In this documentary, Harun Farocki follows a group of unemployed people taking courses to learn how to make the best impression in a job interview. Simulated applications followed by group feedback of the process is carried on. The workers are faced with the questions they are most likely to be asked and their responses are evaluated with great detail to help them to make the best possible impression and to take into account the different challenges they could face during a job interview. The director goes for natural-illuminated close shots of the applicants in order to give detail to their reactions, with the exception of a few shots where he uses 'ralenti' and blue-tainted images. He's possibly trying to stand out those particular shots due to two reasons: either because they serve as an example for something that's being pointed out by one of the 'teachers' or as a replay of a particularly tough moment in the interview. The awkward moments are abundant and not exempt of humor (specially if you can identify yourself with the situations, which is quite likely), and help to reveal the contradictory and random character of job interviews, where you can never be absolutely sure about how you are supposed to react: as an example, when one of the applicants aims at a 3000 Marks wage and the interviewer counteroffers 2500, the applicant accepts it immediately and justifies herself saying that 2500 is the typical initial salary in the region. The teacher-interviewer makes her notice that she was expecting her to counteroffer 2700. The debate begins: are you suppose to counteroffer your interviewer? isn't there a chance that it could be counterproductive? how to balance the wage you believe you are worth of with your necessity of a job? Obviously there's not an exclusive answer to these questions. Do the bosses know it? Does this fact (the uncertainty of what is expected from you) play a role in a capitalist economy?
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