L'entretien à la bibliothèque
The Library Interview
A teenager prepares for his first job interview, for a part-time library position, and succeeds despite his nerves.
- work
- growing up
- perseverance
Tap an underlined word to see its meaning.
What you'll encounter
- Grammar
- passé composé
- futur proche
- si + present (real condition)
- Vocabulary
- job interview vocabulary
- nervousness and confidence vocabulary
- Skills
- following preparation and payoff across scenes
- understanding formal register in dialogue
À Lausanne, Yanis a vu une annonce à la bibliothèque municipale : on cherche un étudiant pour le samedi, pour ranger les livres sur les et aider les jeunes lecteurs. Il a seize ans.
Show English
In Lausanne, Yanis has seen a notice at the municipal library: they are looking for a student for Saturdays, to put books back on the shelves and help younger readers. He is sixteen years old.
C’est sa première de sa vie. Yanis écrit une courte lettre, avec l’aide de sa mère, et l’envoie par courriel un lundi soir. Trois jours plus tard, la bibliothèque le rappelle pour un entretien.
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It's his first job application. Yanis writes a short letter, with his mother's help, and sends it by email on a Monday evening. Three days later, the library calls him back for an interview.
L’entretien est fixé au samedi suivant, à dix heures du matin. Yanis est content, mais aussi très nerveux. Il n’a jamais dû répondre à des questions devant un adulte qu’il ne connaît pas.
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The interview is set for the following Saturday, at ten in the morning. Yanis is happy, but also very nervous. He has never had to answer questions in front of an adult he doesn't know.
Sa grande sœur, Nadia, lui propose de l’aider à se préparer. « On va s’entraîner », lui dit-elle. « Moi, je suis la bibliothécaire, et toi, tu réponds à mes questions. »
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His older sister, Nadia, offers to help him prepare. "We're going to practice," she tells him. "I'll be the librarian, and you answer my questions."
Ils s’entraînent dans le salon, le vendredi soir. « Pourquoi voulez-vous travailler ici ? » demande Nadia, d’une voix sérieuse. Yanis hésite, puis répond qu’il adore les livres et qu’il vient souvent à la bibliothèque.
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They practice in the living room, Friday evening. "Why do you want to work here?" asks Nadia, with a serious voice. Yanis hesitates, then answers that he loves books and that he often comes to the library.
Nadia hoche la tête, puis ajoute une question plus difficile. « Et si un enfant ne trouve pas le livre qu’il cherche, vous faites quoi ? » Yanis réfléchit un moment, puis répond qu’il l’aide à chercher dans le catalogue, ou qu’il demande de l’aide à un bibliothécaire.
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Nadia nods, then adds a harder question. "And if a child doesn't find the book he's looking for, what do you do?" Yanis thinks for a moment, and then answers that he helps him search in the catalogue, or he asks a librarian for help.
Nadia pose encore une question. « Et qu’est-ce que vous faites si deux enfants se disputent pour le même livre ? » Yanis réfléchit, puis répond qu’il propose aux deux enfants de regarder le livre ensemble, ou de le réserver pour l’un d’eux pour plus tard. Nadia sourit : « Pas mal du tout. »
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Nadia asks one more question. "And what do you do if two children are fighting over the same book?" Yanis thinks it over, then answers that he suggests the two children look at the book together, or sets it aside for one of them for later. Nadia smiles: "Not bad at all."
Le samedi matin, Yanis met une chemise propre et arrive à la bibliothèque quinze minutes en avance. Ses mains sont un peu froides, et son cœur bat plus vite que d’habitude.
Show English
On Saturday morning, Yanis puts on a clean shirt and arrives at the library fifteen minutes early. His hands are a little cold, and his heart is beating faster than usual.
Dans la salle d’attente, deux autres candidats patientent aussi, un peu plus âgés que lui. Yanis les regarde du coin de l’œil et se demande s’ils ont plus d’expérience que lui. Il respire profondément et essaie de penser à ce que sa sœur lui a appris la veille.
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In the waiting room, two other candidates are also waiting, a little older than him. Yanis glances at them out of the corner of his eye and wonders if they have more experience than he does. He breathes deeply and tries to think about what his sister taught him the day before.
Le bibliothécaire, Monsieur Girard, l’accueille avec un sourire amical. « Ne t’inquiète pas », lui dit-il tout de suite. « C’est juste une conversation, pas un examen. » Yanis se sent un peu plus .
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The librarian, Monsieur Girard, welcomes him with a friendly smile. "Don't worry," he tells him right away. "It's just a conversation, not an exam." Yanis feels a little more relaxed.
L’entretien dure une vingtaine de minutes. Monsieur Girard lui pose des questions sur ses intérêts, ses disponibilités, et son expérience avec les jeunes enfants, puisque Yanis garde parfois ses petits cousins.
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The interview lasts about twenty minutes. Monsieur Girard asks him about his interests, his availability, and his experience with young children, since Yanis sometimes looks after his younger cousins.
