APPLYING FOR A JOB
I. Study the list of topical vocabulary to avoid the difficulties in understanding
the text of this unit. Consult a dictionary to pronounce the words correctly.
Advertisement n – реклама
applicant n – претендент (на работу)
background n – биографические данные; подготовка, квалификация
board or panel interview – собеседование на совете или комиссии
conclusion n – заключение, вывод
«deep-end» – «погружение» в сложную ситуацию
emphasize v – подчеркивать, выделять
experience n – зд. опыт
impression n – впечатление
pattern n – образец, модель
probationary period – испытательный срок
prospective employer – будущий (предполагаемый) работодатель
reference n – зд. рекомендация; поручитель, дающий рекомендацию
salary n – зарплата
show one’s worth – проявить себя
strong points – сильные стороны
II. Read the following international words correctly and define their meaning.
Agency, resume, career, stress, sociability, traditional, candidate, discuss,
domestic, financial, professional, personality, criticize, colleague, guarantee,
qualification, motivation, reason, chance, stress situation, nervous, transport.
III. Define the meaning of the following words and the part of speech they
belong to.
A
to employ
employer
employee
employment
B
interview
to interview
interviewer
interviewee
IV. Read and translate the text below, say what its main points are.
Applying for a job
The happiness of any person largely depends on having suitable job. One
may learn about a job vacancy in a newspaper, from a friend, from the employment
agency or TV advertisement.
To apply for a job you are interested in, it is necessary to convince the
prospective employer of your ability to do this job well. The first thing you should
do is to prepare a resume (curriculum vitae – BrE). A resume should contain a
summary of essential facts from your background: personal data, career objective,
work experience, education, and references. You should emphasize your strong
points in your resume. For example, if you have no job experience, stress your
personal qualities (sociability, honesty, reliability, efficiency etc.) or educational
background. A well-composed resume will make the prospective employer
understand what abilities make you a suitable person for a particular job.
If you interest the employer he will invite you for an interview. Interviews
are conducted on the various patterns: there are traditional one-to-one and group
interviews, board or panel interviews (where an applicant is interviewed by a panel
of interviewers), «deep-end» interviews which give a candidate the opportunity to
demonstrate his skills and apply his knowledge.
To make a good impression on the interviewer it is important to find some
information about the company you are going to work in. Besides, there are some
rules of behaviour in an interview. For instance, when greeting the interviewer you
should wait until he shakes your hand. Also, you shouldn’t sit down until he offers
you to do that. In the interview it is common to avoid discussing personal,
domestic or financial problems if you are not asked about.
Interviewers can’t check applicant’s professional skills immediately, so, the
first thing they are attracted to is the agreeable personality and friendly attitude of
the interviewee. You shouldn’t criticize your former colleagues or employer:
criticism helps to reveal your own negative qualities.
Interviewers are usually interested in qualifications of the candidate, his/her
previous job experience, motivation and the reasons of applying for that job. In the
interview you may ask questions too – about salary, probationary period, social
guarantees, transport facilities to or from job, chances of promotion. But you
should discuss the subject you are interested in after the interviewer introduced it.
It is clear that a job interview is a stress situation for any applicant. The
majority of interviewees feel nervous, and not everyone is able to show his worth
in the interview. But it is necessary to concentrate oneself for some time because
the conclusion about the candidate is made within the first ten minutes of the
interview.
V. Match these word combinations with their Russian equivalents.
a) возможность
продемонстрировать мастерство
b) произвести хорошее впечатление
на кого-либо
3) to shake hands
c) принято избегать обсуждения
4) opportunity to demonstrate skills d) желаемая должность
5) it is common to avoid discussing e) кандидатура, подходящая на
определенную должность
6) company you are going to work f) немедленно проверить
in
профессиональное мастерство
претендента
7) some rules of behaviour
g) некоторые правила поведения
8) suitable person for a particular
h) пожать руку
1) to make a good impression on
someone
2) career objective
job
9) to check applicant’s professional
skills immediately
i) компания, в которой вы
собираетесь работать
VI. Insert the proper prepositions.
19: of (5) on (2) in (4) within (1) for (2) about (3) from (2)
1. The happiness … any person largely depends … having suitable job.
2. One may learn … a job vacancy … a newspaper, … a friend, … the employment
agency.
3. To apply … a job you are interested …, it is necessary to convince the
prospective employer … your ability to do this job well.
