SO, YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A JOB.

Введение

Данный учебно-методический материал продолжает серию тем для обсуждения со студентами 1-4 курсов всех специальностей факультета «Общий менеджмент» и ориентировано на развитие речевых навыков по теме «Поиск работы».

В соответствии со структурой методической разработки серии “Successful Employment” издание состоит из 7 разделов:

· Starting up

· Scanning

· Reading

· Language Focus

· Follow up

· Reference File

· Appendices (Supplementary Reading, Scripts, Tests).

Дополнительные тексты могут быть использованы для подготовки рефератов и докладов.

*** *** ***

( Если где-либо в разработке встречается знак *, это означает, что нужное слово или необходимую информацию можно найти в соответственном подразделе (Sections Vocabulary, Reference Information etc.) справочного отдела (Reference File).

‘ The person who looks for millions finds them quite rare, but the person who doesn’t look for them – finds never. .’

Onore de Balzaque *

UNIT 1. HUNTING A JOB.

А. Starting up.

Discuss the questions below.

 

• What job are you eager to get in future and why? When did you make such a decision?           

• There are some individuals that "know" what they want to be from the time they are children. Have you ever met anybody like this?

• By what age (18? younger? older?) should a person “know" what he or she wants to do? Discuss your idea.

• Do you think that choosing an occupation is more diffi­cult today than it used to be for young people 30 or 40 years ago?

• What should you do to get a job? Find a logical sequence of steps you should take.

 

a) get an invitation for an interview;

b) make an appointment with an employment agency coun­selor;

c) read the classified ads;

d) think what kind of job you want;

e) analyse your skills, personality traits and accomplishments;

f) get ready for the interview;

g) find out what employment agency you can use;

h) find out as much as you can about the company.

         

Compare your answers with those given below to be sure that you are right:

E, d, c, g, b, a, h, f.

        

So, you have decided to get a particular job. Here are the options open to most people hunting a job:

• Reading newspapers and professional publications;

• Listening for word-of-mouth leads;

• Looking at bulletin boards;

• Distributing letters and resumes;

• Contracting executive recruiters to market you;

• Making cold calls;

• Self-advertising;

• Using an outplacement firm;

• Using an "expanded resume service"

• Using the Internet.

Discuss in pairs or microgroups how you understand the options above.

B. Scanning.

Scan the short texts below and find out whether you are right.

Newspapers and Professional Publications.

Go to the library and look through every current and recent publication that would logically advertise for people with your quali­fications. Make notes on everything that interests you or looks as though it might be close enough to get you noticed for something more appropriate. Note the names and addresses of points of contact -even if the job isn't what you are looking for at the moment. Set pri­orities and concentrate on current openings first. Get the big pic­ture of which companies are hiring, and use that knowledge in your interview preparation. This kind of information helps you tap the "hidden" job market[1] - positions that are not currently advertised but that are ready to be filled. Executive recruiters rely heavily on such finds as they market promising candidates. Success often comes for them (and for you) when the right resume is presented at the right time - which is not necessary limited to when everyone else is responding to an advertised vacancy.

Bulletin Boards.

Depending on your speciality you can sometimes walk through buildings housing companies in your field and find jobs posted. You can also take advantage of in-house postings by having your friends looking where they work. Government agencies and public employers have bulletin boards full of advertised positions - many require that you already be in the civil service system, but look and inquire. Doing so can generate other leads[2]. Office buildings have lobby bulletin boards posted with index cards seeking everything from clerical help to managers - sometimes to fill short-term, grant-generated posi­tions that can lead to a permanent job.

Electronic online services.

Computer online services are the electronic equivalent of posting jobs and broadcasting resumes. Free services are sponsored by specialized professional groups - inquire with organizations and publications that represent your field. Commercial services are also available; with these you pay a fee to post your resume and examine job listings[3].            

Word of Mouth.

Networking[4] is one of your richest sources of current vacancy in­formation. Talk to people who work where you would like to become employed. Let them know that you are interested in hearing about op­portunities[5] for which you might apply. Give them an information sketch of your professional background[6] if they are not already aware of it and ask them to serve as a listening post for you - give them a re­sume. As a rule, people are complimented and welcome the chance to help.

Executive Recruiters.

If you have a highly marketable skill, take advantage of an ex­ecutive recruiter to comb the marketplace for you. The first test of a reputable recruiter is that you pay the recruiter nothing - the company that hires you pays the fee. You can bet that the recruiter will not waste valuable time on you unless there is a good chance of collecting that fee. A recruiter's interest is one of the most honest appraisals of your market value.

Don't confuse executive recruiters with placement firms[7] who charge to find you a job - this is an entirely different business. Pick a good recruiter, give him or her an exclusive for a reasonable period of time, and see what he or she can do. Ask whether you will be actively marketed or become part of a database for vacancies as they occur.

Cold Calls[8].

If you are willing to take an active role on your own behalf, use the directories of your profession and call people who would have a potential interest in hiring you.

• Let them know that you are available.

