11. What should you do to find a job? Find the logical sequence of the steps you should take and render it to your partner.

• get an invitation for an interview

• make an appointment with an employment agency counselor

• read the classified ads

• think what kind of job you want

• analyse your skills, personality traits and accomplishments

• get ready for the interview

• find out employment agency you can use

• find out as much as you can about the company

12. There are two essential steps in the job-hunting process: research and planning. Research means examining your skills and finding out where you can apply them. Planning means deciding how you will present your skills to a prospective employer. You should go through these steps carefully whether you are looking for your first job.

Work in pairs:

1. Look at the following examples of skills/responsibilities and personality traits and find out the ones that apply to you. Try to explain your choice.

Skills/Responsibilities		Personality Traits
acting analyzing assembling decorating designing driving filing helping people interviewing listening making crafts	making decisions meeting people negotiating operating machines organizing persuading people repairing machines solving problems speaking sports supervising	Use: I am very… accurate adaptable cooperative creative dependable flexible organized punctual responsible	…is one of my strong points accuracy adaptability cooperation creativity dependability flexibility organization punctuality responsibility

b) You are looking for a job. Analyse your interests and abilities. Here are ten basic questions to think about:

1. What are my abilities?

2. What special talents do I have?

3. What are my special interests?

4. What are my physical abilities and limitations?

5. What are my attitudes and values?

6. How do I see myself, or what is my self-concept?

7. What is my previous experience?

8. What are my educational plans for the future?

9. Am I a kind of person who works well in a large group, or do I work better with only one or two people?

10. Am I willing to accept change?

c) Now point out the most important factors in choosing your job. Put them in order of importance and explain your choice.

work which is useful to society; good salary or wages; opportunities to meet different people; opportunities to travel; flexible hours; interesting and not boring work; high security of employment; good pension scheme;

responsibility of your own; the chance to promotion; good career prospects; good working conditions; friendly colleagues and considerate management; long holidays; other factors – what?

13. Work in pairs. Alex Serov wants to find a job with the help of an employment agency. He makes an appointment over the telephone with an employment counselor. Restore the dialogue. Use the questions from the box given below.

R (receptionist): Good morning, Employment agency.

A: Hello, my name is Alex Serov. I would like to have some information about your agency. …?

R: I’ll try. …?

A: …?

R: Our agency works by appointment only. We place applicants in high-level positions. …?

A: Yes, I would, thank you.

R: …?

A: I have a degree in safety engineering and I have four years of experience in the field.

R: Fine. …?

A: Yes, that’s perfect. I’ll be there at 10:30. Thank you and have a good day.

R: You too, good-bye.

a) Would you like to make an appointment to see an employment counselor at our agency? b) Can you help me? c) Can you come on Tuesday at 10:30 AM? d) Does your agency work by appointment only or may I drop in any time during the week? e) What type of position are you looking for? f) What would you like to know?