4. To make a good impression … the interviewer it is important to find some
information … the company you are going to work … .
5. Interviewers are usually interested … qualifications … the candidate and the
reasons … applying … that job.
6. The conclusion … the candidate is made … the first ten minutes … the
interview.
VII. Paraphrase the sentences using the synonyms from the box instead of the
underlined words.
background, resume, panel, emphasize,
contain, prospective, applicant
1.
2.
3.
4.
To apply for a job the first thing you should do is to prepare a curriculum vitae.
A resume should include a summary of essential facts from your biography.
You should point out your strong points in your resume.
A well-composed resume will make the potential employer understand what
abilities make you a suitable person for a particular job.
5. A «deep-end» interview gives to a candidate the opportunity to demonstrate his
skills and apply his knowledge.
6. A board interview is the one where applicant is interviewed by a panel of
interviewers.
VIII. Act out the dialogues A and B. Make up your own dialogues concerning
job search.
A
Secretary: Hello, Mr Newman’s office.
Mrs Lewis: Hello. My name is Natasha Lewis. Could I contact the Personnel
Manager?
Secretary: I’ll find out if he is in. Hang on a moment.
Mrs Lewis: All right.
Mr Sanders: Joe Sanders, Personnel Manager. Good morning.
Mrs Lewis: Hello, Mr Sanders. I’d like to apply for the position of a laboratory
assistant at the Certification Department with your company.
Mr Sanders: Please leave your resume to my secretary. Do you have any job
experience, Mrs Lewis?
Mrs Lewis: Yes, laboratory assistant at the University.
Mr Sanders: Good. I’ll study your resume and schedule an interview with you
next week.
Mrs Lewis: Thank you, Mr Sanders.
Mr Sanders: Good-bye.
B
Secretary: Hello, Mr Affleck’s office.
Mr Voit: I’d like to speak to Mr Affleck.
Secretary: One moment. Hold the line, please. I’ll see if he is in.
In a minute or so.
Secretary: Are you listening?
Mr Voit: Yes.
Secretary: I’m sorry but Mr Affleck is not yet in. He must be in a conference. But
I expect he will be back in a few minutes.
Mr Voit: Could I leave him a message, please?
Secretary: Sure.
Mr Voit: Well, I’d be very much obliged if you asked him to ring me up any time
on Friday. My name is Ken Voit.
Secretary: Very well sir. I’ll make a notice of it. Does he know your telephone
number?
Mr Voit: I had an interview with him. He has my resume, my number is in it.
Secretary: So, you’re Ken Voit, aren’t you?
Mr Voit: That’s right. Thank you. Good-bye.
Secretary: Good-bye.
IX. Read the following information and say what general rules of composing a
resume are. Consult the Vocabulary notes.
It is usual to begin a resume with the personal data. It includes your name,
address, social insurance number, home telephone number and business phone
number (recommended only if your present employer is aware of your job search).
It may also contain such facts as your date of birth, marital status, and number of
dependants.
Such section as explanation of your career objective or goal may be optional.
Here you may point out the specific position for which you are applying.
The structure of the next part of your resume will depend a great deal on your
work history. If you are a recent graduate with limited job experience, begin with
your education first. You should highlight achievements and honours, and note
extracurricular activities. Your resume should involve information about the
courses you took which are relevant to the position you desire, or special training
you may have participated in and skills you have. Continue with your part-time or
summer employment, and indicate your responsibility and duties.
If you possess a strong professional background, you should begin with your
work experience first. Information provided here includes a job title, name of
employer, address, date of employment, and a brief summary of duties. Emphasize
responsibilities, highlight personal achievements and promotion. Your list of
positions should have the inverse chronological order, so it is usual to begin with
the current employer.
Next, your resume could include a brief section necessary to give employers an
insight into your leisure and non-work activities: clubs or professional associations,
community volunteer work, sports and hobbies.
Finally you could list references. It has become an acceptable practice to write
“References: Available upon request” because addresses, titles, phone numbers
may be changed. Choose references carefully and always ask permission to use
their names as referees.
