses that are cut too low. If wearing a skirt, make sure that it comes below the knee. Don’t wear too much makeup or loud fingernail polish. If you are going for an interview at a restaurant or factory, don’t wear fake nails and tie long hair back. The employer will not have to worry about your hair and nails going into the food or getting caught in a machine. Never wear jeans or a T-shirt to an interview. Later, if you are hired, you will be allowed to dress for the kind of work you will be doing.

3. When do I arrive?

You should arrive a minimum of 15 minutes before the interview. If you are late, you are unlikely to get the job. You should know where you are going and how you are getting there well before the interview. It is a good idea to practice going there beforehand.

4. Why do I need to shake hands?

Handshaking is a vital part of greeting in Canadian culture, especially when meeting someone for the first time. A handshake should be firm for both men and women. A soft handshake can give the impression that you are not strong or not a hard worker. Also, students need to understand that handshaking is a commonly accepted practice between genders. It is important that if you do not shake hands for religious reasons, never refuse to shake hands without an apology and reason why, particularly, if this is with an interviewer.

5. Why do I have to make eye contact?

Students may come from a culture where eye contact is disrespectful, particularly between genders. In Canada, eye contact is a sign of confidence and interest. A person not making eye contact may be perceived as distrustful or having something to hide. If a student really has difficulty looking into the interviewer’s eyes, they should try to look at the areas around the eyes like the nose, forehead, etc. Do not stare!

6. What is small talk? Why is it important for me to be able to do this correctly?

Small talk is used at the beginning of an interview to greet, gain some information about you, and check your English skills. Answering the interviewer’s questions using incorrect grammar or not even understanding the interviewer’s questions can lead to a negative impression. Practicing small talk is worthwhile as you want and need to make that good first impression.

7. What is the correct body language for an interview?

Only sit down in an interview when asked. Try to wait for the boss to sit down first. Sit facing the interviewer and lean forward a little to show that you are interested in the conversation. Smile to show that you are a friendly person. Watch out for and try to avoid nervous tendencies like playing with your hair, jewelry, or fingernails. Don’t cross your arms, as this will make you appear angry and closed. Never swing your legs or tap your fingers on a desk. Do not chew gum.

8. What should I bring to the interview?

It is important that paperwork be neat and in order. Pages with dog-ears, creases, and smudges will certainly not impress the interviewer. Always carry papers in a folder to prevent these mishaps. Bring the following materials to an interview:

• A minimum of 3 copies of your resume (one for you, one for the interviewer, and one just in case there is a second interviewer.) Of course the interviewer has your resume because you attached it to your application form or sent it in, but he or she will often ask you again for a copy to see if you are organized and prepared.

• At least 3 copies of your references

• Copies of any reference letters, performance evaluations, professional credentials or certificates

• Any information that you have found out about the company from their website or newsletter

• Map/transit guide (in case the interviewer suggests that you go to tour the job site)

• Dictionary (in case you need to fill out any forms)

• Pen and paper

• List of questions to ask the interviewer

The Job Interview

An employer knows in the first 5 minutes if you will be hired. Some things are okay to say and some things are not.

1. I would really like a cup of coffee.

2. I hate the cold weather!

3. I love your sweater.

4. It’s very nice to meet you.

5. Sorry, I’m late.

6. Your directions were good.

7. I brought my resume and references with me.

8. It took a long time to get here from my house.

9. Can you show me where the washroom is?

10. I have a bad cold.

Small Talk

Practice

1. Hello, how are you?

2. How’s the weather?

3. How were my directions?

4. How did you come today?

5. How long did it take?

6. How was the traffic?

7. Do you have a copy of your resume and references?

8. Would you like some coffee or tea?

9. Please sit down.

10. Nice to meet you.

Small Talk

Write in the missing words.

1. Hello, how are you?

I am ___________, and ___________?

2. How’s the weather?

I don’t _________________the weather.

It’s very ___________________outside.

3. How were my directions?

Your directions _________ good. I had no _____________.

4. How did you come today?

By ____________.

5. How long did it take?

Not ____________.

6. Do you have a copy of your resume and references?

Yes, I ___.

7. Would you like some coffee or tea?

______, thank you.

8. Please sit down.

_____________ very much.

9. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you ________.

Good Impression or Bad Impression?

Read the sentence. Does this give a good impression or a bad impression? Check the correct box.

| |Good |Bad |

|1. Look the interviewer in the eyes | | |

|2. Don’t smile | | |

|3. Come late | | |

|4. Ask where the washroom is | | |

|5. Forget your resume | | |

|6. Wear lots of perfume or cologne | | |

|7. Sit down before the boss | | |

|8. Wear lots of make-up | | |

|9. Ask questions about the job | | |

|10. Shake hands firmly | | |

|11. Talk badly about your last boss | | |

|12. Wear jeans | | |

|13. Use deodorant | | |

|14. Chew gum | | |

|15. Say “thank you for your time” to the | | |

|interviewer at the end of the interview | | |

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