这也许是你听过的最重要的面试建议

 　　If you’re like a lot of job seekers, when you get called for an interview, you swing into preparation mode. You research the company, you try to predict what questions you’ll be asked, and you practice your answers until they’re flawless. But in the midst of all this effort to make a great impression, don’t lose sight of what might be the single most important thing you can remember as you head into the interview: The point of the interview is not to get a job offer. It’s to figure out if you’re a mutual¹ match, emphasis on mutual.

　　你是不是和大部分的求职者一样？在收到面试通知后，会立刻进入准备状态。对公司进行研究，分析会问到哪些问题，练习回答直到答案完美无缺。但是要想让人印象深刻，在面试时，不要忘了最重要的事情：你面试的目的不是为了得到这份工作，而是要弄清自己是否适合这份工作。注意这种适合是相互的。

　　If you go into your interview focused solely² on convincing the employer to hire you, you’ll lose sight of whether this is a job you even want or a company (or manager) you want to work for. Instead, in addition to showing the interviewer what you can do, your goal should be to make an informed decision about whether this is the right job and the right employer for you.

　　如果你在面试时只是想说服雇主聘用你，你会忽视自己是否想做这份工作或是否想为这家公司（或管理者）效劳。相反，除了向面试官展示你的技能外，你的目标应是通过面试时的信息判断：这份工作是否合适？雇主是否适合你？

　　Think of it like dating: If you approached every first date determined³ to make your date fall for you, you’d miss important cues about whether or not you were right for each other. And you might end up with someone who makes you miserable⁴, or someone who you couldn’t make happy.

　　把它想象成约会：如果你在每个初次约会前都下定决心让对方爱上你，你会错过你们是否合适的重要线索,这样也许最后和你在一起的人会让你很痛苦，也可能你没办法让他/她幸福。

　　So when it comes to job hunting, it’s important to view a job interview as a two-way conversation … not a one-sided interrogation where the interviewer fires questions at you, and you just hope you’re measuring up.  Don’t focus so hard on pleasing the interviewer that you forget to pay attention to whether this is a job you even want.

　　所以，找工作时，不要认为面试就是面试官向你发问，你能做的只是把所有问题都答出来。要把面试看成双向的交流，而非面试官的单方审问。不要只想着如何取悦面试官，还要看看这份工作是否是你想要的。

　　This approach means interviewing the interviewer, asking questions to figure out things like:

　　本文提出的方法是让你和面试官交谈，询问一些问题来解开下面的疑惑。

　　Is the work well aligned⁵ with your strengths—your real ones, not ones you puffed⁶ up in your cover letter?

　　这份工作是否能发挥你的优势？注意，这里指的是你真正的优势，而不是你在简历上吹嘘的那些。

　　Is the environment one you’ll thrive in?

　　你会在这种环境中成长吗？

　　Is the manager someone you’d want to work with?

　　你想和这样的管理者一同工作吗？

1 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

2 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

5 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

6 puffed   

adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》