Unit 8

Job seeking

c

A

B

Listening 1 p. 68

Michael: I’m Michael Kohl and I work for Volkswagen in the design department. I work on the exterior design for new cars, making models for the design ideas. When I left school, I applied to do an apprenticeship with Volkswagen. I thought it would be a good company to work for. So I wrote to them to apply for the scheme. I was one of 6,000 applicants for only 600 places. After a lot of tests and interviews, they accepted me. After three years in the apprenticeship, I went to a special college to study design and modeling. When I got my qualification, Volkswagen gave me a

permanent job.

1

1

23

Sanjay: I got my job through personal contacts. I was on a two-year master’s degree course in management. A family friend had a job with meridian, a management consultancy firm and she told me about it. I was looking for a summer work placement to get experience and she recommended me to the managing director. I learned a lot working there and enjoyed it very much. After I finished my degree, they decided to hire me. And that’s where I work now – as a research consultant.

2

1

2

3

Listening 1.1 p. 68

Track 29

He thought it would be a good company to work for.

A family friend told him about the organization.

Designer (works in the design department and makes models for the exterior design for new cars

600 applicants

Design and modeling

1 .management2 .during the summer holidays

3 .research consultant

The online job marketHow Jeff Taylor changed the way the labor market works

Monster.com, the world’s biggest online job-search site, shows how electronic marketplaces reach more people and can offer more efficiency than physical markets. It also shows that money can be made in such market: Monster has a long record of profitability. 1

Jeff Taylor, who launched the site in 1994, says that the Monster.com name is the firm’s ‘single most important success factor.’ it introduces an image of youthful fun in what is basically a boring business. Supporting the brand is a big advertising budget which accounts for a quarter of the firm’s costs. He runs expensive ads during key sporting events such

as the Super Bowl.

Job-seekers supply resumes and employers pay to scan them or to post job ads. Most of the services that job-seekers get are free, but they have to pay for a service that allows them to contact each other for advice and career management. They can use this service to ask each other questions about, say, what it is like to work for a firm that they are thinking of joining.

2

The main contribution of Monster has been to speed up hiring and vastly increase the accuracy of the job-search process. ‘You can post a job at 2pm and get your first response at 2:01.’ Mr. Taylor says proudly. And an employer who knows exactly what he wants can use Monster’s filters to search vast numbers of resumes with precise accuracy. Monster is a serious threat to newspapers, which historically made 40% of their revenues from carrying ads, up to half of which were for staff. Headhunting firms have also lost business, because demand for their help in filling lower-level jobs has fallen .

3

and headhunting firm4

The online job market works well for workers and employers who know what they want. It works badly for people who are unsure. Check that our resume says clearly what kind of job you want. The filers will then make sure that it reaches the right human resource departments.

5

Reading 1, p 68

1. name: the firm’s single biggest success factor

2 .image: youthful fun

3 .contribution: speeds up hiring and increases the accuracy of job searching

4 .Headhunting firms: have lost business to Monster.com

Reading 2, p 691 .yes

2 .get free job-search service, can get advice on career management, can contact each other to ask questions

3 .get quick responses, search large numbers of resumes with accuracy

4 .newspapers, headhunting firms

5 .You should know exactly what you want; check that your resume is clear about what you want

Vocabulary 2: activities, p.70

Employer:

post a job ad

hire

scan resume

fill jobs

recruit staff

Job-seeker:

-search job ads

-supply resumes

-use a career management services

-join a firm

advertisement

applycandidates

invitesattendoffers

accepts

job adsapplication

sresume

interviewrecruit

offered

selectedaccept

NONO

NOYes

YesNO

Reading 2, p. 71

ideal candidates

at least

proficiency

excellent communication skills

compensation

benefit package

D

AB

EC

please/let’s

Don’t

Let’s

Don’t

Please

Let’s

Please

phone

don’t understand

tell

don’t enter

ask

are

Listening 2 p. 73

Barry Hampton

If you apply for a job in the UK, it may be better to write your CV in the way that UK employers expect. For examples, keep it short – don’t write more than two pages.

Make sure that you put your personal details and qualifications at the top – where you studied and your exam results. Don’t write your date of birth and don’t say if you are married or not.

When you describe your work experience, it’s essential to say what you learnt from your previous jobs. Say what you contributed to the job, and what skills you demonstrated.

It’s good idea to write something about yourself and any interests or hobbies that you have. And don’t forget to say which foreign languages you can speak.

Finally, remember to give the contact details of two references – most British employers will contact them t find out more about you .

Don’t write more than two pages.

Start with your personal details and qualifications.X

/

/

X

XWrite something about special interests or hobbies.

Listening 2.2 p. 73

1 .It may be better to.……

2 .Make sure that………

3 .Write something about special interests or hobbies.

5/ .

Speaking 2, Culture at work

More fixed

-Procedures should be fixed and clear.

-People need to know what is expected of them.

-It is uncomfortable when you do not know exactly what to expect in a situation

Less fixed

-Procedures are important, but they should be flexible.

-People like to show initiative and adapt to new situations.

-It is boring when you know to expect every day.

Suggested answer

Dear Kate,

I’m writing to give you some advice about which job to take.

It may be better to take the job with Wide World Tours because it is bigger company. You are ambitious and it is important to work for a company that can help you to develop your career. It is a good idea to think about your long term career and what the company and job can offer you in the future.

Good luck and best wishes for the future.

Kind regards ,

LD