5 Dwell on any of the following ideas. What you will do if…

a Your company booked a conference room in a hotel, but when the chief executive phoned to confirm the order it turned out that it had gone to another company.

b During the interview your prospective employer asks you a question that you don’t know the answer for.

c During negotiations your boss uses one of strong-arm last-minute tactics.

d You are late for work (find a good excuse).

e You are an engineer, working for a large and successful company. Somebody offers you to be a chief engineer in a small organization.

Texts for Listening

Priorities

Nora. Choosing a profession I thought of the variety careers to follow, that is possible with the diploma of engineer. There is no one typical career path for civil engineers. Most engineering graduates start with jobs of low responsibility, and as they prove their competence, they are given more and more responsible tasks. Engineers can do analysis or design work, or management of more complex design projects, or management of other engineers. Engineers are in high demand at banks, financial institutions and management consultancies because of their analytical skills. They are also at a high demand in the IT sector for the same reason.

Oliver. Engineer is one of the most widely required professions today. Being employed as an engineer, you are responsible for the creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, manufacturing processes, or works using them singly or in combination. They work in every state, in small and large cities, and in rural areas and in different branches of engineering. Engineers design machinery, products and systems.

Dino. Having learnt how to apply theories and principals of science and mathematics I will be able to solve practical technical problems. This speciality, called ‘narrow specialization’ is unique, challenging but very important.

Caroline. Having been educated in this sphere, you may be employed in industry and business. Successful participation in International business promises improved quality of life and a better society, even leads to a more peaceful world. I like to work as part of a team and think that I’m creative, analytical, and detail-oriented. 

Tom. While studying at the university I have a thorough training in various general and specific subjects, such as Geodesy, Higher Mathematics, Drawing and so on. I actively take part in student conferences and carry out engineering projects. Knowing extra information in the field of engineering I can apply my knowledge to everyday life.

Alice. This is one of the most important and wide-spread professions. Being able to develop their own ideas and turn those new ideas into reality a qualified engineer can help our society to stay in a dynamic living environment. Inventiveness requires of engineers that they dare to break the accepted rules and conventions, and critically examine the actual state of things.

A formal telephone call

Telephonist Good morning, Horizons Unlimited.

Louise Hello, I’d like to speak to Marion O’Neill, please.

Telephonist Marion O’Neill… just a moment, I’ll put you trough.

Secretary Hello, how can I help?

Louise Err… could I speak to Marion O’Neill, please?

Secretary I’ll just see if she’s available, can I ask who’s calling?

Louise Louisa Barry.

Secretary One moment, please. (pause) Hello?

Louise Yes, hello?

Secretary Yes, I’m afraid Marion’s in a meeting at the moment… can I take a

message or shall I ask her to call you back?

Louise Well, I’m phoning because she interviewed me for a

job about two weeks ago and I haven’t heard anything yet.

Secretary Okay, well, I’ll pass on the message and ask her

to call you back. Have you got a number she can contact you on?

Louise Well, I’ll be here till about 4 o’clock… the number’s 01604472472.

Secretary Right, and is there a mobile number?

Louise No, but she can leave a message on the answering machine.

Secretary Okay, then, thanks for calling.

Louise Thank you, bye.

Secretary Bye.

Doing Something Different

Clare. I’d been working as a geography teacher in a big secondary school for about three years and I was really fed up. The children were really badly behaved and rude, and it was really hard to control them. Every day was really stressful and awful. I was working every evening marking homework and preparing lessons and I just went to bed exhausted and really depressed every night. It just wasn’t the right job for me.

Then one day I read in the newspaper that there aren’t enough plumbers in the country. Too many people are going to university and not enough people are training to be plumbers! And I said jokingly to my boyfriend, ‘I’ll be a plumber. I’ll earn more money and I won’t have to deal with those kids everyday! And I’ll never have to worry about finding a job!’

And at first it was just a joke, but then I started thinking about it seriously and here I am, and so far I’m really enjoying it. You have practical problems to solve every day, which I like. You start work early, which I don’t like I must say, but when you go home at 4 or 5 o’clock that’s it, you can forget about it until the next day. No more nights lying awake worrying about it!

I’m the only woman on the course. My colleagues are all male, but they’re fine. They make a few jokes, mostly because I used to be a teacher, but it’s all very friendly. Sometimes you meet older people who think you can’t do the job because you’re a woman, and that’s a real pain, but compared to my classes at school where I used to work it’s really no problem at all!

Kevin. I lost my job when the company where I worked closed down, and it was terrible. All these men unemployed and there are no jobs for them anywhere. And so my wife, Sally decided to go back to work. She’s a legal secretary and there’s always lots of that kind of work, but she has to work long hours.

So basically we changed places. I look after the baby and take the other two to school, and do the shopping and the cooking and the housework. And I must say it’s the hardest work I’ve ever done! Before I used to think that my wife had an easy time while I was working. Now I see mums and housewives in a different way!

At first I hated it. I was desperate to get back to work, but now I’ve started to enjoy it. I never used to see much of the kids and now I’m watching them grow up, and part of everything they do. I still feel a bit lonely sometimes. Em, I miss the people I worked with, but at least the other mothers at school talk to me now, and I even met some other ‘house-husbands’ at the school gate. But I don’t want to do it forever. I’m still looking for another job.

Lorna. Ian and I were both doing well in our careers in the city, but we were working really long hours, often 12 hours a day and traveling 2 hours a day as well – and still living in a tiny flat, because flats are so expensive in London. And when we decided to get married and start a family, we just realized we didn’t want to bring our children up with that kind of life, that kind of stress.

We came down here for a holiday and just fell in love with this place. It just seemed like the ideal place for children to grow up, and when we found the hotel, it was perfect – like a dream come true.

I must say it’s been a lot harder than I thought. Running a hotel is a 24 hour job, and we’ve had lots of problems that we didn’t really expect. The people in the village weren’t that friendly at first, though it’s getting better now, and we had quite a lot of money problems and things like that. After the baby’s born it’s going to be difficult too. Ian will have to work even harder, because I’ll have the baby to look after.

But even with all those problems I still really love it. I really enjoy meeting new people all the time. It’s still the place where I want to bring up my children, and I don’t miss my life in London at all! At the end of a long day, I just look out at the view and listen to the sea. I still think we’re really lucky to be here.

Manic Monday

Six o’clock already

I was just in the middle of a dream

I was kissin’ Valentino

By a crystal blue Italian stream

But I can’t be late

‘Cause then I guess I just won’t get paid

These are the days

When you wish your bed was already made

It’s just another manic Monday

I wish it was Sunday

‘Cause that’s my fun day

My I don’t have to run day

It’s just another manic Monday

Have to catch an early train

Got to be at work by nine

And if I had an airplane

I still couldn’t make it on time

‘Course it takes me so long

Just to figure out what I’m gonna wear

Blame it on the train

But the boss is already there.