Neil Shek has applied for a job with ‘Big 6’, one of the biggest chain of convenience stores in the city. Today he is attending an interview, How does he get on?
Ms Chan: Good morning! Neil, isn't it? I’m Amanda Chan, the deputy Head of Human Resources here at Big Six. Please sit down.
Neil: Thank you. Yes, I’m Neil Shek.
Ms Chan: First, may I check your date of birth? March first, two thousand and one?
Neil: Yes. That’s right.
Ms Chan: Great. Now, Neil, can you tell me why you’ve applied for a part-time job with Big Six?
Neil: Of course. I’ll be quite honest. I need a part-time job to earn some extra money. I am in Form Six now and next year I will go to university. My plan is to study for one year and then take a gap year to go to Britain to travel and work. I want to start saving to finance this now and not wait until the last minute.
Ms Chan: That sounds an excellent plan, Neil. I went to Britain on a two-year working visa when I left university. I had a wonderful time and, of course, my English improved greatly. I went to Leeds, a city in the north of England. Living costs were much lower there than in London. It was a great place to live. I made many friends. I would recommend any young person to do this if they can.
Neil: I have a cousin who lives in the southeast of the country, and I’ve visited her a couple of times. I made up my mind a couple of years ago to go there and work part-time if I ever got a chance.
Ms Chan: The Working Holiday Visa is an excellent scheme. I hope it works out for you. Now, your Head of Year at school has given you an excellent reference. She says you are a very honest and hard-working young man. What do you intend to study at university?
Neil: English and economics or finance. Something like that.
Ms Chan: Why would you like a part-time job in a convenience store? Why have you applied to us?
Neil: Well, I like working with people. The Big Sixes that I go into are always busy, so I don’t think there would be any chance that someone working there would be bored.
Ms Chan: You would have other things to do besides deal with customers. You would have to unload and pack stock and keep the shop neat and tidy.
Neil: I think the Big Six convenience stores are the best in town. I have seen the assistants always arranging the stock neatly on the shelves when there aren't customers in the shop. I am a very neat person myself. I can’t stand mess.
Ms Chan: That’s very good. Now, what about hours? You know that most of our shops are open twenty-four hours a day. You might not always get a day shift.
Neil: Yes. I wouldn't mind working a night shift when I can. The hours I can offer at the moment would be at the weekends and evenings.
Ms Chan: If we offer you a part-time job, would you consider continuing to work with us when you start university?
Neil: Yes, of course. I will be going to a local university, so that won’t be a problem.
Ms Chan: We might not be able to offer you a job in a store near where you live. And we might ask you to move around from store to store if the need arises.
Neil: I don’t see that as a problem, either. Public transport in Hong Kong is good, so working in different areas wouldn’t be difficult for me.
Ms Chan: Now, tell me about what you do in your spare time. What hobbies do you have? How do you spend your leisure time?