Conversation 27

Listen to a conversation between a student and an HR interviewer.

Student: Good morning! I have an appointment at ten? My name is Sampson?

Interviewer: Hi, good morning! Yes, Mr Sampson, please sit down. Thank you for coming. Now: could I just get some basic information from you first, please? Your name is, uh, Garth Sampson?

S: Yes, that’s right.

I: S-A-M-S….

S: No, that’s S-A-M-P-S…O-N.

I: Sorry. And you’re graduating this year?

S: Yes.

I: And your major is…?

S: Computer Science. I’ll be getting my BSc in Computer Science.

I: Good. This May, right?

S: Yes, right.

I: And your mailing address?

S: That’s Box 648 University Station, Vancouver V8G 2R9

I: …V8G 2R9… and your email and cellphone?

S: GSampson@coolmail.ca….

I: ….@coolmail.ca….

S: …and 090-555-6269

I: …6269. Great! And you’re a Canadian citizen?

S: Yes, I am.

I: Good. OK, that’s all I really need right now. Now, you said you’ll be getting your bachelor’s in computer science. Why did you choose that field?

S: Oh, wow- I’ve never thought of any other career for myself. I’ve always been into computers, ever since I was in elementary school. My father bought me my first one, a used, uh, Apple MacIntosh, when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been sitting in front of a computer ever since. I, uh, got interested in how they work, you know, and, well, I kind of tore that old Mac SE apart circuit by circuit when it died.

I: Oh, you have good mechanical skills, then?

S: (laughs) No, I’m afraid not! I made a real mess of the Mac. I’m, I’m all thumbs, actually- but it satisfied my curiosity. I’m more interested in software programming now.

I: Well, we certainly always have a need for good programmers. What programming courses have you taken here?

S: Actually, I didn’t, uh, start here at UBC. I transferred in from Corolla College. It’s a community college. I took their two-year diploma in Computing. I had Visual Basic and Cobol there.

I: How were your grades?

S: Oh, good! Those courses were really exciting for me. I got As in both of them. And, um, then here at UBC, I’ve taken Oracle and C-and-C++ programming. So I think I’ve got a solid background in computer languages now.

I: Have you done much programming?

S: You mean outside the classes? Uh, well, no, I wouldn’t say so, really. Just my class projects. My father was interested in building an oddsmaking program for horse racing, and I helped him put that together, but I’ve never down any real, um, commercial work of any kind.

I: Horse racing? (laughs) Does it work?

S: Well…yeah, the program runs OK. But he hasn’t had much luck at the track yet. I think the problem is his input data. (laughs)

I: (laughs) I see. Well now, at IT Solutions, we have two divisions I think you might be interested in. Our Industrial Systems Division is doing a lot of work right now in nano-programming, with a lot of potential in, uh, medicine, and also in, um, aeronautics. They’re into some real cutting-edge stuff there…

S: Gee, that sounds intriguing- capsule computers and all that, eh?

I: Yes, that’s right. And our Consumer Software Division is busy now, um, trying to get the last bugs out of our new wristband cellphone. We’re about ready to hit the market with it, so there’s a lot of activity going on there these days.

S: Almost out? That’s great! I’ve been waiting to get my hands on one of those. After all the hype, I hope we’re not going to be disappointed.

I: (laughs) No, I guarantee you won’t! It’s going to be a real eye-opener. And maybe we can get you involved with the next generation.

S: Really? That would be something!

I: But what we’d like you to do first is get your transcripts sent in to us. Here- here’s my card. Just have them snailed to this address and to my attention. Oh- sorry, my name’s Ed Freeberg…here.

S: OK, sure! I’ll run over to the Registrar’s and have that done right away.

I: And then we’d like you to come in to our offices sometime in the next couple of weeks to, uh, you know, just have a look around and have a chance to talk to some of the division staff and HR people. How does that sound?

S: That sounds great, Mr Freeberg. Thank you.

I: Good! Well, uh, what would be a good day for you, do you think?

S: Uh…lessee… um, next Tuesday or Thursday would be real good. I’ve got no classes those days right now.

I: Ah. OK then…. how about the… fifteenth, Thursday, at, say… ten o’clock?

S: Thursday. Ten a.m. Yes, that’s fine.

I: And if you will just come to the Main Reception- here, at this address- and ask for me, that’s Ed Freeberg- they’ll let me know you’re there, and I’ll come down and get you.

S: OK, great! I’ll be there. Thank you very much.

I: And thanks for coming in to see us. You may have a great future with IT Solutions.

S: I hope so! (laughs) Thank you.

I: See you next Thursday, then. Goodbye.

S: Goodbye.