UNIT 1

GETTING A JOB

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Task 1: In the life of any person there is a moment when he must take a very
important decision – to find a job which will bring satisfaction and money
simultaneously. And what is an ideal job for you? Choose the answers and
give your reasons.

An ideal job for me is a job …

 that suits my personality
 that gives challenge and opportunity
 that gives independence
 well-paid
 risky
 exciting
 that encourages thinking and development
 calm and steady
 prestigious
 part-time
 without long business trips

TEXT 1: LOOKING FOR A JOB

What must you begin with?

The best way of looking for a job is to use the help of employment agencies
or to independently study the ads of job opportunities being published.
Announcements of job opportunities can be read in different printed
publications. But which of them is worth reacting to?
Don’t put much trust in ads in the yellow press. Reputable companies place
ads in prestigious expensive publications with a firm reputation.
Your main task is to understand whether the position being offered is
consistent with the levels of your skills, education and experience in work.
The structure of job ads is usually the same: the name of the vacant position,
the list of the candidate’s professional duties, the demands made of the candidate,
and the system of compensations and benefits. Ads are often published by
employment agencies on behalf of their clients. The address of the office is usually
not given – it is suggested that the resume should be sent to a P.O. box, faxed or e-
mailed.
Thus, you have decided to find a job: buy newspapers and carefully study
the ads given by employment agencies. Now you will be faced with the labor-
consuming procedure of writing and circulating your resume.

Vocabulary:

to look for искать

employment agency агентство по трудоустройству
ad=advertisement объявление
position должность
to be consistent (with) соответствовать
skills умения
experience опыт
on behalf of от лица, от имени

Comprehension questions:

1. What is the best way of looking for a job?

2. What publications should you trust?
3. What is the structure of job ads?

Task 2: Complete the job advertisements with the best words

Sales/Account Manager and promotion ….6.

Salary: £24,000 per year Call Paul Glover on 020 4456 1090 or
Edinburgh-based company is seeking a person e-mail: [email protected]
with sales experience to ...a…1 sales
worldwide and to …2 a large department in the Sales Manager
clothing industry. Salary: £26,000 per year
The person will also need to …. 3 Conference and Events Company urgently
communication between our production, sales requires a Sales Manager to ….7 a team of 8
and marketing departments. telesales executives.
Background in clothing manufacturing You will ….8 the team and ….9 all sales
essential. staff and their problems. In addition, you will
Please contact: Sarah Atkinson ….10 future marketing campaigns and ….11 a
[email protected] or Fax: 0131 123 new marketing strategy.
7650. Background of the candidate:
experience in telesales and direct sales;
at least 3 years’ management experience.
Telesales Executive Location: Cheshire
Salary: £20,000 per year Contact: Karen Poulson,
Our Telesales Executive will have the …. 4 to tel. 01260 271288, e-mail: [email protected]
make effective phone calls to marketing
contacts and to ….5 business meetings for our
clients.
Bebop offers excellent training

1 a) increase b) set up c) lead

2 a) manage b) train c) direct
3 a) create b) plan c) improve
4 a) interest b) ability c) responsibility
5 a) work b) organize c) communicate
6 a) opportunities b) facilities c) qualities
7 a) boss b) lead c) drive
8 a) apply b) practise c) train
9 a) set up b) deal with c) look for
10 a) train b) control c) plan
11 a) improve b) develop c) increase

Task 3: Read these advertisements and then fill in the missing information in
the table.

A B A MARKETING TRAINEE
Salary £12,000 £12,000 per annum
Hours
Holidays Staff benefits include: six weeks’ annual holiday, free
Other lunches, bonus payment after 12 months and flextime
benefits working a 35-hour week. If you are available to start in
early September, please write with a full C.V. to:
Pamela Beaty, Human Resources

B Terms of employment include 24 days’ annual leave,

flexible working hours and a salary of £19,494.
Applications, together with a full C.V. should be sent to :
The Personnel Manager

Task 4: This draft letter of application is not suitable. Rewrite it using some of
the expressions from the Useful language box, and making any other
necessary changes.

