Improve your English. Учебное пособие по английскому языку

UNIT 2

APPLYING FOR A JOB

Text 1. Employment

By the year 2000 Britain’s working population — the workforce — was 27 million (nearly 50 per cent of the total population). Those in employment include full-time, part-time and self-employed people. People are employed in manufacturing and service.

Employment is also often divided into sections according to the types of work and social class. These categories include professional, manual and non-manual. A doctor, for example, is a professional in the service sector, while a steelworker would be a manual worker (skilled or unskilled) in the manufacturing sector. One trend is very clear in Britain: fewer people now make cars or work in coal mines; more work for banks and hotels.

In 1951 ninety-six per cent of the people in work in Britain had full-time jobs and the majority of these (seventy per cent) were held by men. By 2000 twenty-one per cent of jobs were part-time and forty-four per cent of workers were women. The basic employment trend of the 1980s continued, with a general rise in the number of part-time jobs for women, particularly in service industries. The number of people who were self-employed also rose due partly to new technologies and to changing work patterns.

There are big differences in pay between men and women. The average full-time wage for women is still only 80 per cent of the male average, even when the same job is involved. Certain highly-paid occupations such as surgery are still almost exclusively for men.

1.Read and translate the text.

2.Decide whether these statements are true or false and correct the false

ones.

1.Employment has risen among people over 55.

2.People are engaged in production and service.

3.The numbers of part-time jobs for women rose due partly to new technologies.

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3.Give Russian equivalents of the following words and make up the sentences of your own.

Workforce, full-time, part-time, self-employed, manual, highly-paid occupations.

4.What do these figures refer to in the text?

1)27 million;

2)50 per cent;

3)ninety-six per cent;

4)seventy per cent;

5)80 per cent.

Text 2. Unemployment and Problems of Employment

Unemployment is the condition of one who is capable of working, actively seeking work, but unable to find it. It is important to note, that to be considered unemployed a person must be an active member of the labour force and in search of work. Statistics on unemployment collected and analyzed by government labour offices in most countries is considered to be the chief indicator of economic health.

The problem of the youth unemployment is one of the most important ones. The number of the young people looking for job is constantly increasing. In Russia young people are looking for job not only for the sake of earning money, but because they want to be independent from their parents. Moreover, job gives the young people a chance to adjust themselves to the real life of adults and stir their ambitions. In such a way young people can get a very good experience for their future career.

Is it easy to find a job for a graduate in Russia? It depends on the ability of the person, his qualification and an element of luck by which he or she can find a job. Sometimes the graduates are overqualified for the job offered to them. But if the person is persistent he will always find the job he is looking for. Unfortunately not all the required professions are well paid. Underpayment can also be regarded as a kind of unemployment.

Every company, if they want to be effective, must be interested in having highly qualified staff which they are supposed to select. That’s why great importance is usually attached to choosing the right candidates for the job, when hiring recruits or taking on new specialists. There are many factors that may appear to be decisive for the candidate’s employment such as outward appearance, age, sex, professional experience, qualification, length of service, marital status, family background, references, etc.

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The first thing that should be kept in mind at the recruitment stage is that people practically do not change over their working life. What it meant here, for example is the intelligent level of a person or his/her ability of learning foreign languages or handling numbers. Anyhow, in selecting the candidate for the job the chooser should focus at least on three qualities: intelligence and ability, emotional stability and conscientiousness.

In order to get a full picture of the candidate’s merits and demerits the job interview that a candidate is supposed to go through should include such points as qualifications, personal qualities, skills and professional experience, weaknesses and strengths, interests, achievements, etc.

The more carefully the interview is conducted, the more candidates will be rejected or would-be workers dismissed.

1.Read and translate the text.

2.How well have you read? Can you answer the following questions?

1.What is unemployment?

2.Why are Russian young people looking for job?

3.Is it easy to find a job for a graduate in Russia?

4.Which factors are decisive for the candidate’s employment?

