My future profession

I'm a student of Law Department of Brest State University. In the near future I'll graduate from the University and become a professional economist. I'm sure that the profession of an economist is one of the most important nowadays in view of the situation in our Republic.

What makes a good economist? Whatever he does, an economist should have a thorough training in economic theory, mathematics and statistics and our University offers such training. At the University we are taught various general and special subjects, such as Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Management, Accounting, Marketing, Advertizing, Money and Banking, Economic Theory, Econometrics, Statistics, Computer Science, Philosophy, Business Ethics, Foreign Languages, etc.

An economist needs some knowledge of the world outside his own country because both business and government are deeply involved in the world economy. Some knowledge of political and economic history will help him to expect changes and always look for basic long-run forces under the surface of things.

The profession of an economist is quite diversified. The graduates of our Faculty work at educational institutions, various research centers and laboratories, in industry, business, banks, etc. You may continue your studies at the Post-graduate Courses or Doctorate if you have a desire and abilities to become a scientist or a professor. Scientists in the field of Economics create new theories and models, test their hypotheses and carry out economic researches.

Being employed in industry and business, our graduates work as managers, as an executive manager, a sales manager, a financial manager. Some of us work as accountants. An accountant is one of the most prestigious and widely required professions of an economist in any society. You shouldn't mix an accountant with a book-keeper. While a book-keeper is mostly involved in calculations, like balance sheets, income statements, invoices, an accountant is responsible for designing the financial policy of a company.

Some of us work at the banks, at the Stock Exchange as brokers, others work for the government or are employed by various agencies and by military services.

Knowing the economic laws of the development of the society, economists can solve many problems facing our Republic and I hope I'll manage to make my contribution to this process.

Exercise 1. Match the words and their definitions

1. Economist	a. a person who buys and sells foreign;
2. Macroeconomics	b. a list of items provided or work done together with their cost, for payment at a later time;
3. Marketing	c. a person who studies or has a special knowledge of economics;
4. Broker	d. the part of economics that is concerned with the study of relationships between broad economic aggregates;
5. Accounting	e. a broad range of activities including product planning, new product development, organizing the channels by which the product reaches the customer etc.
6. Invoice	f. the principles or practice of setting up and auditing financial accounts.

Exercise 2. Match the word combinations with the Russian equivalents

1. Post-graduate Courses	a. бухгалтер;
2. Executive manager	b. финансовый менеджер;
3. Sales manager	c. исполнительный директор;
4. Financial manager	d. фондовая биржа;
5. Book-keeper	e. заведующий отделом продаж;
6. Stock Exchange	f. аспирантские курсы.

Exercise 3. Finish the sentence adding the information from the text

1. Whatever an economist does, he should … .

2. At the University we are taught various general and special subjects … .

3. An economist needs some knowledge of the world outside … .

4. The graduates of our Faculty work at … .

5. Being employed in industry and business, our graduates work as … .

6. Knowing the economic laws of the development of the society … .

Exercise 4. Fill in the missing words

Laws book-keeper economic business accountant

1. A … is mostly involved in calculations, like balance sheets and income statements.

2. An … is responsible for designing the financial policy of a company.

3. Both … and government are deeply involved in the world economy.

4. The knowledge of political and … history will help an economist to look for basic long-run forces under the surface of things.

5. Knowing the economic … of the development of the society, economists can solve many problems.

Exercise 5. Answer the following questions

1. Why is the profession of an economist one of the most important nowadays in our Republic?

2. What makes a good economist?

3. What subjects are taught at the department you study at?

4. As what kind of specialists can our graduates work?

5. In what way do accountants differ from book-keepers?

6. What does the profession of an economist contribute to?