Hello
I saw your ad in our local paper last week, so I want to apply for the job of Communications
Assistant.
I know I am the person you’re looking for. I just got various A-levels from school, and all my
friends say they love chatting with me.
So write soon, and tell me when you want me to come for an interview.
Regards
Useful language
Dear Sir or Madam,
With reference to your advertisement in …
I would like to apply for the position of …
I feel I am well qualified for the position because …
I would be happy to give you more details and can be contacted at any time.
I would be happy to come for an interview at any time convenient to you.
I enclose a copy of my CV.
A full CV is attached.

TEXT 2: RESUME

When a person is eager to get a job he is often to fill in a resume (USA) or a

curriculum vitae (UK). The forms can be laid out in different ways but information
required will, in most cases, be the same.
The contents of a resume can be roughly categorized as: 1) personal
information (name, address, telephone number, e-mail), 2) job objective, 3)
education, 4) experience, 5) skills, 6) interests, 7) references.
After your personal information, a statement of intent or job objective
should be written. This objective should be well thought out from the very
beginning since it will influence how you will write the rest of the resume. It
should not be too general, e.g.: “To obtain a managerial position in a Western
company”.
Think about your job search and career goals carefully, write them down in
a way that shows you have given this much thought.
For example: “Objective: To obtain a position in telecommunication that
will allow me to use my knowledge of engineering and take advantage of my
desire to work in sales”.
After the statement of intent, describe your education.
List the universities, institutes and colleges you have attended in reverse
chronological order.
If you graduated with honors, you should definitely include this. A “red
diploma” can be called “graduated with high honors” in English.
Your working experience is the next section. List your experience starting
with your most recent place of employment and work backwards.
Write down the exact dates of employment, your position, and the name of
the company you worked for.
Provide information about your responsibilities, emphasizing important
activities by listing the most relevant to your objective.
Following experience, you should list your special skills.
These include your language skills, computer abilities, and any other talent
that relates to your statement of intent.
 When describing your language abilities, it is best to be honest about
assessing your level. “Fluent English”, “intermediate German” and “beginning
French” are all ways to describe your language abilities.
Interests and activities should be included in the next section. Student or
professional organizations you belong to, travel, sports and hobbies should be
listed here.
The last section of your resume is the reference section. List at least two
people, not related to you, who can describe your qualification for the job.
Their names, titles, places of work and telephone numbers should be
included. If you do not have space on your resume for this, write “Available upon
request”. You will then be expected to give this information to a prospective
employer if it is requested.
A resume will not get you a job. An interview with a company will get you
a job. In order to have the opportunity of interviewing with a company you should
send your resume with a covering letter.

Vocabulary:

to be eager to do smth стремиться, сильно желать сделать что-либо

to fill in заполнять
to lay out расположить
objective цель
reference рекомендация
statement of intent заявление о намерениях
to list перечислять
to take advantage of smth продуктивно использовать
to graduate with honors закончить с отличием
responsibility обязанность
relevant существенный, уместный, относящийся к делу
to assess оценивать
available upon request могут быть представлены при необходимости
covering letter сопроводительное письмо

Comprehension questions:

1. What is the structure of a resume?

2. What is it important to remember while writing a job objective?
3. In what chronological order should you list your working experience?
4. What do special skills include?
5. What should you write down in the reference section?

Task 5: Look at the CV (curriculum vitae). Put the headings from the box in
the correct place in the CV.

Objective Interests Key skills Education References Work experience

 Curriculum Vitae

Name: Cristina Kramer

Nationality: Brazilian
Address: 21 Royal Park, Muswell Hill London N10 2JP
Telephone: 020 8982 0648
E-mail: [email protected]
1
……….
To obtain a more challenging position with more responsibility. Able to work on
own initiative to tight deadlines.
……….2
2008-2009 Diploma in Business Studies, London Metropolitan University
2004-2007 Degree in Biological Sciences, PUC Campinas, Brazil
3
………
2009-present Regional Branch Manager, PE Instruments, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
 set up a new sales office in Rio de Janeiro
 trained a team of sales staff
 developed new selling methods to increase sales
2007-2008 Technical Sales Specialist, Brazil Instruments, São Paulo, Brazil
 sold a wide range of instruments, including software
 organized and presented customer seminars
4
……….
Fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, English and Italian
Computer skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, Java
……….5
Cinema, travel, skiing, aerobics
……….6
Professional and personal references available on request

Task 6: Write your Curriculum Vitae (CV) according to the formula set out
below. Try to keep all the information on one A4 page.
(It is usual to include two referees – two professional people who know you
and who can give you a character reference.)

