"Being a taxi-driver is not just about getting a person from A to B. It is also about the level of service and how to make their trip an enjoyable one. But when people are in mad rush to get to work or to the airport, it's difficult to engage in friendly conversation. That's why I changed to nights. Most people who use a taxi at night are going out to have fun, so they're in a much better mood. Most of the time, when people get in a car they enjoy knowing there's a friendly person driving it. It helps me to feel good about my work.
Do the Following Tasks:
Vocabulary Practice
1.Match the underlined words in the article with their synonyms below:
– run |
– journey |
– very tiring |
– mistake |
– schedule |
– outline |
Text analysis
1.For questions 1−10, choose from the answers A−D.
A − |
Alan Shaw |
C – Stephen Lai |
B − |
Helen Aldridge |
D − Kenny Walters |
Which of these people…
1)enjoys dealing with people while on duty?
2)does a job which can be upsetting at times?
3)watches the weather as part of his/her job?
4)is glad to have a company when at work?
5)has to take care of his/her appearance?
6)sometimes has to work overtime?
7)would find it difficult to go back to working days?
8)has to be constantly concentrated?
9)is under great pressure not to make mistakes?
10)switched to the night shift to get more pleasure out of his/her job?
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Discussion
1.List as many professions as you can think of which involve working the night shifts. What might be the advantages of working during the night?
2.Choose a person and take roles to act out an interview.
7. The Modern Servant – the Nanny and the Gardener
The nanny
Amanda Peniston-Bird, 21, is a daughter of a judge and has just completed a two-year training course to be a nanny at the Norland Nursery training College. She and her mother talk about her choice of career.
Amanda:
My sister Charlotte was born when I was seven and my mother decided she needed a nanny to look after us. So we got Alison. She was very young, seventeen I think, and wonderful. I adored her. She only worked part-time with us before she started her training at Norland College. She had to dress us in the morning and take me to school. After school she made us delicious teas and read us stories in bed. On Charlotte’s birthday, she organized a fantastic party. When Alison left, we had a trained nanny who lived with us and worked full-time. She was called nanny Barnes by everyone, including my parents. She was older and quite traditional and wore a uniform. It was then that I realized that I wanted to be a nanny. My parents thought that I would follow in my father’s footsteps and study law. I started my training course at Norland College, I finished the course last month and I’ve applied for the post of nanny to twins aged six months.
Amanda’s mother:
Her father is still a bit disappointed that she did not take after him and study law, but I think we are both proud, and also pleased, that she has made her own decisions in life and done so well. We have brought her up to be an independent thinker, so we can’t complain. Everything has turned out to the best. I had a nanny when I was a child but I never thought of being one myself, but times have changed and ‘nannying’ has been socially acceptable for a long time.
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The gardener
Hugo Grantchester, 26, has been a gardener and a tree surgeon for four years. He went to Oxford University to study archaeology, but he dropped out after just one term. His father is a surveyor and his mother, Geraldine, is an interior designer. Hugo and his mother talk about his choice of career.
Hugo:
When I was 11, we moved to a large Tudor house in East Anglia which had three acres of garden. We had a gardener who lived in a little cottage at the end of our drive. I used to spend hours watching him work and talking to him. I think I picked up a lot about gardening without realizing it, because one summer when I was still at school, I took a job at a garden centre and I knew all the names of the plants, and I could give people advice. Then I went to university and it was a disaster. After a term I told my parents that I was going to give it up and go back to work in the garden center. They were furious, we had a terrible row, and they didn’t speak to me for months. But I knew it was a waste of time to carry on studying archaeology, and I started gardening again. I knew I’d made the right decision. I’ve enjoyed every moment of the last four years and my parents have learnt to accept what I do, not only because they can see how happy I am, but also because a lot of my university friends have found it difficult to find good jobs or have been made redundant. Sometimes people are quite taken aback when they find out that their gardener went to university, but I think it makes them respect my opinion more when I’m helping them plan their gardens.
Hugo’s mother:
His father and I were so delighted when he went to Oxford, but when he gave it up so soon we were very angry. We thought manual labour was not the career for our only son. We fell out for months, Hector refused to allow Hugo into the house, and we all felt thoroughly miserable. But our daughter told us not to worry because Hugo would be a millionaire by the time he was forty. Times have changed and all kinds of people do all kinds of work, and I think the world’s a better place for it!
