CONVERSATION 會話

　　(A=Applicant I=Interviewer)

　　I: Let's begin by having you tell me about yourself and your background.

　　講講你自己和你的背景，我們開始面試吧。

　　A: I have been working as a paralegal for the last 10 months through an agency that specializes in the legal field. My experience has been supporting attorneys in the field of labor law, where I have been able to apply my paralegal education. I was commended on my ability to take information and break it down into usable facts. I really love research and analyzing facts. My major in college was English, and as a result, my writing skills are my major strength. I am looking for a position where my research and writing skills can be used.

　　過去的十個月，我一直在一家法律專業(yè)代理處做律師專職助理。我的工作就是在勞動法領域為法律事務代理人提供幫助，這樣我就可以應用所學的律師助理方面的知識于工作中。我具有獲取信息并能把它們轉變成可用事實的能力，而且我喜歡調查和分析事實。我大學時的專業(yè)是英語，所以寫作技能是我的專業(yè)特長。我希望找一份能發(fā)揮我調查和寫作技能的工作。

　　I: What do you think are the key qualities needed to succeed in the paralegal profession?

　　你認為作為一名律師助理，取得成功的關鍵品質是什么?

　　A: Flexibility would certainly rank high in this type of job. In my last position, I supported four lawyers, and it was not unusual for them all to give me high-priority items to do in the same day or week. There were days when I had to stop and prioritize my work just to get a handle on everything. I would discuss the urgency of their work with each of them so I didn't drop the ball. At the same time, I made sure each of them felt like his or her project was important on my agenda. I think communication is probably the next key quality. It really worked well when I talked with each of them, explained my situation, and got their input.

　　在這類工作中，靈活性當然排第一位。我的前一份工作就是幫助四位律師，他們經常會在同一天或者同一個星期各自給我同樣重要的工作去做。有時候，我必須把我的工作分出優(yōu)先級，以便把每一份工作都做好。我會和他們每一個人商量一下工作的緊要程度，這樣我就不會誤事。同時我使他們每個人都確信在我的日程當中他(她)的工作是重要的。我認為第二重要的品質就是溝通能力。每次我和他們討論問題時，這一點都很有幫助。我把我的處境說給他們聽，聽取他們的意見。

　　I: Can you give me an example of a time when you had to work above and beyond your job description?

　　你能給我舉一個你必須加班而且超出你的工作范圍的例子嗎?

　　A: There was a very important project that had to be researched and completed by the end of the week. Even though I worked extra hours every night for almost two weeks, my boss and I stayed until 2 a.m. for two nights before the final wrap up. It was very rewarding to have put so much effort into a project and see the really great results. My boss gave me a bonus for my extra effort.

　　曾經有一個非常重要的項目必須在周末之前調查清楚并完成。盡管我每晚加班都快兩周了，有兩個晚上我和老板還是工作到凌晨兩點，直到完成。在一個項目上付出很大努力并能得到這么好的結果，是很值得的。對我的額外工作，老板嘉獎了我。

　　I: Tell me about a time when you had to research a case and encountered some obstacles you had to overcome.

　　講講你某一次為了調查一個案例，遇到了困難，但你必須克服這些困難的經歷。

　　A: I remember a case that was filled with obstacles. The first thing I did was to research through documents and past cases that had similar circumstances. I assembled the facts and then tried to put them together and analyze the next step. I was able to get some input from another lawyer I happened to see at lunch. Through some hard work and fact digging, I was able to find a way to overcome most of the obstacles. I took my findings to my boss and made some recommendations, which she and I discussed and eventually resolved. My boss was impressed with the work I had done.

　　我記得有一個案例遇到了很多障礙。我首先要做的就是調查清楚所有文檔以及過去類似情形的案例，我將所有證據(jù)都收集起來，進行下一步的分析。碰巧在吃午飯時我遇到另一位律師，從他那里獲得了一些信息。經過刻苦工作和對事實依據(jù)進行挖掘，我找到了一條能克服大部分困難的途徑。我把我的發(fā)現(xiàn)告訴了老板，并提出了一些建議，最后經過討論，困難都解決了。老板對我所做的工作非常滿意。

　　I: What are your strengths and weaknesses?

　　你有哪些優(yōu)點和缺點?

　　A: My strengths are my caring about getting the job done. I am very results-driven and have been able to meet all my deadlines in past jobs. As far as weaknesses, I really enjoy my work, and sometimes I put in too much time. But I am aware of my tendency to overwork and have learned to pace myself more.

　　我的優(yōu)點就是一定要把工作完成。我是一個不達目的誓不罷休的人，而且在過去我總能完成我所做的工作。就我的缺點而言，我真的非常喜歡我的工作，有時在上面投入了太多的時間。但我已意識到了這一點，懂得適當調節(jié)自己。

　　I: Tell me about a time when you had a confrontation with a coworker or boss.

　　告訴我你有沒有和同事或者老板發(fā)生過沖突?

　　A: I did have an issue with someone who was getting on my nerves. I asked her if I could talk with her one day, and we had a good discussion. It turned out she was not aware of the impact of her actions and that she really needed an explanation of the procedure. I took the time to explain the procedures, and there haven't been any problems since that day.

　　我確實和一個讓我心煩的人有過爭端。我問她哪天能不能跟她談談，我們就好好地討論了一番。但她并沒有意識到其所作所為的影響，也沒有意識到她需要別人給她解釋一下工作。最后我花時間給她解釋了一下工作流程，從那以后就再也沒有出現(xiàn)過什么問題。

　　I: When do you find a job satisfying?

　　你什么時候覺得工作令你最滿意?

　　A: My biggest satisfaction is when I experience growth in a job. When I first started as a paralegal, I had a lot to learn. But through hard work, advice from some good mentors and continuing education, I have come a long way. I have learned to be flexible when possible and to deal with difficult people in a positive manner.

　　我最大的滿足感就是當我體驗工作中的成長的時候。我開始做律師助理時，有很多東西要學。但是經過我的刻苦工作，從良師益友那里得到一些建議以及深入學習，我已經懂得了很多。我學會了盡可能靈活些，以積極的態(tài)度和難以相處的人打交道。

　　I: How would your coworkers describe you?

　　你的同事怎樣評價你呢?

　　A: First, they'll say I have a lot of energy and enthusiasm. I really enjoy working with people. Secondly, they'll say I had great customer service skills. I put the customer first. And thirdly, they'll say that I know the law. I put a lot of effort into my education as a paralegal and take it seriously.

　　首先，他們會說我是一個充滿活力和熱情的人，因為我非常喜歡和人一起工作。其次，他們會說我非常懂得客戶服務技巧。我把客戶放在第一位。第三點就是他們會說我懂法律，我讀律師助理時付出了很多努力，并且我非常認真地對待它。

　　I: Do you have any questions?

　　你有什么問題要問嗎?

　　A: Yes, I do. On a scale of one to 10, what would you say the morale was in this company?

　　有，以十分來計，你認為貴公司員工的士氣如何?