 Your name, home address, phone number and e-mail address.

 Your age and marital status (married – single - divorced) and whether you
have children. (No photo unless specifically requested.)
 Job objective.
 Qualifications, academic and professional.
 Job history, starting with your current employment, and your previous
employers with dates, leaving no unexplained gaps. If this is your first
 application for a job, give details of your schools and university or college.
 Specialist knowledge.
 Hobbies and interests.
 Referees.

Here are some examples to help you write job objective:

• Entry-level position in financial services offering a chance to demonstrate

initiative and abilities.
• Seeking an entry-level position in the field of management with preference
in sales promotion.
• A position as personal assistant/secretary with a major corporation.
• A sales management position in a communications company where I can
use my promotion and sales experience.
• A challenging supervisory position and active involvement in accounting
with the opportunity for advancement and personal growth.
• A position as a personnel manager where I can utilize my background and
management experience in human resources and an opportunity to expand my
areas of responsibility with further career potential.
• To obtain a challenging position in the financial services field with the
opportunity for increased responsibilities and professional growth.
• To work in a managerial position with decision-making responsibilities in
which I can utilize my long-time banking experience and professional skills.
• To fully utilize my professional computer programmer experience in a
position offering variety of challenging projects with growth potential in a major
software company.

Task 7: When they apply for a job, people usually send a covering letter
together with their CV. In this letter, they give further information to explain
why they think they are suitable for the job. Carol Avery is applying for the
post of Sales Manager. Complete Carol’s covering letter (sent as an e-mail)
with items from the box.
 a) As you will see from my CV
b) I am very interested in the post you are offering
c) I look forward to hearing
d) I would like to apply for the position
e) In addition
f) Please let me know
g) When I was with Melrose Computers

To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]

Dear Ms Poulson
…d…1 of Sales Manager advertised in The Chester on 7 September.
……..2, I have worked as Assistant Human Resources Manager for four years. I
am responsible for training for new staff, and also for organizing problem-solving
courses for senior staff.
…….3, I have managed a number of projects for our overseas subsidiaries. This
included a training project for local sales staff in Hong Kong.
…….4, I also gained a lot of experience in sales.
…….5, because I would like to be involved in both telesales and direct sales. I
would also like to use my skills as a trainer in a more challenging environment.
…….6 if there are any other details you need.
…….7 from you.

Yours sincerely
Carol Avery

Task 8: Write a covering letter. Use items from the box in task 7 and useful
language given below.

A. • I am applying for the position of Marketing Assistant, which was

advertised in last week's New York Weekly Review. I have completed my third
year at New York University and intend to take a year off to supplement my
education with relevant work.
• I have worked for the past four years as an international sales
representative of a large industrial company, and I would like to apply for the
position of Assistant Sales Manager that you advertised in the New York Times of
July 22. This position calls for qualifications and experience that correspond to my
professional background and job objective.
• I am sending this letter and résumé to apply for the position of information
technology specialist with your company. I believe that my background
qualifications and work experience are very compatible with the requirements of
this position you listed in your advertisement in this month's Information
Technology Journal.
• I am submitting my résumé in response to your advertisement for the
position of program coordinator that appeared in the latest Sunday edition of The
Daily Sketch. I believe that my qualifications and working experience are an ideal
match for your requirements.
• I am confident that my international experience qualifies me for the
position of export sales representative in your marketing department. I am able to
handle assignments individually or as a member of a team.
• I feel confident that I can apply my qualifications, skills, and working
knowledge of computer hardware development to your company.

