Career changes that make a difference

An American university has recently carried out a survey into why people decide to change direction in their career. The results show that 61 % of the people interviewed would prefer to do something more useful with their lives. Most of them think that they would have more job satisfaction if they could give something back to the community.

A typical example of this is Jeff Short, whose original aim when he set up his own company was to make money. However, after 18 years running the company, he realized that something was missing in his life. After his company was sold, he joined a teaching programme online and now gives classes in industrial technology at his local high school.

Nowadays there is an increasing number of educational programmes that give people the opportunity to make a difference. Many of them are part-time so that you only have to give up your current job once you become qualified. ‘If you go back to studying, you’ll find a job that makes you happy,’ says the head of one of the programmes. ‘Those people who have doubts about their current job should get in touch immediately with their local university to find out what’s on offer,’ she recommends.

Exercise 14 Look through the text and find English equivalents.

Проводить опрос, получать удовлетворение от работы, открыть компанию, зарабатывать деньги, управлять компанией, продать компанию, обучающая программа, преподавать занятия, средняя школа, образовательная программа, давать возможность, принести пользу, бросить работу, связаться с кем-л.

Exercise 15 Answer the questions.

1. Why do some people decide to change direction in their career? 2. What was Jeff Short’s original career plan? 3. What decision did he make? 4. What does he do for a living? 5. What gives people the opportunity to make a difference?

Exercise 16 Listen to four people talking about career changes they have made. Which speakers are happy with the change? (Business Result, track 32, CD 2).

Match career changes to the speakers.

Speaker 1 teaching Math

Speaker 2 painting

Speaker 3 running the Human Resources Department

Speaker 4 working in a travel agency

Exercise 17 Listen again and complete the sentences with one of the words below:

Career plan, time management, ambition, challenge

1. Speaker 1’s greatest weakness is ____.

2. Speaker 2 joined the army because he had no _____.

3. Speaker 3 studied human resources because she wanted a ______.

4. To hold an exhibition of his own pictures was Speaker 4’s ____.

Exercise 18 Match words from left and right to find their definitions.

graduate from	person’s rank in employment
apply for a job	get much money
position	chief
get a rise	complete an educational course
salary	receive a higher salary
head	write an official request for a position
earn much	money a person is paid
be responsible for	do business with
deal with	having control or authority (over)

Exercise 19 Look at the picture, read the text, and answer the questions below.

When I leave school, I will become a student. It will be the most prestigious university in the country. When I graduate from the university, I will apply for a job in Union Bank. It's the largest and most respectable bank. If I work hard at the bank they will give me a higher position. At first I’ll be responsible for a small department with five or six employees. If I get a new position, I'll get a rise. If the pay rise is good enough, I'll buy a car. When I have a car, I will get to work earlier. If I work harder and long hours, my boss will let me deal with important and wealthy clients and I'll be responsible for larger department with twenty people. If I'm responsible for a big department, I'll get a high salary. If my salary is very high, I'll buy a penthouse. It will be in the centre of the city with a beautiful view. If I'm the head of a big department, if I earn much money and if I have an expensive flat, my boss's daughter will certainly pay attention to me and fall in love with me. If I marry the boss's daughter, I’ll become his partner and I won't work long hours. I'll meet only important clients and I will have long holidays in....

- Hey, Tom! Are you listening to me? It's me, your teacher. Why aren't you working? Take your pen and write down "When I leave school I'll ... '.'

Exercise 20 Answer the questions.

1. Where is a person? 2. What is he? 3. What is he doing? 4. What is he dreaming about? 5. Does he want to become a teacher? 6. What is his dream job? 7. Is he an ambitious person? 8. Are you an ambitious person? What is your dream job?

Exercise 21 Talk to your partner about your hopes, dreams and ambitions. Do you think you can achieve your ambitions? Use the following phrases.

One day, I’d like to …	be a programmer (a teacher, a manager, a scientist …); learn to ….
I’m thinking of…	doing a degree in IT (music, education, management…)
My dream is to ….	go to London (Tokyo…) one day (in a year…)
My aim is to ….	train (earn a lot of money, make a career, get ahead in my career, study for extra qualifications, do research, get a promotion…)
My ambition is to ….	be the chief (work hard, have a job that I like…)
I’ve always wanted to …	be a teacher (live in a big city, move to another country…)

Exercise 22 Answer the questions from the questionnaire below and find out how ambitious you are!