Identifying your interests

To take this first step, answer the following questions:

1. What is your idea of a perfect job?

2. What are you looking for: money, power, prestige, travel opportunities?

3. How important are salary, environment, benefits and job stability?

4. Do you enjoy working with people, information, things?

Activity 5. Read the text and enumerate Eveline’s qualities, which led to her promotion on the basis of the following.

Professional qualities.

When Eveline joined the company nobody thought of her as being capable of such fast upgrading. She was working at the Personnel Department doing something necessary but unimportant. One day she had to take over the responsibilities of the deputy head who was suddenly taken ill. She then displayed wonderful abilities at handling people, being very adroit in talking to prospective employees and selecting the right people. She is very articulate woman, so she can express her thoughts very precisely. No wonder, she was one of the best graduates of a law school.

She was noticed and promoted. Then she was found useful in making people believe what was good for them and for the company. So she was promoted again and became an imminent participant in discussing business transactions.

She also sees to it that the work should be done on time and makes her staff meet the deadlines. She is considered to be a valuable and dedicated employee. One of her numerous traits is her ability to formulate efficient plans to get the work done.

Activity 6. Fill in the gaps.

skills, interviews, applicant, personnel office, consulting firms, resume, employer, applicants, suitable for the position, employee

Where and how to find an employee?

An ____________ has several options to consider when he wants to hire a new ___________. First of all, he may look within his own company. But if he can’t find anybody ______________________ , he will have to look outside the company. If there is a _________________ in the company, he can ask them to help him to find a qualified ______________. The employer can also use other valuable sources, for example, employment agencies, _________________, placement offices and professional societies. He can also advertise in a newspaper or in a magazine and request candidates to send in resumes.

The employer has two sets of qualifications to consider if he wants to choose from among the ____________. He must consider both professional qualifications and personal characteristics. A candidate’s education, experience and ____________ are included in his professional qualifications. These can be listed on a __________. Personal characteristics or personality traits must be evaluated through _____________.

Activity 7. Roleplay the following situations.

1. The company Sandy has been working for has been taken over by a larger company. This takeover will involve changes in the number of employees. Some of her present co-workers will be replaced by newcomers. Sandy is afraid of losing her job. After a long debate with herself, she decides to talk to her supervisor in order to convince her that she is just the sort of worker who should be kept on.

2. Ben is an employee doing clerical work that consists of organizing board meetings, keeping minutes, and receiving incoming and outgoing mail. Although he is treated well, he knows that he is just another employee in a large corporation. Suddenly one day he cannot find an important letter he was sure was in the file. The contents of the letter have an important bearing on an up-coming board meeting. Ben panics and asks one of his co-workers whether he should break the news to his boss.