5.Which three qualities should the chooser focus at in selecting the candidate for the job?

3. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and make up the sentences of your own.

Labour force, looking for job, future career, highly qualified staff, recruitment, qualification, skills and professional experience.

Text 3. Looking for a job. How you should start hunting for a job.

The best way of doing this is to study the job market either with the help of recruitment (employment) agencies or situations vacant pages in the press.

The structure of the vacancy advertisements is usually the same: the name of the vacant position, the list of the candidate’s professional duties, the demands made of the candidate and sometimes the system of compensations and benefits.

Be realistic when evaluating the job market for what you have to offer. Consider who and what you are, your strengths, your weaknesses, interests, likes and dislikes. Analyze your real motivations and ambitions.

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When you have made your choice and found a position you would like to apply for, you will have to be faced with the time-consuming task of writing your letter of application and curriculum vitae (resume).

Many firms use job application forms or are so informal as to invite applicants to telephone to arrange an interview. But for many jobs, and especially more senior ones, you have to compose a letter, there are in fact two choices: a letter containing all the information; or a shorter covering letter together with a curriculum vitae containing information set out on a separate sheet.

The second choice is preferable. It looks more businesslike and the tabulation makes the information easier for the reader.

The shorter covering letter is easier to compose effectively when it is not cluttered with miscellaneous detail about your qualifications, etc.

The plan for the covering letter might be:

1)reference to the advertisement and statement of application;

2)reference to the enclosed curriculum vitae;

3)amplification of details of curriculum vitae;

4)complimentary close.

Your letter must sound like you, it must convey something of your own personality. However, if you are a very unassuming person, you will need to make the effort to sound a little more forceful than usual. After all you do have to speak for yourself on this occasion!

Remember that the aim of this letter is to ensure that your name goes on to the shortlist and takes you to the next stage, the interview. To do this you need to study the advertisement very carefully indeed, decide what sort of person with what qualifications, is being sought, and then show that you are that person. If you want to be hired you need to show enthusiasm and interest in the company and the position (without being too overwhelming about it). Remember how many other applications your letter may have to compete against and try to ensure that it will stand out and compel attention.

The covering letter should be handwritten. Many employers like to see a specimen of your handwriting. Some large companies, especially in the USA, employ experts (graphologists) to examine applicant’s handwriting.

1.Read and translate the text.

2.Complete the sentences.

1.If you want to apply for a job…

2.It’s not enough to evaluate the job market…

3.The letter you compose should not only contain all the information but…

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4.If your letter stands out and compels attention…

5.A specimen of an applicant’s handwriting may…

6.Make an effort to sound businesslike…

7.You will have to compete against…

8.You won’t be invited for an interview unless…

9.If you compose your CV effectively…

3. Partial translation.

Harry is a sales person. He saw a job (в колонке вакансий) in one of the national papers. The (подал заявление), sending in his (резюме) and (сопроводительное письмо), explaining why he wanted the job and why he was the right person for it. Harry did not hear anything for six weeks, so he phoned the company. They told him that they had received a lot of (заявление). After looking at (резюме) of (кандидатов), the company (отобрала) 3-4 of them and then (взяли на работу) someone. Harry is still (ищет) а job.

4. Translate from Russian into English.

1.Когда вы ищете работу, нужно внимательно изучить объявления о вакансиях.

2.Нужно обязательно понять, какой работник требуется и придумать, что вы можете предложить

3.Необходимо проанализировать свои сильные и слабые стороны, интересы, предпочтения, свои цели и мотивы.

4.Перед тем, как подавать заявление о приеме на работу, вы должны составить письмо, содержащее всю необходимую информацию.

5.Ваше резюме и сопроводительное письмо должны представлять вас как личность.

