HSK 4 · Lesson 6我来应聘 I’m here about the job

Looking for a job: vacancies, interviews, pay. 不仅 / 不光…还 / 而且… “not only…, but also…”, 要是…就… “if…, then…”, …否则… “otherwise”.

Speed:Male voice:

Dialogues

The job advert

A
你看，这家公司在招聘翻译。
Nǐ kàn, zhè jiā gōngsī zài zhāopìn fānyì.
Look, this company is hiring a translator.
B
有什么条件？
Yǒu shénme tiáojiàn?
What are the requirements?
A
要求本科毕业，不仅要会说汉语，而且要有两年工作经验。
Yāoqiú běnkē bìyè, bùjǐn yào huì shuō Hànyǔ, érqiě yào yǒu liǎng nián gōngzuò jīngyàn.
A bachelor’s degree, and not only Chinese but also two years’ work experience.
B
我目前没有经验，只在工厂打过工。
Wǒ mùqián méiyǒu jīngyàn, zhǐ zài gōngchǎng dǎguo gōng.
I have no experience yet — I’ve only had a part-time job at a factory.
A
没关系，你的能力很强。要是不去应聘，就一点儿机会也没有。
Méi guānxi, nǐ de nénglì hěn qiáng. Yàoshi bú qù yìngpìn, jiù yìdiǎnr jīhuì yě méiyǒu.
Never mind, you’re very capable. If you don’t apply, you’ll have no chance at all.
B
好吧。工资怎么样？
Hǎo ba. Gōngzī zěnmeyàng?
All right. What’s the pay like?
A
广告上没写，面试的时候你可以问。
Guǎnggào shang méi xiě, miànshì de shíhou nǐ kěyǐ wèn.
The ad doesn’t say — you can ask at the interview.

The interview

A
请先填写这张表格，写上你的详细资料。
Qǐng xiān tiánxiě zhè zhāng biǎogé, xiěshang nǐ de xiángxì zīliào.
Please fill in this form first, with your full details.
B
好的。这是我的材料。
Hǎo de. Zhè shì wǒ de cáiliào.
Sure. Here are my documents.
A
你为什么想来我们单位？
Nǐ wèi shénme xiǎng lái wǒmen dānwèi?
Why do you want to work for us?
B
贵公司不光工资高，还提供很多学习机会。
Guì gōngsī bùguāng gōngzī gāo, hái tígōng hěn duō xuéxí jīhuì.
Your company not only pays well but also offers many chances to learn.
A
这个职业竞争很大，你觉得自己哪方面比较优秀？
Zhège zhíyè jìngzhēng hěn dà, nǐ juéde zìjǐ nǎ fāngmiàn bǐjiào yōuxiù?
There’s a lot of competition in this profession. What do you think you’re good at?
B
我的汉语很好，而且做事很认真。
Wǒ de Hànyǔ hěn hǎo, érqiě zuòshì hěn rènzhēn.
My Chinese is very good, and I work conscientiously.
A
好。你的情况符合我们的要求，下星期一来上班吧！
Hǎo. Nǐ de qíngkuàng fúhé wǒmen de yāoqiú, xià xīngqīyī lái shàngbān ba!
Good. You meet our requirements — start next Monday!

New words

📝 Worksheet for this lesson

Grammar

1. 不仅 / 不光…，还 / 而且… “not only…, but also…”

不仅 / 不光 + A，还 / 而且 / 也 + B

The same as 不但…而且… from HSK 3: 不仅 is more formal, 不光 colloquial. The second part adds something more: 他不仅会说汉语，而且会写 “he not only speaks Chinese but can also write it”. If the two parts have different subjects, 不仅 goes before the first subject: 不仅我去，他也去 “not only am I going, he is too”.

这份工作不仅收入高，而且离家近。
Zhè fèn gōngzuò bùjǐn shōurù gāo, érqiě lí jiā jìn.
This job not only pays well but is also close to home.
不光我去面试，他也去。
Bùguāng wǒ qù miànshì, tā yě qù.
Not only am I going to the interview, he is too.

2. 要是…（的话），就… “if…, then…”

要是 is a colloquial “if”, like 如果 from HSK 3. 的话 can end the first part, and 就 comes in the second: 要是明天下雨（的话），我们就不去了 “if it rains tomorrow, we won’t go”.

要是你有时间，就来帮帮我吧。
Yàoshi nǐ yǒu shíjiān, jiù lái bāngbang wǒ ba.
If you have time, come and help me.
要是不去应聘，就一点儿机会也没有。
Yàoshi bú qù yìngpìn, jiù yìdiǎnr jīhuì yě méiyǒu.
If you don’t apply, you’ll have no chance at all.

3. …，否则… “otherwise”, 要是…，就…，否则…

否则 is “otherwise, or else”: the second part says what happens if the first isn’t done: 你要早点儿出发，否则会迟到 “set off early or you’ll be late”. With 要是: 要是想找到好工作，就得有经验，否则很难 “if you want a good job you need experience, otherwise it’s hard”.

