УМК ин.яз.(английский) БТФ

Workers who used to have autonomy, freedom, and control now feel powerless. They are beginning to question the value of their work. "Professional identity is a real part of personal identity," says Nan Gardener, an unemployment counselor. "When you don't feel that you are making a significant and worthwhile contribution, it's hard to keep going." Although the work climate today is difficult, there are ways for individuals to fight the stress.

Take back some control.

You may not be able to control events that happen around you, but you can control your response. Ask yourself, "Where can I get some job satisfaction and job challenge? What can I do with what I've got?" Try to find something each day that provides a challenge, even if it is just a different way of doing ordinary tasks. Challenge creates excitement. It motivates and revitalizes.

Balance work and play.

After many years of education, many people are unable to find a job in their field. Instead, they have to take any job to get a paycheck. The job may not be suited to their capabilities. It may not present the challenge they are looking for. If this describes your job, remember you are more than your occupation. Enrich your life in other areas. Involve yourself in activities outside of work. Gain strength from the areas in your life where things are going well. Realize that this job may be temporary and do the best job you can. Remember, too, many people don't have a job to hate.

Get support from colleagues.

We all need support from our colleagues in the workplace. Little things mean a lot, like potluck lunches and birthday celebrations. We also don't laugh as much as we used to in the workplace, yet a sense of humor can be vital. Decide that you will laugh at whatever you can laugh at and take advantage of the mutual support of colleagues.

Have realistic expectations.

With increased workloads and cutbacks, many people are feeling they can't do their best work. Keep your work in perspective. Look at the big picture and establish reasonable objectives. Prioritize and make lists. Do what you can each day, and recognize each accomplishment. Look at what you can achieve, not at what you can't.

Be cooperative.

In hard times, it is difficult to focus on the shared goals of employer and employee. Yet, maintaining an attitude of cooperation and a team approach can make your days more positive and rewarding.

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.

Clear communication between management and staff is vital in these days of ongoing change. It is also important for management to invite input from staff on work issues, particularly those that will directly affect staff.

Vocabulary Work

Guess Meaning from Context

What do these words mean in the context of the reading?

1.downsizing ____________________________________________

2.layoffs_________________________________________________

3.strikes__________________________________________________

4.shutdowns ____________________________________________

Guess Meaning from Related Words

Decide if each word has a positive, negative, or neutral meaning.

1.autonomy____________________________________________

2.long-term____________________________________________

3.powerless____________________________________________

4.rewarding____________________________________________

5.significant____________________________________________

6.temporary____________________________________________

7.uncertain_____________________________________________

8.valued_______________________________________________

9.worthwhile___________________________________________

Reading Skills. Understanding Main Ideas

1.What is the writer's main point?

2.Who is this article written for?

3.Is the writer trying to persuade, explain, or describe something?

Idea Exchange

Think about Your Ideas

Number the five most important factors in choosing a career.

____salary

____amount of challenge

____amount of education or training necessary

____social status

____possibility of advancement

____amount of free time

____amount of independence (autonomy)

____personal satisfaction

Talk about Your Ideas

1.What factors are most important when choosing a career? Why? What factors are not important to you at all? Why not?

2.Do you plan to work in one field for your entire life, or do you think you will change professions? Why or why not?

3.What is your idea of a good job?

JOB HUNTING

If you are hunting for a job, you should

-look through job advertisements;

-write a CV / resume about yourself;

-write a letter of application;

-make an appointment for a job interview;

-attend the job interview.

And if you do well, you'll get your dream-job!

Applying for a Job

In different countries different conventions apply to the process of job application and interviews. In most parts of the world, it is common to submit a typed CV (curriculum vitae — British English) or resume (American English). This contains all the unchanging information about you: your education, background and work experience. This usually accompanies a letter of application, which in some countries has to be handwritten not typed. A supplementary information sheet containing information relevant to this particular job may also be required though this is not used in some countries.

Many companies expect all your personal information to be entered on a standard application form. Unfortunately, no two application forms are alike and filling in each one may present unexpected difficulties. Some personnel departments believe that the CV and application letter give a better impression of a candidate.

