Vocabulary and grammar exercises

1 Choose the correct form and fill in the gaps:

1. We will give ________ employees the same status as full- timers.

a) small time b) part – time

c) short time d) extra time

2. Employees will only have to give one week’s ________ before leaving.

a) notice b) delay

c) note d) resignation

3. No one will be ________ without the full agreement of the union.

a) laid up b) laid off

c) laid by d) laid aside

4. Any future reductions in staff will be achieved only by ________.

a) tendencies b) wasting away

c) natural wasting d) natural wastage

5. Generous ________ allowances will be paid when the company moves from the capital to a site in the provinces.

a) restoration b) restitution

c) relocation d) refurbishment

2 Ask questions on the underlined words:

1. A few years ago I began looking at the envelope as a disqualification factor in an effort to save time in the screening process.

2. Poor handwriting can be difficult to read and can result in misinterpretations.

3. Envelope is your personal vehicle for carrying important correspondence to your potential employer.

4. Using your present company's envelope will be interpreted as a lack of honesty.

5. We continue to test our observations with consistent results.

3 Fill in the blanks with prepositions and articles:

1. ______ individuals who submitted shabby envelopes actually appeared disorganized in _______ person.

2. ______ envelopes turned _______to be _______ direct reflection of their attitude forward neatness, accuracy and urgency.

3. Many people who have worked long and hard to active _____ status of Vice-president get very sensitive when they are referred _______ as _______ management.

4. Even _______ will-respected charity like the United Way has its detractors.

5. ________the end of the test, don’t forget to put your name ________ the top of the page.

6. Unemployment is high ________ young people under 25.

7. It took me one and ________ half hours to write a resume.

8. What ________ pity they haven’t come!

4 Reword the following sentence without changing their meaning. Pay attention to the italicized words:

1. We test our observations with the same results.

2. These envelopes are hard to open and usually contain much information.

3. If you can’t find the company by researching, you can address: Dear M.L. Smith.

4. If he becomes annoyed in meetings, he leaves the room.

5. He rarely holds board meetings. He makes decisions on the phone.

5 Match the halves:

1. I asked to speak to the manager, but	a. she was often late for work.
2. Can you put me through	b. the assistant manager of the New York office
3. The manager sacked her because	c. she was in a meeting.
4. I’ll get my secretary	d. notify your line
5. Lisa has been promoted. She’s become e. to arrange a meeting for Thursday morning.	e. to arrange a meeting for Thursday morning.
6. If you are unable to come to work,	f. for a car hire company.
7. I’d complain to the manager	g. to the sales manager, please?
8. Michael works as a part time secretary	h. if you want something done about it.

6 Complete the following table.

Verb	Person noun	General noun	Adjective
		success
train
			vacant
promote
commute
attend
manage
dismiss
		experience
resign

Complete the following sentences with an appropriate form of the word on the right using the table:

1 He was ___and decided to try another job. success

2 He was offered a place on a___ course offered by another company. train

3 He completed the course and was able to fill one of the __at the company. vacant

4 Within a short space of time, he was___. promote

5 Unfortunately, he lived a long way from the office and didn’t enjoy___. commute

6 After a while, his ___ dropped as he found the work more demanding. attend

7 Eventually, the ___ of the company decided to speak to him. manage

8 He warned John that he would be ___if he didn’t do better. dismiss

9 He emphasized that he didn’t want to get rid of such an ___worker. experience

10 John agreed that he hadn’t been doing very well, and offered his ____. resign

7 Talking about yourself.

Some words below have positive associations, others negative ones. First, translate the words into Ukrainian, then make up a chart with two columns in it. Sort out the words according to their negative or positive meanings. Discuss your choice with your classmate.

Imaginative, charming, generous, quick-tempered, conservative, methodical, conscientious, a born leader, sensitive, emotional, stubborn, rebellious, affectionate, obliging, gallant, sentimental, superficial, fun-loving, perfectionist, gifted, tactless, sagacious, intuitive, stingy, diligent, independent, placid, friendly, selfish, cunning, elegant, artistic, witty, self-seeking, distrustful, industrious, shrewd, decisive, whining, extravagant, down-to-earth, altruistic, morose, sharp-tongued, fault-finder, intellectual, tolerant, naïve, resolute, frugal, broad-minded, work-obsessed, motivated.

What words describe your personality? Try drawing up a list of a dozen words (you may use the words from the chart): six of you as a person and six of you as an employee. Consider how you can include this fundamental description of you into your application.

8 Pair work. Discuss the statements below and find out your partner’s views on the issues:

1. Handwritten envelops are a nice personal touch.

2. Big, oversized envelopes are a wonderful way to differentiate yourself.

3. Colored stationary provides you with an excellent differentiating factor that will grab attention of the potential employer.

CHAPTER 3

TEXT 3

The Cover letter. Your First Chance To Make A Lasting Impression

Whether you're reacting to an employment ad, an introduction from a networking partner, or a request for a resume by an employment agency, all job inquiries must be accompanied by a well-orchestrated cover letter.

Other than your envelope, a cover letter is the first piece of evidence a potential employer can use to gauge your professionalism and ability to communicate with the written word. Unfortunately, what most inexperienced job seekers don't understand is that incorrect assumptions, errors, and the extensive use of the first person (I, me, or my) can have a greater impact on your potential employer's perception of you than the actual contents of the letter.

Therefore, it is critical to avoid many of the knock-down blows that can transmit the wrong signals and paint an incorrect picture of your personality.

Realize that it is not what you say, but how you write it that determines if you will receive further consideration.

After conducting extensive research with human resource professionals, we have compiled a list of the seven most deadly sins that candidates unknowingly commit when they compose the all-important cover letter:

1 Familiar or friendly greetings

2 Gender miscues

3 Insincere and glowing comments

4 Lengthy letters

5 Unsolicited personal references

6 Extensive use of the first person

7 Grammatical errors and misspellings

Familiar or Friendly Greetings

Familiarity breeds contempt. Yes, addressing individuals by their first names is making an assumption that formality is unimportant to them.

Letters and salutations should remain formal until such time as the recipients tell you otherwise. An executive who insists on being addressed as "Mr." by his top-performing subordinates will not take kindly to an outsider writing "Dear Marvin." You can't go wrong with Mr. or Ms. even when the first name of the per­son is given in an employment ad.

Gender Miscues

On the surface, this blunder might not seem like a big deal. However, mistaking gender can be an indication that you are careless and have a tendency to react be­fore you have all the facts.

Many common names like Chris and Terry can be male or female. Addressing a woman as Mr., or a man as Ms., can hurt a relationship before it has time to develop. This problem is also compounded when people use initials instead of names. For example, an ad might read: