CAREER
Vocabulary tasks
I. Study the vocabulary box and use the words in the sentences of your own. Find the Russian language equivalents to underline the difference in the meaning of the words:
| PROFESSION is a job that requires considerable training and/or qualifications. TRADE is a skilled manual job and other training (He is...by trade.) Some professions are called VOCATIONS, people do them in order to help others (Teaching and nursing are vocations.) CAREER is a job or profession you follow for your whole life (She made a successful career in the sphere of...). POST / POSITION are more formal words for a particular job (A position of...is advertised in the newspaper.) |
II. Compose the sentences to illustrate the difference between:
1) an employer / an employee / an unemployed
2) a salary / a wage
3) to resign / to retire
4) to fire / to hire
Before you read
I. In your opinion, which factors below are important for getting a job? Choose the seven most important and explain your choice. Is there anything missing from the list?
AGE; GENDER; APPEARANCE; ASTROLOGICAL SIGN; CONTACTS AND CONNECTIONS; EXPERIENCE; FAMILY BACKGROUND; HANDWRITING; HOBBIES; INTELLIGENCE; MARITAL STATUS; PERSONALITY; QUALIFICATIONS; REFERENCES; SICKNESS RECORD; BLOOD GROUP.
II. What are the best and the worst things about the occupations listed below? Which do you think are the two most boring and the two most interesting jobs listed? Which of the jobs are typical womens jobs in Russia?
A dentist; a teacher; a secretary; a flight attendant; a salesperson; an actor; a waiter; a soldier; a police officer; a hairdresser; a bodyguard; an accountant; a computer programmer.
III. Make a list of the most important things for you in a job. Put them in the order of importance, for example:
1. Good salary
2. Opportunity to become well-known
3....
4....
IV. What are the worst things about having to work for your living?
| While expressing your opinion on this or that job you may use one of the following expressions: I think its essential to... Id hate a job where I didnt... The nicest things about this job is... There is no special advantages in... Not many people would agree to... The worst thing about this job is... |
Reading tasks
I. Have you ever heard about a probationary period? Read the following text about the way it is organized in the USA and answer the questions after it:
Many businesses in the United States hire people on a trial basis. That is, they are hired for a probationary period. This trial period can last from one month to three years, depending on the job. During this time, a persons performance is carefully evaluated, and at the end of it, the employee receives a review. If the review is favourable, the employee will be given the benefits of other regular full-time staff. If not, the employee is usually told his/her performance did not meet the companys expectations, and employment there simply comes to an end. The employee understands right from the beginning that he/she may not be kept on after the probationary period.
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However, it is possible for an employee to be fired at any time. The custom is that after the probationary period a person will usually only be fired for cause (unsatisfactory performance, excessive absence or lateness, stealing, etc.) or because the company is not making enough profit to justify keeping all its employees. In such cases, the employee is usually notified a few weeks in advance or is given the equivalent amount in pay. Often the employee is told about his/her dismissal in a conference with the supervisor, but sometimes a company will simply include a pink slip along with a paycheck. To get such a pink slip means you are fired.
1.What isthe necessity of the probationary period from the point of view of the employer?
2. What difficulties does the probationary period present for the employee?
II. Enumerate Evelines qualities which led to her promotion on the basis of the following:
When Eveline joined the company nobody thought of her as being capable of such fast upgrading. She was working at the Personnel Department doing something necessary but unimportant. Then one day she had to take over the responsibilities of the deputy head who was suddenly taken ill. She then displayed wonderful abilities at handling people, being very adroit in talking to prospective employees and selecting the right people. She is a very articulate woman, so she can express her thoughts very precisely. No wonder, she was one of the best graduates of a law school.
She was noticed and promoted. Then she was found useful in making people believe what was good for them and for the company. So she was promoted again and became an imminent participant in discussing business transactions.
She also sees to it that the work should be done on time and makes her staff meet the deadlines. She is considered a valuable and dedicated employee. One of her numerous traits is her ability to formulate efficient plans to get the work done.
III. Burnout or professional exhaustion is quite common in teaching, social work, or other helping professions. These fields in particular seem to have inherent sources of frustration that contribute to apathetic and ineffective workers. Why do you think these specialists seem to be especially vulnerable? Try to find the answer reading the recommendations of a social worker about dealing with burnout or professional exhaustion:
How to Cope with Burnout
Burnout may affect any worker, regardless of training, position, or level within the system. It has been observed that the longer one is in profession, the greater the pressures are, or are perceived to be.
Social scientists have identified four stages in the development of burnout: idealistic enthusiasm, stagnation, frustration, and apathy, when the worker feels chronically frustrated on the job, but needs the job to survive.
1. Be aware of your personal needs and motives before choosing a profession. It is better to change careers than to be exhausted or die on the job.
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2. Be able to identify, understand, and willingly cope with the givens of reality. A certain number of failures are to be expected in any organization, in any life.
3. Establish appropriate and realistic goals for yourself.
4. Stress successes as well as failures. The proportion of successes that makes a job worthwhile must be established realistically.
5. Focus on the process, not the result. Evaluate work in the light of the quality of human contact, the use of certain skills, and the pleasure of doing a job that you consider important. Job satisfaction cannot depend exclusively on results, which are often beyond our control and may not be evaluated until much later.
6. In situations where there is an overload of work, set priorities.
7. Satisfy your personal needs or take time off from work without feeling guilty.
8. Do not consider work as being everything in life and make your outside life as pleasant as possible.
9. Have a certain amount of physical activity and develop ways to relax.
IV. Read and role-play the following conversation. How would you estimate the tone of conversation and line of behavior chosen by Ann? Compose another dialogue which could have taken place before the conversation with Mr. Collins, i.e. Ann discussing with one of her close friends/relatives a new job offer and her possible line of behavior:
A Difficult Conversation
MR COLLINS: What is it, Ann? You look disconcerted, sort of upset. Is there something troubling you?
ANN: Yes, its something I just cannot decide. I have to talk to you about it. I hate to bring it up but Ive just got a really nice job offer. The work itself, the company everything seems just right. Its just the job Ive been dreaming of. You know that my degree is in programming.
MR COLLINS: Why, that is a surprise! I thought you were very happy with us. Youve never given a sign that you were dissatisfied with anything.
ANN: No, its not that I dont like working here. I appreciate your attitude and Im sure, Ill never find a better boss. But I want an advancement. The new job is step up and a good pay rise. With the work Im doing it seems I started forgetting all I knew in college.
MR COLLINS: Well, I really wish we could keep you but we cant offer what the other company is offering in your specialization. I dont doubt your sincerity and appreciate your directness. Youve been really loyal to our company and you obviously deserve a raise. Its a shame youre leaving. But I understand, and we wont hold a grudge against you. Good luck!
ANN: Thank you for understanding, Mr Collins. I wouldnt like to leave the company with a bad feeling.
MR COLLINS: Not at all, not at all.
Over to you
I. Write a paragraph about someone who is very good at his/her job.
II. Comment on the following:
1. People doing dirty work should get higher wages than other people.
2. Work is the grand cure of all the maladies and miseries that ever be set by mankind. (Th. Carlyle, the British philosopher)
3. Work is much more fun than fun itself.
4. By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day. (Robert Frost, an American poet)
5. Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isnt the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.