Interviews may take many forms in business today: traditional one-to-one interviews, panel interviews where several candidates are interviewed by a panel of interviewers, deep-end interviews where applicants have to demonstrate how they can cope in actual business situations. Moreover, the atmosphere of an interview may vary from the informal to the formal and from the kindly to the sadistic. Fashions seem to change quite rapidly in interview techniques and the only rules that applicants should be aware of may be Expect the unexpected and Be yourself.

In different countries, different trades and different grades, the salary that goes with a job may be only part of the package perks like a company car or cheap housing loans, bonuses paid in a “thirteenth month”, company pension schemes, generous holidays or flexible working hours. Such fringe benefits may contribute to the attractiveness of a job.

Résumé

An excellent résumé may help you get the job of your dreams and a poor résumé may mean a lost opportunity.

Since this is the first piece of information a company will receive about you, it is critically important that your résumé be well-written.

It should be presented at the beginning of any interview that you have with a company. Ideally, your résumé should not be longer than one page.

The contents of a résumé can be roughly categorized as: 1) PERSONAL INFORMATION (address and telephone number), 2) JOB OBJECTIVE, 3) EDUCATION, 4) EXPERIENCE, 5) SKILLS, 6) EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, 7) REFERENCES.

The résumé begins with PERSONAL INFORMATION, name, address, telephone number centered at the top page.

After your address, 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 résumé. 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."

Notice that your desire to have a well-paid job is not included in this statement. A focus on money in your résumé’s first sentence will not make the best impression anywhere in the world, not just in Russia.

After the statement of intent, describe your EDUCATION.

List the universities, institutes and colleges you have attended in reverse chronological order.

Any studying you have done abroad should be included and courses that you have taken that are relevant.

If you graduated with honors, you should definitely include this. A "red diploma" can be called "graduated with high honors" in English. Do not include your high school.

Your working EXPERIENCE is the next section. List your experience starting with your most recent place of employment and work backwards.

Spell out 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. Do not use complete sentences! List your responsibilities in short statements that do not include the words "my" or "I".

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," "native Russian," "intermediate German", and "beginning French" are all ways to describe your language abilities.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES should be included in the next section. Student or professional organizations you belong to, travel, sports and hobbies should be listed here.

Do not list "reading" or "writing" as an activity. It is assumed most people with a higher education do these things regularly.

The last section of your résumé 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 résumé for this, write "Available upon

request." You will then be expected to give this information to a prospective employer if it is requested.

The style and format of a résumé are extremely important. Your résumé must be typed, preferably on a computer in order to format it most effectively. A neat and well-written résumé with no spelling mistakes will |give an employer the impression that you are accurate and take care of details.

A résumé will not get you a job. An interview with a company will get a job. In order to have the opportunity of interviewing with a company should send your résumé with a cover letter.

Ex.1 Answer the questions

1.What is the best length for your résumé?

2.What sections should your résumé contain?

3.What information is included into the WORKING EXPERIENCE

section?

4.What skills should be listed in your résumé?

Resume

Name:

Address:

Objective: (Optional) (Example: To obtain a position in a non-profit organization utilizing my foreign language skills.)

Education: Experience paid: Volunteer Experience: Skills: (Computer)

Languages (Include fluency levels and don’t boast)

Ex. 2. Study the examples of résumés.

Résumé

Anna Smirnova

98, Chaikovskogo Street, apt. 85 St Petersburg, 191194, Russia Phone: +7.81227208 95

OBJECTIVE: Obtain employment in the field of public relations that will allow me to use my ability to work with people and take advantage of my knowledge of English

FRENCH: Good reading and translating ability.

GERMAN: Rudimentary conversation. German acquired during several visits to Germany.

OTHER SKILLS: COMPUTER Microsoft Word and Excel. Typing, fax, Xerox.

Referees: Paul 0’ Neil, S Louis ‘s College Principal, St. Louis’s College, Green Hill,

Southport, N. California

Education and qualification:

1.What was Ms Brice's position at Johnson Bros?

2.Name three of her duties at National auto.

3.What do her interests include?

Ex.3. Below are sections of a CV. Match them with the headings from the box and put them into the correct order.