B. ACCOUNTING ANALYST бухгалтер-аналитик — I am presently

working as an accounting analyst for a subsidiary of the Philadelphia-based Collins
Technology, a data technology company providing storage, management and
access products for computer communications systems. I am responsible for the
preparation of the financial statements of one of the company's subsidiaries. I am
also responsible for accurate measurement and reporting of the company's
marketing and sales programs.
BACK OFFICE MANAGER менеджер в банке — I am currently working
as back office manager for a major bank in Tucson, Arizona. Reporting to the
General Manager and working closely with the bank's management team, I am
responsible for developing, establishing, and running all the relevant systems and
procedures for the bank. Key elements of my job include settlements, information
technology, accounting, planning, budgeting, and administration.
CREDIT CONTROL MANAGER кредитный менеджер в банке — I am
currently working as a credit control manager for a medium-sized consumer goods
subsidiary in Portland, Oregon, which is part of a multinational group with
corporate headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. My key responsibilities are:
developing credit-control policy, identifying and resolving significant overdue
accounts, recommending action on different debts and systems development.
Reporting to the financial controller, I lead a department of six specialists.
DISTRICT SALES MANAGER региональный менеджер по продажам
— I am employed as a district sales manager for an American subsidiary of one of
Germany's leading industrial companies. It manufactures a wide range of plastic
consumer products. The main responsibilities of my present position are to identify
and exploit business opportunities, to call on prospective customers, to arrange
demonstrations and to manage regular promotional activities. I report to the
general sales manager and one of my specific roles is to develop and maintain
close relationships with department stores, supermarkets, and major cash-and-carry
sales organizations located within my sales district.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST специалист по
информационным технологиям — I am presently working as an information
technology specialist with the Young & Webster Corporation, a multi-business
group with headquarters in Tampa, Florida. I am responsible for the development
and implementation of the corporate information technology strategy.
MARKETING COORDINATOR координатор по маркетингу — I am
currently working as marketing coordinator for the Morton Company in Hartford,
Connecticut, a leading manufacturer of hot-water appliances. My responsibilities
include direct marketing, business-to-business and trade press advertising,
coordination of sales and promotional literature production, involvement in market
analysis, provision of sales force support, and budget administration.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT OPERATOR менеджер по технической
поддержке (компьютеры и т.д.) — I am employed by the Manchester (Indiana)-
based Elton Glenn Transaction Company, an information technology company
providing software, hardware, and services to support high-volume transaction
processing for sales outlets in retail industries.

Task 9:
A. Read the first part of a letter of reference.
 In most of the lines 1 and 8, there is one extra word, which does not fit.
Some of the lines, however, are correct.
 If a line is correct, put a tick (√) next to it.
 If there is an extra word in the line, write that word next to it.

Dear Ms Eastwood

Thank you for your letter of the 2nd February about Marcel Lacour’s 1…√….
an application for the job of Deputy Director. 2…an…
Marcel is worked with us three years as Office Manager. Then he 3……...
worked for two years in the same position in the our Paris subsidiary. 4………
He has a degree in Accountancy and Management, and he is currently 5………
doing part-time MBA. His knowledge of languages includes any 6………
French, English, Greek and Polish. This makes him a very suitable for 7………
work in a European of organization. 8………

B. Now match these sentence halves to write the second part of the letter
of reference.
1. He is an excellent manager, a) is a good team
very dedicated to the staff leader.
2. He is hard-working, and gets b) for this post.
3. He motivates the staff and c) his work and is a creative
4. He is good at dealing with and flexible person.
problems, and is very good at d) negotiating solutions.
5. Marcel is completely reliable e) meets his deadlines.
and always f) and to the quality of his
6. He has a very positive work.
attitude to g) very good results.
7. I highly recommend him
Yours sincerely

Julian Ash

Director
Task 10: So you chose a job ad, sent your resume to the company and they
invited you to the interview. Are you nervous? Now try to imagine that you
are a director of a company. What kind of person would you employ? Tick
the most essential features and give your reasons. Add your own variants.

 positive minded  ambitious

 hard working  adaptable to new ideas
 with a good sense of humor  looking smart
 intelligent  having a family
 sociable  knowing much about computers
 competitive  punctual
 self-motivated  reliable
 dedicated  determined to succeed
 talkative  enthusiastic
 experienced  brave
 active

Select 3 traits of character which you consider to be the most important and
say if you possess them.

TEXT 3: DAY OF THE INTERVIEW

Physical and Mental Preparation

The day of the interview arrives at last! It is important to be physically and

mentally prepared before you step through the door into the interview room. Here
are some tips to help you create the optimum physical and mental state for your
interview:
 Arrive ten minutes early
 Think positive thoughts – you are looking and feeling great!
 Take a couple of deep breaths to help you relax.