Text 4. Job Ads

Checking out job advertisements is popular with executives worldwide. But though the activity is universal, is the same true of the advertisements? Are executive positions in different countries advertised in the same way? First, what UK job seekers consider an essential piece of information what the post pays — is absent from French and German adverts. Most British advertisements mention not only salary, but also other material incentives including a car and fringe benefits. French or German advertisements rarely refer to these. The attention given to rewards in the UK indicates the importance of the job and its responsibility. In France and Germany, that information is given by the level of experience and qualifications demanded. Salary can be assumed to correspond with this.

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If French and German adverts are vague about material rewards, they are precise about qualifications. They usually demand ‘a degree in..’, not simply ‘a degree’. In

Germany, for example, a technical director for a machine tool company will be expected to have a Dipl.-ing. degree in Mechanical Engineering.

French advertisements go further. They may specify not just the type of grande ecole degree, but sometimes a particular set of institutions.

All this contrasts with the vague call for ‘graduates’ (or ‘graduate prefered’) which is found in the UK. British companies often give the impression that they have a particular type of applicant in mind, but are not sure about the supply and will consider others. Their wording suggests hope and uncertainty.

In the UK qualifications beyond degree level make employers nervous, but in

France or Germany it is difficult to be ‘overqualified’.

1.Read and translate the text.

2.Decide whether these statements are true or false and correct the false

ones.

1.Job advertisements are the same in different countries.

2.Job advertisements differ in three European countries.

3.Job advertisements differ in Europe and the US.

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4. What is the main idea of the text?

1.Job advertisements are the same in different countries.

2.Job advertisements differ in three European countries.

3.Job advertisements differ in Europe and the US.

Text 5. How to Make the Most of a Job Interview

If you’ve done your paperwork right, managed to arouse an employer’s interest and landed a job interview, your real work is just beginning. It’s one thing to impress somebody on paper or over the telephone, but it’s another thing to impress in the flesh. A job interview is a business appointment in which everything counts in conveying a good impression. Experts will tell you that advance preparation is the key to interview success. Before you go to a job interview, find out all you can about the company. Depending on the results of your research, you are supposed to prepare an interview outfit that will make you look your very best. In most places you are not expected to wear a Chanel suit, but even if you are fresh from school don’t think that your favorite blue jeans, an oversized sweater and screen-printed T-shirt will be right for projecting a businesslike image.

Many personnel managers will confess that they often turn candidates down for poor appearance; however, your looks alone will not help you get a job unless you are mentally psyched and prepared for the interview. It makes perfect sense to go through your resume once again and make sure you know the dates of important events. Another thing you can do is go through your personal achievements to make up your mind what you might want to present to an interviewer as an impressive argument in your favor. Before the interview, give yourself a good rest, budget your time well, prepare everything you need in advance, so as not to panic and get lost at last minute!

Every organization has its own culture, tradition, folklore and signs of deference. But there are some things to consider that may help everyone.

You know that in many positions your lack of experience is a big disadvantage. You can also compensate for your lack of experience with your qualifications, enthusiasm, ability to learn quickly, and most of all your sense of responsibility.

It’s natural therefore that if you really want to get this job you must show yourself as a mature individual who is not acting on impulse, but is quite serious about his/her choices. Fight for your place in life: change a negative into a positive: you are young, but you are strong and can learn fast.

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1.Read and translate the text.

2.Decide whether these statements are true or false and correct the false

ones.

1.This is an interview for candidates who have successfully passed the first

hurdle.

2.Many personnel managers often turn candidates down only for lack of experience.

3.Things like jeans and T-shirts are not suitable for a business office.

Text 6. Work and jobs

People and workplaces The people who work for a company, all the people on its payroll, are its employees, personnel, staff, workers or workforce. But these words can mean just the people carrying out the work of a company, rather than those leading it and organizing it: the management.

A company's activities may be spread over different sites. A company’s most senior managers usually work in its head office or headquarters (HQ). Some managers have their own individual offices, but in many businesses, most employees work in open-plan offices: large areas where many people work together. Administration or, informally, admin, the everyday work supporting a company’s activities, is often done in offices like these by administrative staff or support staff. For example, those giving technical help to buyers of the company’s products are in technical support.

