تعلم الإنجليزية - الحلقة 91: كيف تطلب توصية للعمل

Close-up shot of woman looking at online job search website on her laptop

To job hunt is to look for a new job. Credit: whitebalance.space/Getty Images

تعرف على طرق مهذبة لطلب توصية للعمل من المديرين أو الزملاء.


للاستماع إلى أحدث التقارير الصوتية والبودكاست، اضغطوا على الرابط التالي.

SBS Learn English تساعدكم على التحدث والفهم والتواصل مع الآخرين في أستراليا بحلقاتها العديدة التي يمكن متابعتها عبر هذا الرابط.

هذا الدرس مفيد للمتعلمين من المستوى المتوسط. بعد الاستماع للحلقة اختبروا معلوماتكم من خلال هذا الاختبار.

ملاحظات التعلم

هدف الدرس:

تعرف على طرق مهذبة لطلب توصية للعمل من المديرين أو الزملاء.

عبارات مختلفة يمكنك استخدامها عند طلب توصية للعمل:
  • Could I list you as a reference on my job application?
  • Would you mind being a reference for me?
  • I wanted to ask if you would feel comfortable providing a reference for me?
  • I was wondering if you would be willing to serve as a referee for me?
  • Can I use your name as a reference?
  • I’d really appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me. Would it be okay if I passed on your mobile number?
  • Could you pass on my resumé to the hiring manager?
  • If possible, please mention my ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.
  • I’d appreciate it if you could talk about my communication skills.
  • It would be very helpful if you could focus on my experience with client relations.
تعبيرات عامية:

أن تُعبِّر عن نفسك ونجاحاتك بفخر يُقال عنه to toot your own horn أو to blow your own trumpet.

أما to job hunt، فتعني البحث عن فرصة عمل جديدة.

وعندما تريد الاطمئنان على أحد أو التواصل معه للاطلاع على حاله، فإنك تقوم بـ to touch base with someone.

وإذا أردت أن تساعد شخصًا بالحصول على فرصة من خلال مدحه أمام الآخرين، فأنت تقوم بـ to put in a good word for someone.

أما to pass on، فتعني أن تنقل أو تُشارك معلومة ما مع شخص آخر.


مصطلحات:

في سياق التقدُّم لوظيفة، فإن a job referee هو الشخص الذي يمكنه التحدُّث عن خبرتك المهنية، ومهاراتك، وطبيعة شخصيتك.

أما a reference فهي الرأي الذي يقدّمه هذا الشخص حول مدى ملاءمتك للوظيفة المطلوبة.

الفعل to fix up يعني التأكد من أن الأمور مُنجزة بشكل صحيح ومُحدَّثة.

نستخدم التعبير feel free عندما نمنح شخصًا الإذن أو الحرية للقيام بشيء ما.

وفي سياق هذه الحلقة، تعني highlight أن تركز أو تتحدث بتفصيل أكبر عن شيء مهم – مثل مهاراتك أو خبرتك أو نقاط قوتك.

نقاط يجب التركيز عليها:

طلب شيء من شخصٍ ما قد يكون أمرًا معقّدًا، خاصة إذا كان هذا الشخص هو مديرك في العمل أو شخصًا لا تعرفه جيدًا. ومن الصعب أحيانًا معرفة كيف توازن بين الأسلوب المهذّب والنبرة الودّية، وخصوصًا في أستراليا، حيث يستخدم الناس لغة غير رسمية حتى في أماكن العمل.

وقد يكون من الصعب أيضًا معرفة مدى استعداد الشخص لتلبية طلبك، أي: هل هو ‘little ask’ (طلب بسيط وسهل بالنسبة له)، أم ‘big ask’ (طلب صعب أو يستغرق وقتًا وجهدًا أكبر).

وغالبًا، كلّما كان الطلب أكبر، وجب أن يكون أسلوبنا أكثر لباقة. في النص نلاحظ عددًا من الصيغ المختلفة لتقديم الطلب، ويتغيّر شكل الفعل بحسب العبارة المستخدمة:

Could I list you as a referee?
(الصيغة: could + I/you + الفعل)

Would it be okay if I passed on...?
(الصيغة: would it be ok if + I/you + الفعل بصيغة الماضي)

Can you put in a good word for me?
(الصيغة: can + you + الفعل)

هذه الصيغ تُستخدم عند تقديم طلب بسيط لشخص مقرّب:

Would you mind being a referee for me?
(الصيغة: would + you + mind + الفعل مضافًا إليه ing)

وهذه صيغة أكثر رسمية:

I wanted to ask if you would feel comfortable providing a reference for me?
(الصيغة: I + wanted + to ask if + you + would + be comfortable with / be able to…)

I was wondering if you would be willing to serve as a referee for me.
(الصيغة: I + was wondering if + you + would + be willing to…)

وهذه الطلبات تميل إلى الرسمية أكثر، وتُظهر إدراكًا من المتحدّث أن طلبه قد يكون من النوع الثقيل ‘bigger ask’. لاحظ أن العبارات التمهيدية تُستخدم بصيغة الماضي، مما يجعل الأسلوب أكثر تهذيبًا:

I’d really appreciate it if you could…
(الصيغة: I + would + really appreciate it if + you + could)

وهذه أيضًا صيغة رسمية مهذّبة لطلب شيء ما، لكنها تتضمّن نوعًا من التوقع بالموافقة، أي أن المتحدث يفترض أن الشخص المطلوب منه سيتجاوب بشكل إيجابي.

يمكنكم قراءة نص المحادثة كاملا باللغة الإنجليزية من خلال هذا الرابط.

أكملوا الحوار على حساباتنا على فيسبوك وانستغرام.

اشتركوا في قناة SBS Arabic على YouTube لتشاهدوا أحدث القصص والأخبار الأسترالية.

spk_0

Learning English helps me to progress my career, absolutely.

spk_1

SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways throughout Australia.

Josipa

Resume, cover letter..

Josipa

reasons why I want to work here...

Josipa

references...

Josipa

Applying for a job can be a long and difficult process and involve a lot of writing.

Josipa

Hi everyone. My name is Josipa, and I have a friend, Julia, who finds one part of the whole job application process especially hard, asking someone to give her a reference. A referee is someone who can speak about your work experience, skills, and character when you apply for a job.

Josipa

This person could be your former manager or boss, a co-worker, a teacher if you haven't worked before, or someone who has seen you work, and what they say or write about you is called a reference.

Josipa

Now, Julia's feeling a bit unsure. She doesn't want to bother anyone. She's also not very good at tooting her own horn. That means talking proudly about yourself and your achievements. To be honest, I also find it hard to toot my own horn or blow my own trumpet, as some people say.

Josipa

We use these phrases - 'to toot your own horn', or 'to blow your own trumpet' because a long time ago, people used horns or trumpets to announce something important.

Josipa

So if you toot your own horn, you're basically announcing your success, like saying, 'Hey, look at me, I did something great!' But when you're applying for a job, of course, it's important to be able to talk confidently about your own skills, but you also need to have other people talk about your strengths as a professional. So in this episode, we are going to help Julia.

Josipa

And maybe help you to, to practice how to ask for a job reference.

Josipa

Alan is on the hunt, job hunting that is. That means he's looking for a new job. He's written his resume, fixed up his cover letter, and now, well, now he needs a reference. By the way, to fix up something means to make sure it is accurate and up to date. OK, so let's check in with Alan and see how he's going.

Allan

Claire, could I list you as a referee on my job application? Of course.

Claire

Feel free to put me down as a referee. Thanks.

Allan

I'd really appreciate it if you put in a good word for me. Would it be OK if I passed on your details?

Claire

Absolutely. Would you like me to highlight anything specific if they contact me?

Josipa

Claire is such a great colleague. She's not only helpful, but she also offered to make her recommendation fit the job. We all need a colleague like that, don't we?

Josipa

But what if you, like my friend Julia, don't know how to ask someone to be a referee? Don't worry, we've got you. Let's look at some simple and polite ways to ask someone to give you a reference for a job. We could use the example Alan gave us when he said.

Allan

Could I list you as a referee on my job application?

Josipa

This is a polite yet casual way of asking for a reference. If you want to sound even more friendly, you could say.

Claire

Would you mind being a referee for me?

Josipa

But what if you want to ask your boss or someone you have to be a little bit more formal with to be a referee? In that case, you'll want to sound a bit more professional. So you could say something like this.

Allan

I wanted to ask if you would feel comfortable providing a reference for me.

Josipa

Let me give you another formal example you can use when asking someone to be a referee for you.

Claire

I was wondering if you would be willing to serve as a referee for me. I would greatly appreciate your support.

Josipa

From the dialogue, we learned that Claire is willing to be Alan's reference because she said.

Claire

Of course. Feel free to use my name.

Josipa

We say 'feel free' when we want to give someone permission to do something. For example, if you have an idea for a topic you'd like us to cover in this podcast, feel free to contact me about it.

Allan

Thanks. I'd really appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me.

Allan

Would it be OK if I passed on your details?

Josipa

I'd really appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me. To put in a good word for someone means to say positive things about them, to help them get a job, or take up some sort of opportunity. It's like telling someone, this person is great and you should give them a chance.

Josipa

Maybe, maybe you recently completed a project with people outside your office and it went really well. You want to make sure that your manager knows that you have done good work and so you can ask them.

Claire

Can you put in a good word with my manager about the work I've done?

Josipa

Alan also said.

Allan

Would it be OK if I passed on your details?

Josipa

To pass on means to give or share information with someone else. In this context, details refer to contact information such as your phone number or email address. Now, let's say Alan wants to apply for a different job in his company. He could ask Claire, his supervisor.

Allan

Could you pass on my resume to the hiring manager?

Josipa

You can use the phrase pass on in friendly conversations as well, not just at work. Let's say you want to say something to my friend Julia, I could say that I'll be happy to pass on your message.