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Do the Following Tasks:
Vocabulary Practice
1.What do the underlined words / phrases mean? Can you explain them in English?
2.Match each word with the appropriate definition. Make your own sentences with these phrases:
1. to bring up |
a) to change from child to adult |
2. to drop out |
b) to stop (a job, a habit, e.g. smoking) |
3. to be taken aback |
c) to take care of |
4. to grow up |
d) to be surprised |
5. to give up |
e) to leave, not to complete (a college course) |
6. to look after |
f) to look after, to educate (a child) |
Text Analysis
Are the following sentences true or false?
1.Hugo and Amanda were influenced by their servants in their families when they were children.
2.Amanda wanted to be a nanny because she liked the uniform.
3.Hugo did well in his holiday job because he had learnt a lot about plants from the gardener.
4.The parents were very angry when they were told about the choice of a career.
5.All of the parents have become friends with their children again.
6.Some of the children have regretted their decision not to go to university.
7.Hugo has already become a millionaire.
Role-playing
Work in groups of three.
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Students A and B. You are the parents of C. One of you is a doctor and the other a lawyer, and you would like C to follow one of these professions, but C has other ideas. Explain to C why yours are such good careers.
Student C. A and B are your parents. They want you to become a lawyer or a doctor, but you have different ideas! You want to be one of the following (or choose one of your own): a dancer, an explorer, a manager, an accountant, a teacher of English…
Talk and try to persuade each other to see your point of view.
Discussion
Discuss these questions in pairs:
1.What and who influenced her/his choice of a career?
2.What did her/his parents want her/him to do?
3.What was the parents’ attitude to the choice of a career at first?
4.Has the parents’ attitude changed? If so, why?
5.In what ways do the parents think that times have changed since they were young?
IV. A JOB INTERVIEW
8. The Best Way To Impress At Interviews
Lesley Everett is a personal image development coach and author of the book “Walking Tall – Key Steps To Total Image Impact”
Personal image is increasingly important in business life but how much thought and preparation do you put into creating positive first impressions? Research shows that in today's fast-paced society it takes just seconds for many interviewers to judge the visual image we present: 93 per cent of first impressions are based on our "personal package". That leaves just seven per cent on the words we use. Great CV? Now's the time to back it up with a quality personal presentation.
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Research also shows that senior management recruiters now rank such skills as communication and personal presentation skills — as high, if not higher, than qualifications. So, whether we like it or not, our personal packaging is a major factor in business and interview success. Creating a strong and unique set of personal brand values is the key to creating a right-first-time impression on others. Your well-written and hard-earned CV will get you through the door — now you have to reinforce that with the personal "wow" factor.
Remember that the interviewer is a skilled professional, so he knows in advance what he is really looking for. Ask yourself: what values are important to you? How do you think you come across when meeting people for the first time? How do you want to be perceived? What could you do to improve these values? Ask trusted colleagues or family the same questions.
Note areas for development. You now have knowledge on how others perceive you. People are the biggest differentiator a company has, therefore the interviewer will be assessing how well you could present and reflect their corporate brand values too, particularly for client-facing roles.
Here are my top tips for making a positive impact at an interview:
•Plan your clothes and choose something for the industry and, if possible, corporate culture
•Never borrow clothes or shoes;
•Neatness is always appreciated, as clean hair and well manicured nails;
• Never wear overpowering fragrances — your poison may not be to others
taste. Use light make up;
•If wearing a suit, dark, neutral colours are the best. Wear clean shoes and do not carry fussy accessories;
•Don't fiddle – keep your hands lightly clasped;
•Be punctual;
•Maintain eye contact when listening and speaking;
•Walk tall - good posture will make you look sharp and healthy and hold attention to your face;
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•Make sure your handshake is firm;
•Smile, show confidence and enthusiasm and be yourself;
•Turn off your mobile;
Now that you are aware of the necessity to audit your image on many levels for business success, create a working wardrobe of quality, well-fitting clothes in colours and styles to suit you. Invest in the best quality of everything you can afford. Feng shui your image and enjoy lasting career success.
Do the Following Tasks:
Vocabulary Practice
1.Decide whether the phrases are positive (+) or negative (–) and mark each phrase accordingly:
1) personal “wow” factor;
2) overpowering fragrances;
3) fussy accessories;
4) the best quality of everything;
5) borrow clothes or shoes;
6) show confidence and enthusiasm.