1.Marketing Assistant, AFG, Liverpool Responsible for dealing with enquiries concerning the firm's relocation to Eastern Europe. This was a high pressure post at a very busy time for the company.

2.69 Grosvenor

Parkbridge London

S107HT

Tel: 0208-236-887

3.Good knowledge of German.

5.Captain of university basketball team.

Editor of university students' newspaper.

COVER LETTER

A cover letter has 3 purposes:

1.It formally introduces you, and can personalize the presentation of your

résumé.

2.It highlights specific information from your résumé and from your background that applies to a specific field or position. It can also give the reader insight to items not addressed in a résumé.

3.It helps to facilitate a meeting between you and the employer.

A cover letter allows you to personalize your résumé when it is mailed to prospective employers in response to advertisements or to inquire about possible interviews. The cover letter's main purpose is to advertise your strengths and assets in a way that would interest employers in interviewing you. It is also useful in that it can save valuable time by enabling you to visit only the most promising prospects or helping you avoid places where there is no interest in you as a prospective employee.

To attract the reader's ATTENTION, the cover letter must look good and be easy to read. Use of quality 8 1/2" X 11" paper, correct English, spelling, spacing, paragraphing, margins and above all, flawless typing is a must. Address it to a particular person by name, making sure that the spelling and title of the individual are correct. The person addressed should hold an influential position in the company. A good cover letter is not too long, so try to limit yours to only part of a single page.

The first paragraph should arouse the reader's INTEREST. This can be done by stating some particular knowledge you have of the reader's business, by a comment on some "timely" issue relating to the company's operation or by an impersonal statement of some outstanding fact relating to your ability that would probably appeal to the employer.

The body of the cover letter should make the employer DESIRE to interview you by explaining what you can do for his/her company. Put yourself in the employer's position as you write and present facts that will both be interesting and accurately describe your assets and qualifications. Your prospective employer will be interested in your ability to make and/or save money, to conserve time, to effectively assume and discharge responsibility and to produce results more rapidly and economically than anyone else. Do not stress your bad points, such as lack of experience or unemployment.

The last paragraph should request ACTION. Ask directly for an interview stating specific times and dates when you will call to arrange an interview. In all circumstances be courteous but use a direct approach.

The letter should end with the formal salutation, "Sincerely yours." Below the salutation, type your name and then add your signature. Remember that the use of AIDA (ATTENTION, INTEREST, DESIRE, ACTION) will result in a cover letter that is both pleasing to read and effective.

Ex. 1. Study the examples of cover letters

Sample Cover Letter Outline

Your Address

City, State, Zip Date

(Ms. or Mr.) I.M. Hiring Personnel Manager Name of Company Company Address

City, State, Zip

Dear (Ms. or Mr.) Hiring:

Your opening paragraph should arouse interest on the part of the reader. Tell the employer why you are writing the letter. Do not say in the first paragraph that you are looking for a job. Give information to show your specific interest in the company.

Your middle paragraphs should create desire. Give details of your background that will show the reader why one should consider you as a candidate. Be as specific as possible about the kind of a job you want. Don't make the reader try to guess what you would be interested in.

Refer the reader to your general qualifications on your enclosed resume or other material. Use as much space as you need to tell your story but keep it brief and to the point.

In your closing paragraph you ask for action. Ask for an appointment suggesting a time when you will contact the individual. You may now list your dates of availability.

Sincerely yours, [Your Signature] Type your name here

Letter of Application in Response to an Advertisement

Jan. 15, 2002

Return Address:

Street,

City, Country

Phone Number and Email Address

Name of individual

Job Title

Their Address: Street, City, Country

Dear_______________

Reference to the job advertisement

I saw an advertisement for a teacher in the Guardian Newspaper.

The purpose of this letter is to apply for a position as a secondary school English language teacher.

In response to your advertisement in the Guardian Newspaper, I am writing to apply for a teaching position.

Something about your suitability for the position

I have worked as a teacher for three years at School Number 29 in Riga, Latvia. I adore working with children.

My desire has always been to work with young people and I enjoy children very much.

Inclusion of Resume

Attached is a copy of my resume. Enclosed you will find my resume.

Polite Closure

Thank you very much for your consideration of my application.