How to get that job!

Interviews can be quite frightening but our top five tips can help you. Don’t worry — relax! Remember these things and you’ll be fine.

【小题1】

Find out exactly where the interview is and how to get there. Remember that buses and trains can often be late so allow plenty of time. It’s better to be early than late.

【小题2】

Think about what the interviewer will ask you. He or she will probably ask about your qualifications (资格) and your experience but they’ll also ask you why you want the job as well. Think of some possible questions and prepare your answers before you go.

【小题3】

If you wear something new, it will make you feel uncomfortable. It’s best to wear something smart but something you like and feel happy in.

【小题4】

In the interview, don’t sit looking at your feet. Make sure you sit up and look the interviewer in the eye. This makes you look honest and more confident.

【小题5】

It’s a good idea to ask questions at the interview. Ask about the company or the job. Prepare some questions before the interview. It makes you look more interested if you do this.

Millions of people pass through the gates of Disney’s entertainment parks in California, Florida and Japan each year. What makes these places an almost universal attraction? What makes foreign kings and queens and other important people want to visit these Disney parks? Well, one reason is the way they’re treated once they get there. The people at Disney go out of their way to serve their “guests”, as they prefer to call them, and to see that they enjoy themselves.

All new employees, from vice presidents to part-time workers, begin their employment by attending Disney University and taking “Traditions Ⅰ”. Here, they learn the company’s history, how it is managed, and why it is successful. They are shown how each department relates to the whole. All employees are shown how important their part is in making the park a success.

After passing “Traditions Ⅰ”, the employees go on to do more specialized training for their specific (具体的) jobs. No detail (细节) is missed. A simple job like taking tickets requires four eight-hour days of training. When one ticket taker was asked why it took so much training for such a simple, ordinary job, he replied, “What happens if someone wants to know where the restrooms are, when the parade starts or what bus to take to get back to the campground?...We need to know the answers or where to get them quickly. Our constant aim is to help our guests enjoy the party.”

Even Disney’s managers get involved in the daily management of the park. Every year, the managers leave their desks and business suits and put on special service clothes. For a full week, the bosses sell hot dogs or ice cream, take tickets or drive the monorail, and take up any of the 100 jobs that make the entertainment park come alive. The managers agree that this week helps them to see the company’s goals more clearly.

All these efforts to serve the public well have made Walt Disney Productions famous. Disney is considered by many as the best mass service provider in America or the world. As a long-time business observer once said, “How Disney treats people, communicates with them, rewards them, is in my view the very reason for its fifty years of success...I have watched, very carefully and with great respect and admiration, the theory and practice of selling satisfaction and serving millions of people on a daily basis successfully. They are what Disney does best.”

I am a member at the Blue Ridge Mountains Writers Conference. This is the conference where I got my start about 15 years ago, so it feels special whenever I go back there.

I usually teach multiple sessions, host a table at meals where I can talk with conferees, and often have about 40-50 private appointments with attendees. I take great pleasure in giving my personal advice on the beginners' writing journey after listening to their puzzlement.

And then I realized something, as I looked across the room and saw Al Gansky and Eva Marie Everson whom I'd had private appointments with many years ago when I was one of the conferees. The only reason I am a member there now is because countless people like them have invested in me. As a new writer, I once expressed my book ideas to Al and Eva, and they encouraged me a lot. Award-winning authors Yvonne Lehman and Steven James welcomed me to their group and shared their knowledge. And Edie, Vonda, Linda, Lynette, Michelle and so many others became my writing friends, offering encouragement and support along the way. I'd never have made it on this journey without them.

Last week, I was invited to experience the life in the countryside with some writer friends. I refused the invitation at first. I was away from home a lot because of the numerous book releases and conferences. I felt so exhausted that I just wanted to stay at home. However, my sweet husband said, "Honey, why don't you go? It will be good for you. It can be a great source of inspiration for you."I'd never have made it without the support of this precious man who's been my chief encourager. It moves me to tears to think about all the times he's cleaned the kitchen, folded the laundry, taken care of our children and lugged my suitcases to the car so I can chase my dreams.

I wouldn't be where I am today without all the supportive people and I want to give them a much-deserved shout-out today.