Introductions
When you meet the interviewer, remember that first impressions are lasting
impressions. Be positive and enthusiastic! This is the time to sell yourself!
Aim to:
 Relax, smile, and look confident as you enter the room
 Shake hands firmly if the interviewer offers his or her hand,
and
introduce yourself
 Wait until the interviewer invites you to sit down
 Make eye contact – naturally
  Be yourself!

If the interviewer initiates small talk about the weather, your journey or a
topical issue, be responsible – this is part of the interview and the initial
impression you make.

Key Background Review

When you have completed the introductions and the interviewer has
explained the format for the interview, you may be asked specific questions about
your educational background and work history, including your current role.

The Interview
Aim to:
 Listen carefully to the question
 Take a second or two to compose your thoughts before you
answer
 Ask for clarification if you need to – be sure you really
understand
what the interviewer is asking
 Speak clearly, minimize jargon, eliminate slang
 Watch the ‘landings’ – notice how your words impact the
interviewer
and his or her body language
 Try to vary your examples – though it is okay (and sometimes
efficient) to use the same example to illustrate different competence

Questions you could ask:

 What does the job involve?

 What hours are involved?
 What is the salary?
 What are the opportunities for promotion?
 What are the holiday arrangements?

Task 11: Read the passage below about how to prepare for a job interview.
 In each line 1-6 there is one wrong word.
 For each line, write the correct word in the space provided.

Before you go for a job interview, make sure that you do

your homework. Find out as much as you could about the 1....can…
company, about its history, about what it doing, how 2..………
many people it employ, and so on. During the interview, 3..……...
try to keep to the point. Give complete answers, but do no 4..………
 talk for longer then necessary. Finally, remember that 5..………
you can ask the interviewer question. This will show that 6..………
you are really interested in the opportunity.

Task 12: Decide which of these interview tips are more for interviewers and
which are more for candidates.
 Be completely honest at all times.
 Try to help the candidate to relax.
 Always wear your best clothes.
 Do not ask a lot of questions to which people can answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
 Listen carefully and make a lot of notes.
 Arrive half an hour early for the interview.
 Ask a difficult question at the beginning of the interview.
 Get an expensive haircut.

TEXT 4: INTERVIEWING JOB APPLICANTS

The objective of the job interview is to find out as much information as

possible about the applicant’s work background, especially work habits and skills.
The major task is to get the applicants to talk about themselves and about their
work habits. The best way to do this is to ask each applicant specific questions:
What did you do on your last job?
How did you do it?
Why was it done?
The applicants’ replies are evaluated and when the interview is over, the
applicant is asked to check back later, if that applicant suits for a job. The decision
is not made until all the applicants have been interviewed.
Next, the obtained information is verified. A previous employer is usually
the best source. Sometimes, a previous employer will give out information over the
telephone. But it is usually best to request information in writing and get a written
reply.
To help insure a prompt reply, previous employers should be asked a few
specific questions about the applicant which can be answered by a yes or no, or
with a very short answer.
For example:
1. How long did the employee work for you?________
2. Was his or her work poor________, average_________, or
excellent________?
3. Why did the employee leave your employment?
After the information on all applicants is verified, the selection can be made.
The result of this selection is the “Right” employee. The right employee can help
make money. The wrong employee will cost much wasted time, materials, and
may even drive away customers.
Vocabulary:

applicant претендент, кандидат

work background информация о предыдущей работе
to check back снова обратиться
to suit соответствовать, подходить
to verify проверять
to request запрашивать
a prompt reply немедленный ответ

Comprehension questions:

1. What is the objective of the job interview?

2. What kind of questions are usually asked at an interview?
3. How is the obtained information verified?

Task 13:

Situation: Your colleague applied for a new job but was turned down. Why did it
happen?

Use: produce unfavourable impression; be not properly dressed; look untidy; badly
shaven; dirty boots; long hair; wear too bright colours; wrinkled trousers; not a
fresh shirt; have no professional look; be late for the interview; keep the boss
waiting; not punctual; not take one's career seriously; have no self-control; sound
not confident enough; speak poor English; hesitate in answering questions; not
have enough experience; have poor professional skills.