2.Find the odd one out:
a) recruiter |
interviewer |
employer |
interviewee |
b) impression |
skills |
qualities |
qualification |
c) image |
value |
style |
“personal package” |
d) enthusiastic |
confident |
fashionable |
punctual |
Text Analysis
What does the author of the article mean by the following?
1) …93 per cent of first impressions are based on o ur "personal package". That leaves just seven per cent on the words we use.
2) …to reinforce our CV with the personal "wow" fac tor. 3) Feng shui your image…
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Discussion
1.What preparations should a person make before an interview?
2.Imagine that you are a personal image development coach, try to make up your own list of advice for people trying to produce a good impression at an interview.
9.Classic Resume Mistakes, Omissions that will Kill Your Job Search
What is a Resume? Resume is your ad. Just like an ad, a resume must present you in good light
a resume must use appropriate language a resume must be visually appealing
a resume must portray facts accurately
In order to create a successful resume, it is essential to be aware and avoid the following resume mistakes:
"Borrowing" Resume Copy
Resumes can be hard to write. When difficulties arise, it is tempting to seek help from other sources, such as copying statements from resume books or borrowing information from a friend’s resume. This tactic almost never works. For example, if you copy from a book, you run the risk of the hiring manager reading that book and seeing your resume in there!
Your accomplishments, skills, and abilities deserve to be shown in an original way that best sells you. Take the time to create your own style.
Spelling Errors
Many employers discard resumes that contain spelling mistakes. While some resume reviewers don't care about errors, others use errors as justification for disqualifying an applicant.
Even worse, a misspelled keyword or e-mail address can be fatal.
Writing a “Me-Oriented” Introduction
Your objective or profile statement is the first section of a resume that hiring managers read. This section must show the immediate contributions you can bring to
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an organization. This can be the hardest part of the resume to write and unfortunately, most job seekers don’t pay much attention to this section.
For example, the most famous resume introduction is “Seeking a challenging position where there is an opportunity for growth”. What is this objective statement really saying about you? Nothing at all! By using this type of introduction, the only message you are sending to an employer is that you are not interested in the hiring organizations needs, only your own.
Unfocused Job Objective
Most resumes are too generic and have no clear focus.
Without a doubt, writing a resume with the premise of, “I don’t care what type of job I get, I just need a job,” will lead to fail ure. A resume must be targeted to a specific objective. A focused job objective tells the reader the type of position you are seeking and describes key skills you can offer.
Wrong Resume Format
The resume format you choose to show your career history is very important. The two widely used formats are:
The chronological resume arranges your experience and education in chronological order, with the most recent dates first. The functional resume highlights specialized knowledge, marketable talents that are in demand, and your strong vocational skills. The combination resume combines the functional and chronological resume formats. Regardless of which format you choose, be certain that the format supports your objective.
No Visual Impact
Companies spend a great deal of money on product packaging and presentations because they know customer’s buying decisions are influenced by how a product looks. The same philosophy holds true for a hiring manager. When they have to sift through a pile of resumes, they will automatically be drawn to the resume that is easier for them to read. A clean and easy to read resume layout will generate more positive responses.
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Do the Following Tasks:
Vocabulary Practice
1.Match the underlined words in the article with their synonyms below:
– background |
– look for |
– curricu lum vitae (CV) |
– claimant |
– purpose |
– achie vement |
2. Put each of the phrases into one of the following categories: a) expressions to
describe yourself; b) expressions to describe your work skills; c) expressions to describe your achievements. (Then you may use them preparing your own CV):
1) organized |
5) was the leader of |
2) good at talking to people |
6) can persuade people |
3) confident |
7) my team won the competition |
4) has lots of experience |
8) have a working knowledge of English |
Text Analysis
Find the sentences in the text which favour the same ideas as the sentences below:
1)Hiring managers have to read lots of resumes and they appreciate those written clearly and accurately.
2)Try to describe your achievements and experience in a unique way that will put you in a favourable light.
3)A CV must show your major purpose.
4)This part of a resume must show that you are ready to contribute your share to the work of an organization.
5)Give your name, address, phone number and e-mail address correctly.
Discussion
1.In groups, discuss which part of the article gives the most precious advice to an applicant.
2.In pairs make the list of your own tips which will help to produce a positive impression.
3.Decide what job you would like to apply for. Plan and write your CV.
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