III. Comprehension and Word Study

1. First read the Expert Career Development Guide and fill in the gaps with the words below.

We approach a career as a vehicle used to progressively achieve more. A career moves and 1 with your growth as a human; it is always in motion. You change jobs and your career moves, you do a course and your career 2 , you handle a challenging situation in such a way that everybody wins – your career building 3 mature.

A career builder needs support from others. When we took our first step as baby and fell down; mom and dad helped us up and we made another 4 . Our parents nurtured us and motivated us to keep on trying until we got it right. When we spoke our first word and it was not pronounced right; mom and dad said the word out loud and we kept on learning from them till we got it right. Mom and dad did their 5 , now it’s your turn! But you do not have to build your life and career without support. The best way to learn is by repeat and to repeat we need other people to 6 our new found knowledge and skills with.

Every career builder intuitively knows.

We got born with an innate curiosity and 7 to observe and imitate. Our parents nurtured us when we were babies and we observed and imitated them. They were the experts back then and in many ways still are!

We learned incrementally through many attempts and many failures, but never failing in vain, always failing forward; always one step closer to 8 and maybe a bruise or two, but we were the wiser for it. Our parents were there, always nurturing and when we got it right, they were overjoyed!

This process of 9 learning applies the same way to careers and business. We observe and learn from those that are already successful and apply that knowledge in our unique way. Building a successful career or business takes time and nurturing.

You are in a specific career. You have developed and honed your skills for the industry you have chosen. Sometimes we realize we need more 10 and skills in specific areas. We set goals for ourselves, for example go on a course, sign up for a first or second degree or read a book. These are all good ways to grow ones knowledge and skills, but often all that is required is to find an expert career coach in your field. This individual may even become a mentor to you.

Getting ready to do a 11 can be a harrowing experience, or it could be a great career building experience! Maybe you do not even have to be looking for a new job. One should ask the question, “Could I not achieve my career goals where I am now?” Have a plan. Think through the 12 and know where you want to be in five years, three years, the next six months.

______________________________

skills, practice, ability, progresses, options, intuitive, knowledge, attempt, develops, search, job, success

2. Comment on what you have just read in exercise 1.

Would you agree with what is stated there?

Can you add anything?

What makes a good logistician?

3. Your daily routine. Lorenza Müller is telling her partner about her day at the office. Match the beginning of each sentence on the left (1-13) with a phrase on the right (a-m). You can then make similar sentences to talk about your day at work.

1		I looked at	__j__	a	the monthly figures to Mr Kazoulis.
2		I wrote	____	b	an appointment with a client.
3		I made	____	c	the minutes of the meeting.
4		I went to	____	d	a representative of the safety committee.
5		I took	____	e	the company magazine.
6		I fixed	____	f	three or four replies.
7		I met	____	g	two or three telephone calls.
8		I had	____	h	the office Christmas party with Cynthia.
9		I read	____	i	a $10 million deal.
10		I discussed	____	j	my e-mails.
11		I presented	____	k	lunch with Tom in Accounts.
12		I negotiated	____	l	tired but happy.
13		I came home	____	m	the weekly departmental meeting.

4. Tony Johansen tells us about his professional life but some of the letters are missing from the key words. Fill in the missing letters. Take care with the correct form of the verb. You can then make similar sentences about your own professional life story.

1.	I guess my C A R E E R so far has not been very typical.
2.	My first J __ __ was with Flat Earth Mechanics.
3.	I S __ A __ T __ __ with them in 1975.
4.	It was just after I had L __ F __ school.
5.	My first job was in the office but I soon M __ V __ __ to the sales department. I knew then that I was born to be a salesman!
6.	In 1980 I was P __ O __ O __ E __ to the position of sales manager.
7.	But soon after that, the company went through a bad period and most of us were M __ D __ R __ D __ N __ A __ T.
8.	It took me two weeks to find another job and at the beginning of 1981 I J __ I __ E __ Round Earth Mechanics.
9.	This was a much more successful company and in 1990 I was A __ P __ I __ T __ __ to the post of national sales manager.
10.	Things have been fine since then although I was almost F __ R __ __ once for paying my sales people too much commission.
11.	I have no plants to R __ T __ R __ before I’m 60.
12.	If someone O __ F __ R __ me a better job, I will think about it seriously!