你要早点儿出发，否则会迟到。
Nǐ yào zǎo diǎnr chūfā, fǒuzé huì chídào.
Set off early, or you’ll be late.
要是想找到好工作，就得有经验，否则很难。
Yàoshi xiǎng zhǎodào hǎo gōngzuò, jiù děi yǒu jīngyàn, fǒuzé hěn nán.
If you want a good job you need experience — otherwise it’s hard.

4. Job words: 招聘 / 应聘, 单位, 目前, 提供

招聘 is “to recruit” (the employer), 应聘 “to apply for a job” (the candidate). 单位 is “workplace, organisation”: 你在哪个单位工作？ 目前 is “at present”. 提供 is “to provide”: 提供机会, 提供资料. 项 is the measure word for tasks and items: 一项工作. 表 / 表格 is “a form, a table”: 填表.

这个厂有两千多名工人。
Zhège chǎng yǒu liǎngqiān duō míng gōngrén.
This factory has over two thousand workers.
这是一项很重要的工作。
Zhè shì yí xiàng hěn zhòngyào de gōngzuò.
This is a very important task.

Exercises

1. Listen and choose the translation

  1. Answer
    这家公司在招聘翻译。 Zhè jiā gōngsī zài zhāopìn fānyì. — This company is hiring a translator.

  2. Answer
    他不仅会说汉语，而且会写。 Tā bùjǐn huì shuō Hànyǔ, érqiě huì xiě. — He not only speaks Chinese but can also write it.

  3. Answer
    你要早点儿出发，否则会迟到。 Nǐ yào zǎo diǎnr chūfā, fǒuzé huì chídào. — Set off early, or you’ll be late.

  4. Answer
    请先填写这张表格。 Qǐng xiān tiánxiě zhè zhāng biǎogé. — Please fill in this form first.

2. Choose the correct option

  1. “Not only am I going, he is too”

    Answer
    不光我去，他也去。
  2. 你得好好复习，___考试很难通过。

    Answer
    否则
  3. Who does 应聘?

    Answer
    The candidate — applies for the job.
  4. ___你明天有空，就来我家吧。

    Answer
    要是

3. Build the sentence

  1. You meet our requirements.

    Answer
    你的情况符合我们的要求。 Nǐ de qíngkuàng fúhé wǒmen de yāoqiú.
  2. I have no work experience yet.

    Answer
    我目前没有工作经验。 Wǒ mùqián méiyǒu gōngzuò jīngyàn.
  3. This job not only pays well but is also close to home.

    Answer
    这份工作不仅收入高，而且离家近。 Zhè fèn gōngzuò bùjǐn shōurù gāo, érqiě lí jiā jìn.
  4. The company offers many chances to learn.

    Answer
    公司提供很多学习机会。 Gōngsī tígōng hěn duō xuéxí jīhuì.

4. Dialogue: answer as the speaker

You are speaker B. Pick the right reply and the conversation goes on.

A
你好，你是来应聘的吗？
Nǐ hǎo, nǐ shì lái yìngpìn de ma?
Hello, are you here about the job?
B
是的，我想应聘翻译。
Shì de, wǒ xiǎng yìngpìn fānyì.
Yes, I’d like to apply for the translator post.
A
你有工作经验吗？
Nǐ yǒu gōngzuò jīngyàn ma?
Do you have work experience?
B
有，我在一家公司做过两年翻译。
Yǒu, wǒ zài yì jiā gōngsī zuòguo liǎng nián fānyì.
Yes, I worked as a translator at a company for two years.
A
你觉得自己有什么优点？
Nǐ juéde zìjǐ yǒu shénme yōudiǎn?
What do you think your strengths are?
B
我不仅汉语好，而且做事很认真。
Wǒ bùjǐn Hànyǔ hǎo, érqiě zuòshì hěn rènzhēn.
Not only is my Chinese good, I also work conscientiously.

5. Translate into Chinese

  1. He’s not only clever but also very hard-working.
    Answer
    他不仅很聪明，而且很努力。
  2. If you have time, call me.
    Answer
    要是你有时间，就给我打电话吧。
  3. Dress warmly, or you’ll catch a cold.
    Answer
    多穿点儿衣服，否则会感冒的。

💡 Did you know?: The “iron rice bowl”

A secure job you’re almost never fired from is called a 铁饭碗 tiě fànwǎn in China — an “iron rice bowl” that can’t be broken. It used to mean any job in a state 单位; now it mostly means the civil service. Millions of people register for the civil service exam every year, and sometimes hundreds compete for a single post.

Phrase audio — Microsoft speech synthesis (voices Xiaoxiao, Yunyang, Yunxi); syllables and some words — native recordings (audio-cmn, CC BY-SA).