À un moment, Yanis ne sait pas répondre à une question sur un système informatique qu’il ne connaît pas. Au lieu de faire semblant, il admet honnêtement : « Je ne connais pas ce logiciel, mais j’apprends vite. »
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At one point, Yanis doesn't know how to answer a question about an unfamiliar computer system. Instead of pretending, he admits honestly: "I don't know that software, but I learn quickly."
Monsieur Girard écrit quelque chose, puis sourit. « C’est exactement le genre de réponse que j’aime », dit-il. « Ici, on préfère un étudiant honnête à un étudiant qui prétend tout savoir. »
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Monsieur Girard writes something down, then smiles. "That's exactly the kind of answer I like," he says. "Here, we prefer an honest student to one who pretends to know everything."
À la fin de l’entretien, Monsieur Girard lui serre la main. « On vous contacte par téléphone cette semaine », lui dit-il. Yanis le remercie et quitte la bibliothèque, : c’est enfin fini.
Show English
At the end of the interview, Monsieur Girard shakes his hand. "We'll contact you by phone this week," he tells him. Yanis thanks him and leaves the library, relieved: it's finally over.
Deux jours plus tard, son téléphone sonne pendant le dîner. C’est Monsieur Girard. « Félicitations, Yanis », dit-il. « On vous a choisi pour le poste. Vous pouvez commencer samedi prochain ? »
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Two days later, his phone rings during dinner. It's Monsieur Girard. "Congratulations, Yanis," he says. "We've chosen you for the position. Can you start next Saturday?"
Yanis a du mal à croire la nouvelle. Il remercie Monsieur Girard plusieurs fois, puis raccroche et court l’annoncer à sa famille. Sa mère le serre dans ses bras, et Nadia lui fait un « high five » fier.
Show English
Yanis can barely believe the news. He thanks Monsieur Girard several times, then hangs up and runs to tell his family. His mother hugs him, and Nadia gives him a proud high five.
Ce soir-là, Yanis repense à sa nervosité d’avant l’entretien. Il comprend maintenant que l’honnêteté et une vraie préparation ont compté plus qu’une réponse parfaite à chaque question.
Show English
That evening, Yanis thinks back to how nervous he was before the interview. He understands now that honesty and real preparation have counted for more than a perfect answer to every question.
Show full English translation
In Lausanne, Yanis has seen a notice at the municipal library: they are looking for a student for Saturdays, to put books back on the shelves and help younger readers. He is sixteen years old.
It's his first job application. Yanis writes a short letter, with his mother's help, and sends it by email on a Monday evening. Three days later, the library calls him back for an interview.
The interview is set for the following Saturday, at ten in the morning. Yanis is happy, but also very nervous. He has never had to answer questions in front of an adult he doesn't know.
His older sister, Nadia, offers to help him prepare. "We're going to practice," she tells him. "I'll be the librarian, and you answer my questions."
They practice in the living room, Friday evening. "Why do you want to work here?" asks Nadia, with a serious voice. Yanis hesitates, then answers that he loves books and that he often comes to the library.
Nadia nods, then adds a harder question. "And if a child doesn't find the book he's looking for, what do you do?" Yanis thinks for a moment, and then answers that he helps him search in the catalogue, or he asks a librarian for help.
Nadia asks one more question. "And what do you do if two children are fighting over the same book?" Yanis thinks it over, then answers that he suggests the two children look at the book together, or sets it aside for one of them for later. Nadia smiles: "Not bad at all."
On Saturday morning, Yanis puts on a clean shirt and arrives at the library fifteen minutes early. His hands are a little cold, and his heart is beating faster than usual.
In the waiting room, two other candidates are also waiting, a little older than him. Yanis glances at them out of the corner of his eye and wonders if they have more experience than he does. He breathes deeply and tries to think about what his sister taught him the day before.
The librarian, Monsieur Girard, welcomes him with a friendly smile. "Don't worry," he tells him right away. "It's just a conversation, not an exam." Yanis feels a little more relaxed.
The interview lasts about twenty minutes. Monsieur Girard asks him about his interests, his availability, and his experience with young children, since Yanis sometimes looks after his younger cousins.
At one point, Yanis doesn't know how to answer a question about an unfamiliar computer system. Instead of pretending, he admits honestly: "I don't know that software, but I learn quickly."
Monsieur Girard writes something down, then smiles. "That's exactly the kind of answer I like," he says. "Here, we prefer an honest student to one who pretends to know everything."
At the end of the interview, Monsieur Girard shakes his hand. "We'll contact you by phone this week," he tells him. Yanis thanks him and leaves the library, relieved: it's finally over.
Two days later, his phone rings during dinner. It's Monsieur Girard. "Congratulations, Yanis," he says. "We've chosen you for the position. Can you start next Saturday?"
Yanis can barely believe the news. He thanks Monsieur Girard several times, then hangs up and runs to tell his family. His mother hugs him, and Nadia gives him a proud high five.
That evening, Yanis thinks back to how nervous he was before the interview. He understands now that honesty and real preparation have counted for more than a perfect answer to every question.
Words to know
- étagères
- — shelves
- candidature
- — job application
- détendu
- — relaxed
- soulagé
- — relieved