There are several traditional ways of looking for a job
Module 5
Jobs and Careers
Unemployment **
Nowadays unemployment is one of the most serious problems among people. Of course jobs provide money, and this is the main factor why we are so afraid of finding ourselves out the gate. Nowadays we face too many problems just beginning from our school-times: different educational courses, private medical care, living space and lots of other issues that can’t be solved as the majority of Russian families don’t have financial resource to fall back on. And this situation definitely hits poor families the hardest, as they have low incomes.
But we are so afraid of unemployment not just for financial reasons. Jobs also provide social contacts, self-esteem and a role in life. Indeed, being jobless has a devastating effect on the health of a person, particularly mental health: diseases, lower self-esteem and suicides all increase. We must work because we need to feel that we are contributing something to our society and our own lives.
But there is advice to frightened people. May be instead of living on social benefits and humanitarian aid and cutting on food and clothes, a person must try to plan for the future, to take the right courses, get in the right programs. He should try not to miss his last opportunity in life.
Exercises
Ex.1. Find the matches between the nouns and their definitions
1) Unemployment
2) Resource
3) Income
4) Self-esteem
5) Society
6) Benefit
7) Aid
8) Opportunity
a) people in general living together in organized communities, with laws and traditions controlling the way they behave towards one another
b) a chance to do something, or a situation in which it is easy for you to do something
c) a situation in which someone or a lot of people do not have work and do not have an income
d) money, food, or other help that an organization or government gives to a country or area where people need it, for example because of a war or flood
e) something you can use to help you to achieve something, especially in your work or study
f) money or other help that the government gives people who need financial help, for example because they do not have a job
g) the feeling that you are as important as other people and that you deserve to be treated well
h) money that someone gets from working or from investing mone
Ex.2. Make up your own sentences with the active vocabulary units from exercise 1
Ex.3. Complete the sentences below with the given words
to fall back on, devastating, self-esteem, to provide, out of the gate, income, jobless
1) Smoking has a _________________ effect on people’s health.
2) Though Ann is a brilliant student, her _______________ is unbelievably low.
3) The total ____________ of the company equals to 10 mln Euros.
4) Even if she fails to make a career of a manager, she will always have her diploma of an interpreter _______________.
5) We will _______________ you with all the necessary equipment, you don’t have to worry about anything.
6) Tom has been ____________ for a year already, I hope he’ll find a job soon.
7) Professor Stevens found himself ___________________ after he had worked for the university for almost 20 years.
Ex.4. Answer the following questions
1) What problems do we face nowadays?
2) What families does unemployment hit the hardest?
3) What does a job provide us with besides money?
4) Why does being jobless have a devastating effect on people’s mental health?
5) Do you agree with the advice given in the text?
So, you are looking for a job **
There are several traditional ways of looking for a job.
An active way is to study the market to get an idea of necessary demands and to size up your own chances.
The best way of doing this is to use the help of employment agencies or to study ads independently. Don’t put much trust in the yellow press, focuse on the papers with a serious reputation. An ad usually includes the following information: the name of a vacant position, the list of professional duties, the demands to the candidate, the system of payment and benefits.
First, pay attention to the position. To grasp what is behind the name of a position, there is a need to understand the structure at Western companies. For example, applicants are often misled by the wrong interpretation of the word “assistant”. It is not a secretary, a more exact meaning of this word is: mate, aid, apprentice manager, specialist who is capable of tackling tasks independently.
Secondly, carefully read the demands for the position. For instance, the demand to speak a foreign language fluently is very important. It implies the ability to deal with foreign partners, lead discussions, compile documents, etc. Quite often the ads do not decipher other demands in detail. Let’s take the ability to type in Russian/Latin. According to international standards, an adequate speed is 60 words per minute. Therefore, when claiming the given position, you need to check your speed and bring it up to the required level.
The last, but not the least thing to mention is forming an adequate attitude to job-hunting. One should be ready to face possible problems, for example, a high level of competitiveness among candidates or the fact that it may take quite a lot of time to get a desired position. The most important thing is not to give up.