Model:
A: My colleague applied for a new job, but was turned down.
B: Why? What happened?
A: I'm afraid it was his own fault. To begin with, he was late for the interview and
kept the boss waiting. Besides ...

Task 14: Match the job interview questions 1 to 5 with their answers a) to e).

1. How many jobs have you had since a) I now have more responsibility and
leaving university? work longer hours.

2. Why have you changed jobs so often? b) Well, I lead the sales team. I’m also
chairperson of a local business
association.

3. What have you done that shows c) I wanted to earn more money.
leadership?
4. In what ways has your job changed d) Well, the boss in my last company
since you joined the company? wasn’t easy to work with.

5. Have you ever worked with a e) I’ve worked for six companies.
difficult person?

Task 15: Cristina Kramer is applying for a job as an overseas sales

representative in Italy (see her CV in Task 5). Read the interview and answer
the questions:
1. Why does Cristina want to obtain this position?
2. What are her strengths?
3. What are her weaknesses?
4. What are her interests?

(I=Interviewer, CK=Cristina Kramer)

I Why do you want this job?

CK I like traveling and using my language. I also like meeting people, and I
want a new challenge. I really want to work for this company. It has an
excellent reputation. I think with my excellent sales experience I can
contribute to its success.
I What are your strengths?
CK I’m fluent in Italian and Spanish. I’m good at training sales staff and I get
on well with people. I think I’m very good at organizing seminars for
customers.
I What mistakes have you made?
CK I’m not patient when people don’t meet deadlines.
I What kind of people do you work well with?
CK I like people who work hard and who are reliable.
I What are your interests?
CK I have a lot of different interests. As I said before, I like traveling, and I
like reading travel books. I also like aerobics and skiing.
I Do you have questions to ask us?
CK If I get the job, when would you like me to start?

A. What are your strengths and interests? What kinds of people do you
work well with?
Task 16:
A. Read some more interviews
(I=Interviewer, C=Candidate)
1 I What is your current job?
C I’m an assistant Production Manager at Nomad Productions and I’ve
been there for five years.
I What have you done that shows initiative?
C Well, I had to react quickly in a critical situation when the Production
Manager was ill. It was difficult at first, but I really learnt to make
quick decisions.
I What part of the job do you least enjoy?
C One thing I really don’t like is checking all the minor details. I’m more
interested in coordinating a team and sorting out problems.

2 I I’d like to ask you about your work experience. What did you learn
from your last job?
C I learned to sell machines, and I improved my computer skills.

3 I Do you have any special skills?

C I’m good at languages. I speak Japanese very well. Also I find selling
very easy.

4 I What do you want to do in the future … in ten years’ time?

C Well, I plan to be head of a large marketing department.

5 I Finally, about your interests – what do you do in your free time?

C Well, I spend a lot of time playing golf at the weekend, and I’m keen
on fitness so I go to the gym a lot.
B. Work in pairs. Student A is an interviewer. Student B is a candidate.
Role play the job interview. Use expressions from the box.
Interviewer Candidate
Experience What did you learn from your last I learned to …
job?
What didn’t you like about your Well, I had a problem with …
last job?

Skills What are you good at? People say that I am good at …
Do you have any special skills? My main strengths are …

Future plans What do you want to do in the My main aim is to …

future?
Where do you want to be in ten I plan to be …
years’ time? I hope to have …
Interests What do you do in your free time? I really enjoy …
What are your main interests?
I spend a lot of time …

Task 17: A person who works in the Personnel Department is explaining how
they select candidates in her company. Put the items in the correct order to
give a general description of the recruitment process.

1) We choose the best 2) If there’s a vacancy,

candidate. I usually advertise it
in-house first of all.

3) We ask applicants to 4) We ask some of the

send in their CVs. applicants back for a
second interview.

5) If I don’t find any 6) We invite some of

suitable candidates, then the candidates to an
we advertise the job in interview.
the papers.

7) After that we draw up 8) If everything’s OK,

a shortlist. we offer the applicant
the job.

9) Then I check his or

her references.

Notes: in-house – внутри фирмы

shortlist – окончательный список (список допущенных к последнему
туру)