Jobs: Accountants — More Than Bean Counters. Wherever money is made or lost, accountants are needed to manage the books. Accountants are found in every

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industry — from the government to manufacturing to corporations. They are not bean counters or bookkeepers, but manage money, finances, and taxes and give valuable business advice. Accountants perform audits and prepare, analyze, and verify financial reports and taxes for many clients. They also give advice to corporate executives and help them make business decisions. All accountants should be analytical, creative self-starters with strong communication and computer skills.

Administrative Assistant — A Respected Career. Administrative assistants do more than answer telephones, type, and get coffee-the field is becoming a highly specialized and quickly growing career opportunity for people of all backgrounds. With corporate downsizing, administrative assistants are taking on more responsibilities and contributing more to the success of a company. They are not just doing “grunt” work; in fact some are relied upon for their computer and financial skills, and are responsible for hiring and managing people.

Human Resources — The Personal Touch. The human resources professional is an important part of a successful company. They have a wide variety of responsibilities, including hiring new employees, dealing with labor disputes, and training employees — just to name a few! They also act as counselors, offering assistance to employees dealing with personal issues, so they need to have a personal touch as well. Human resources professionals do more than hire people — they are responsible for continuing education, training and certification of employees, staffing needs, performance appraisals and reviews, compensation and benefits programs, and union and labor relations.

Market Research Analyst — In the Know. How do companies know if a new package will boost product sales? How does a state choose the advertising that will bring in the most tourists? How does a company get an idea of consumer response to a new product before it’s officially released? How do they do it? They call a market research analyst. Market research analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data which companies use in marketing their products.

Stockbroker — Buy Low, Sell High! Does anyone really know what the stock market will do next? Since even the experts don't agree, most people with money to invest want some advice before they decide where to put their savings. They call a stockbroker. Stockbrokers act for clients in the buying and selling of stocks. Most brokers also deal with bonds, shares in mutual funds, certificates of deposit, insurance annuities, and other financial products, so the term “securities sales representative” is really more accurate.

Ways of working can differ:

- I’m an office worker in an insurance company. It’s a nine-to-five job with regular working hours. The work isn't very interesting, but I like to be able to go

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home at a reasonable time. We all have to clock in and clock out every day. In this company, even the managers have to, which is unusual!

(Note: You also say clock on and clock off.)

-I’m in computer programming. There’s a system of flexitime in my company, which means we can work when we want, within certain limits. We can start at any time before eleven, and finish as early as three, as long as we do enough hours each month. It's ideal for me as I have two young children.

-I work in a car plant. I work in shifts. I may be on the day shift one week and the night shift the next week. It's difficult changing from one shift to another. When I change shifts, I have problems changing to a new routine for sleeping and eating.

-I’m a commercial artist in an advertising agency.

-I work in a big city, but I prefer living in the country, so I commute to work every day, like thousands of other commuters. Working from home using a computer and the Internet is becoming more and more popular, and the agency is introducing this: it’s called teleworking or telecommuting. But I like going into the office and working with other people around me.

1.Read and translate the text.

2.Translate into Russian.

To manage the books, to verify financial reports, administrative assistant, human resources, performance appraisal, to boost sales, to release a product, bonds, shares, certificates of deposit, insurance annuities, securities, payroll, headquarters, clock in/out, flextime, to work in shifts, to commute, bean, counters, to perform audits, corporate executives, self-starters, “grunt” work, personal issues, certification of employees, sales representative, open-plan, offices, teleworking.

3.Complete the following sentences.

1.Accountants are needed…

2.Accountants should be…

3.Administrative assistants are an important part of a company…

4.Some administrative assistants can be relied upon…

5.Human resources professionals have a wide variety of responsibilities…

6.Market research analysts are called…

7.Stock brokers act…

8.Stock brokers deal with…

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