Vocabulary notes:
acceptable practice – общепринятая практика
brief summary – краткое описание
current adj = present adj
dependant n – иждивенец
duties n pl = responsibilities n pl – обязанности
extracurricular adj – общественный, внеучебный
highlight v – освещать
insight n into – представление о
job title – название должности
marital status – семейное положение
part-time – почасовой
position n – должность
promotion n – продвижение по службе
relevant adj to – относящийся к
reverse adj – обратный
work history – трудовая биография
X. Study the sample of resume and prepare your own resume.
NAME:
NATIONALITY:
DATE OF BIRTH:
MARITAL STATUS:
CURRENT ADRESS:
OBJECTIVE:
Alex Morozov
Russian
1. 11. 1988
Single
342 West 175th Street, Apartment 4H,
New York, NJ 10033, Tel. (212) 535-94-49
A position of Marketing Manager
WORK EXPERIENCE:
2008 – 2009
2010 – now
EDUCATION:
INTERESTS:
REFERENCES:
Blue Wave Beauty Products company. Russia.
Moscow, Russia
Position: Assistant Manager at Marketing
Department.
Duties: carried out market research of the
perfume and cosmetics; instructed the
representatives of the company in marketing
strategies and techniques.
Blue Wave Beauty Products company. USA.
New York, USA
Position: Marketing Analyst at Market Research
Department.
Duties: carried out market research; developed
effective marketing strategies; made up business
planning; planned pre and post-sales promotion
activities.
Kemerovo State University
the Faculty of Economics
Marketing Department
2005 – 2010
Market Research
Human resource management
Professor M. Abramov
Academician D. Mikhalkov
XI. Imagine that you are interviewed by the representative of the company.
Please answer his questions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Why are you interested in joining our company?
What is your professional experience?
What do you know about our company?
What kind of position do you want?
Why do you feel qualified for this job?
What is your marital status?
What are your main strong points for this job?
Will you agree to begin with a part-time job?
What is your objective? What kind of position do you want in the future?
XII. Act out the situation In a Job Interview: the interviewer makes up a list of
questions, the applicant(s) writes a resume and prepares to be interviewed
(see exercise XI).
XIII. Scan the text. What are the main factors of job satisfaction and job
dissatisfaction?
JOB SATISFACTION
Job satisfaction is important in life of a modern man. Almost every adult person
spends a lot of time at his work place. So, it is very important to be content with
one’s position.
There are some factors which influence job satisfaction. If a company gives an
opportunity of professional growth, an employee may take some interesting
training programs or courses, have job-related travels. Having brainy boss and
agreeable colleagues is also a great luck. Earning plenty of money makes a person
socially independent (on parents, other people’s help, circumstances etc.)
The status of the company also plays significant role. Many young specialists
would like to work in a large prestigious company because there are more chances
to be promoted.
Of course, different people prefer different jobs: some like to work on a
computer, others want to be a part of a team or, alternatively, to be independent in
their professional life. But in any case an employee needs to be praised for the
good job by his superiors.
Job dissatisfaction makes any person extremely unhappy. For example, low
wage makes him socially unprotected. Hostile working environment causes job
inefficiency and, on the other hand, stress situations that harm health. In this case,
even a highly qualified specialist may become a bad employee.
After graduation from the University everybody wants to find satisfactory
position in an organization with a good status. One of the most significant things
for everyone is to have financial independence because University education gives
opportunity to earn much. It matters if the job is interesting or not because many
people hate boring and monotonous work. Some people enjoy making decisions on
their own. Everyone needs knowledge to be useful for the benefit of business.
Besides, it is important to be part of a team and, at the same time, to have real
chances of promotion in a company.
A manager or director should take serious care of the main aspects of job
satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the company.
XIV. Read the text and complete the sentences with the appropriate words and
phrases given in the box.
FILLING A VACANCY
references
candidate
job vacancies
application form
position
interview
application
short-listed
employment agencies
apply
resume
applicant
Many people looking for a job read about the (1) ___ advertised in newspapers by
companies and (2) ___. To reply to an advertisement is to (3) ___ for a job. You
become a (4) ___ or an (5) ___. You write an (6) ___, or fill in the company’s (7)
___, and send it, along with your (8) ___ and a covering letter. You often have to
give the names of two people who are prepared to write (9) ___ for you. If your
qualifications and abilities match the (10) ___ you might be (11) ___, i. e. selected
to attend an (12) ___.
XV. Speak on the topic “Applying for a Job” using the communicative scheme
below.
Applying for a Job
resume
main parts
interview
data
types
participants
interviewer
interviewee
questions
rules of
behaviour