Josipa

At the end of the dialogue, Claire asked.

Claire

Would you like me to highlight anything specific if they contact me?

Josipa

In this case, 'highlight' means to focus on or talk more about something important like your skills, experience, or strengths. So Claire is asking Allan if there's anything specific he wants her to mention when someone contacts her for a reference.

Josipa

But let's say your job reference isn't as thoughtful as Claire, and they don't ask if there's anything specific they should mention. You still want them to focus on something important, right? In that case, you could say something like.

Allan

If possible, please mention my ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines, or?

Josipa

I'd appreciate if you could talk about my communication skills, or

Claire

It would be very helpful if you could focus on my experience with customers.

Josipa

In professional context, using the phrases like if possible please, or I'd appreciate it if, or it would be very helpful if, can make your request sound polite and respectful.

Josipa

For example, you could say, if possible, please mention my experience managing projects, or I'd appreciate it if you could highlight my communication skills. These expressions help you ask for something clearly without sounding too direct or demanding.

Josipa

Now I hope you don't think I'm being too demanding. That means asking for a lot or being strict by asking you to listen to our dialogue again. After all, the dialogue will make a lot more sense now that we have explored the key phrases together. So let's listen to it again.

Allan

Claire, could I list you as a referee on my job application? Of course.

Claire

Feel free to put me down as a referee. Thanks.

Allan

I'd really appreciate it if you put in a good word for me. Would it be OK if I passed on your details?

Claire

Absolutely. Would you like me to highlight anything specific if they contact me?

Josipa

You might have noticed I've been away for the past few episodes, but my amazing colleague Kate Onomichi, jumped in and did a fantastic job hosting the podcast. Don't you think?

Josipa

Before I came back, Kate left me a little note. She said she asked one of our talent acquisition specialists here at SBS, Vidya Griffin, for some tips about job reference. Let's hear what Vydya had to say.

Kate

So when I moved back to Australia a few years ago, I really struggled to find a referee because anyone who knew me in a professional settings, um, were based overseas. So, for those that are just starting their career journey in Australia, can they consider nominating referees based overseas or, um, their family members or friends that are based in Australia?

Vidya

If you do have network outside of Australia, it would be something that could have value, but if there is, if you're based in Australia and you want to uh come and become part of the professional, um, you know, a professional area, I would strongly recommend to spread uh your network and leverage that. It could be through a university course that someone knows you or working on a separate project or even an industry even that you have collaborated.

Vidya

And maybe asking them about, hey, we've we've had an engagement and we have had a chat and opportunity to know me as an individual, uh, would you be open to refer me and be a part of, um, you know, part of my career journey, that could be one of the lines to think of. Uh, of course, it could be a professor who has seen you working on a project or even someone who has worked closely in in a very different volunteering arrangement or um or you know.

Vidya

You know, setting where it was not, um, it was not a paid rule, but it was an opportunity for you to apply your skills truly and help an organization or an event or an agenda to move forward. So do look for those avenues. So those can be your reference, have that as your, uh, have them on your side to be.

Vidya

and and include them in your career journey.

Kate

Based on your experience, what are some of the common misunderstandings or mistakes candidates tend to make when when it comes to asking for references?

Vidya

A lot of them, firstly, the main one they make is not asking the right person the question, uh, to be a referer. Uh, and when I say that, I mean, um, you know, it could be from

Vidya

Someone who has not observed your work closely. We're looking for someone who has worked with you closely can speak for you in terms of what you brought in a professional capacity or even if you were in an academic um environment, have they had a chance to look closely at what your achievements, your strengths, your development areas are? Are they able to speak about

Vidya

Uh, you know what you should be looked at as the next employee. So finding that why, why you have chosen and making sure that that's the right person that you're contacting is critical and also notifying them beforehand so that they're not surprised and

Vidya

And misplaced when you know they have been reached out and they're not able to bring value to the conversation, so that those are big hindrances that I see in a lot of candidates fail to to make and that's why it's important that you notify beforehand.

Josipa

That was Kate Onomichi chatting with Vidya Griffin. Now it's your turn to practice. See if you remember the meaning before hearing the answer. What does it mean to toot your own horn?

Allan

To toot your own horn or to blow your own trumpet means to talk proudly about yourself and your achievements.

Josipa

What does it mean to put in a good word?

Claire

To put in a good word for someone means to say positive things about them, to help them get a job or some sort of opportunity.

Josipa

And now, let's practice asking for a job reference.

Allan

Could I list you as a reference on my job application?

Claire

I wanted to ask if you would feel comfortable providing a reference for me.

Allan

Would you mind being a reference for me?

Josipa

For more speaking practice, feel free to press play on our bonus episode and make sure you follow us on Instagram and Facebook, where we have more resources. You can also put a good word in for me in the comment section if you feel like it. You don't know how to find us. Just search for SBS Learn English. I'm Josipa. Thank you for learning English with me today.

END OF TRANSCRIPT

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