You will hear two faculty directors talking about which person in their university to promote.

Dir. A: Okay, we've got to decide who to promote to Leading Education Officer.

Dir. B: Someone from the arts faculty, I suppose.

Dir. A: {[Well, it can be from any faculty, since the position requires more general skills: handling personnel, settling disputes, and motivating them to focus on the task.][1]} It was the last position which involved computer knowledge, not this one.

Dir. B: Surely computer knowledge would help. So too would knowledge in the arts.

Dir. A: Sure, it would help, but the key criterion is being able to direct the staff appropriately.

Dir. B: So, it doesn't matter then from which faculty we select our candidates?

Dir. A: Not really, but I've already looked at those from computing, and rejected them all.

Dir. B: Why?

Dir. A: {[They'll all too new, lacking in sufficient experience, whereas these ones from the business faculty are longtimers, so we'll take someone from there.][2]}

Dir. B: I suppose you're right. The arts faculty doesn't present much in the way of suitable candidates either.

Dir. A: {[But we'll still have to train the person---teach the ropes, as they say. And he or she will have to expect to do overtime, as needed.][3]}

Dir. B: Of course. It can get so busy that, if we were open on the weekend, they'd have to work then as well.

Dir. A: Just as well we're a Monday to Friday university, right?

Dir. B: Right! But are you sure these people will actually want the job? The salary isn't such an improvement on their current ones.

Dir. A: {[I know, but there are benefits. You get overtime rates, a nice place to put your car, as well as additional petrol money if you drive for company purposes, which they'll probably be required to do.][4]}

Dir. B: But those benefits are quite limited, especially given all the work and responsibility involved. People often don't like that. They prefer the creative freedom of less-senior teaching positions.

Dir. A: {[Yeah I know, but these candidates should realise that if they do this job well, there'll be more promotions down the line.][5]} You know how everyone likes having their own office, right?

Dir. B: Sure.

Dir. A: Well, that would come after a few years, if they're prepared to work hard and grow with the university.

Dir. B: Yes, that should attract these people.

Dir. A: Well, that's enough talk about the job. What about the actual candidates? How many do we have?

Dir. B: Ah, I've narrowed it down to four---ah, just using their first names, that's Steven, Abdul, Lek, and Oscar. As you said, there's quite a bit of experience between them, about 34 years in all.

Dir. A: What's the exact breakdown of figures?

Dir. B: {[Abdul and Steven both have seven years, Lek has one more, and Oscar is the most experienced, at 12.][6]}

Dir. A: But who's the most qualified?

Dir. B: {[Steven and Abdul have an MBA --- sorry! Abdul's got something called a M.B.P.][7]} --- some foreign thing which translates as Master of Business Practice.

Dir. A: I'm not sure what that is, but does he do the job well?

Dir. B: Very well, apparently --- better than Lek and Oscar, who hold a degree and some certificates, respectively. But we have to think about any drawbacks --- y'know, possible issues with any of them. I asked their respective deans for feedback, and I found out that Steven, the younger one, drinks a bit.

Dir. A: So, he has a problem with alcohol?

Dir. B: No, he never drinks to excess, but at the bar he's often expressed his intention of moving on, of teaching abroad.

Dir. A: {[Ah, he's not stable.][8]}

Dir. B: Not stable at all, apparently. We'll never know for how long he'll hold the job.

Dir. A: We need stable personnel, and people without family problems, or sick relatives, like the last guy we promoted. What about Abdul then? Will he do?

Dir. B: He might do, except his English language ability is limited. It's functional, but a bit broken, and meaning is sometimes lost. {[That's not the problem with the next candidate, Lek, who has good language ability, but this job involves handling people, and his dean says Lek's attitude is bad.][9]}

Dir. A: In what way?

Dir. B: His manners are okay, and he's interested in his job, but he believes there should always be adequate leisure in life. He definitely won't work overtime and complains a lot already about his job, but this last candidate, Oscar, is probably not the right one, either.

Dir. A: Why not? Not another problem with language?

Dir. B: His first language isn't English, but he speaks it well enough. He's stable, with a good attitude, but his age is the problem.

Dir. A: Age is not a problem. That would be ageism, and I don't believe in that.

Dir. B: {[But with his age comes health problems as well, and serious ones at that.][10]}

Dir. A: Oh, that might be an issue then.

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