• Tell them what your qualifications are.

• Ask if they have any vacancies.

• If they don't have any vacancies, inquire as to who might

need your services now.

In effect, you become your own executive recruiter. If you can do it, you will greatly increase your chances of finding a good job.

Comprehension/interpretation. Check if you still remember the meaning of the terms below:

The “hidden” job market, bulletin boards, lead (n), electronic online services, job listing, word of mouth, networking, professional background, job opportunities, professional background, executive recruiters, cold calls.

C. Reading.

Before reading the text below make sure that you know the words in the box. If not, use the notes after the text. Read the text and translate the underlined sentences into Russian.

assess, consistent (with), emphasize, list, testify to, outline, mislead, imply, command, claim a position, meticulously, binding force, relevant, spell out, take advantage of smth., indispensable.

SO, YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A JOB.

WHAT MUST YOU BEGIN WITH?

(abridged from "Moscow News " )

There are several traditional ways of looking for a job.

A civilized and active means of looking for a Job is studying the market of the vacancies offered to get an idea of necessary demands and assess and size up your own chances.

The best way of doing this is to use the help of employment agencies or to independently study the ads of job opportunities being published.

Announcements of job opportunities can be read in different printed publications. But which of them is worth reacting to?

Don't put much trust in ads in the yellow press. Solid companies place ads in prestigious expensive publications with a firm reputation.

Your main task is to understand whether the position being of­fered is consistent with the levels of your skills, education, and ex­perience in work.

The structure of job opportunities ads is usually the same: the name of the vacant position, the list of the candidate's professional duties, the demands made of the candidate, and the system of compensa­tions and benefits. Ads are often published by employment agencies on behalf of their clients. The address of the office is usually not given — it is suggested that the resume should be sent to a P.O. box or faxed.

Having carefully studied the demands and duties being offered, an experienced reader may extract information on the activities of the company and the prospects of its development.

The phrases often used to emphasize “successful work over many years in the Russian market", "New missions being opened" etc., really tes­tify to the company's dependability, serious prospects for its growth, and the durability of its stay in Russia.

First, one must pay attention to the position. To grasp what lurks behind the position's English name, there is a need to visualize at least in general outline the personnel structure at Western companies. For instance one may be misled by the incorrect interpretation of the word "Assistant". There is a need to understand that this word does not at all imply secretarial functions. A more exact meaning of this word is:

mate, aid, apprentice manager, high-class specialist capable of inde­pendently tackling the tasks set to him.

Therefore using all possible means, try to learn as much as pos­sible about this position to prepare yourself as well as possible for a meeting with the employer.

Carefully read the demands made of the given position. The demand to know a foreign language is very important. In most cases there is a need for free command of the language — Fluent English. Free command implies an ability to freely deal with a foreign man­ager, to competently compile documents and speak on the phone. This demand may prove to be the most important. Quite often the ads do not decipher other demands in detail. For example, the ability to type in Russian/Latin. According to international standards, an adequate level of typewriting is a speed of 60 words per minute. Therefore, when claiming the given position, you need to check your speed or bring it up to the required level. Besides, a secretary is usually required to be able to work on a personal computer. In general, if the ads meticulously enumerate the software products, systems, languages. etc., which the candidate must necessarily know, remember that these demands have a strictly binding force.

Such special demands set the level of the candidate's indispensa­ble qualifications.

 (by Natalya Gremitskaya, Manager for Marketing and Advertis­ing at Ancor Employment Agency)

Notes:

1. assess — оценивать

2. consistent (with) — совместимый, согласующийся;

3. emphasize (v) — подчеркнуть, ocoбo выделить/отметить;

4. list — перечислить; список, перечень;

6. testify to – свидетельствовать о чем-то;

7. outline – обрисовать, наметить в общих чертах;

8. mislead – вводить в заблуждение;

9. imply – подразумевать, предполагать; значить;

10. command – владение;

11. claim a position – претендовать на должность;

12. meticulously – тщательно, скрупулезно, дотошно;

13. binding force – связующая (сдерживающая) сила;

14. relevant — существенный, уместный, относящийся к делу;

15. spell out — расшифровать, разобрать;

16. take advantage of smth. — продуктивно использовать;

17. indispensable – необходимый, незаменимый; обязательный, не допускающий исключений.

 

Comprehension/interpretation.

 

· Answer whether the statements below are true or false.

 

1. Announcements of job opportunities can't be                    published in newspapers and magazines.

2. Ads in the yellow press are the most trustable.

3. The structure of job opportunities ads is practi­cally always the same.

4. Employment agencies never publish ads on be­half of their clients.

5. The word assistant implies simple secretarial functions.

6. To prepare yourself for the meeting with the employer try to find out as much as possible about the position offered and the company it­self.

7. One must carefully read about the demands made of the given position.

 

· Give a summary of the text above.

 

D. Language Study.

1) Choose at least 5 of the words/word pairs beneath to make up sentences on the topic.

To hunt a job, to look for (to seek) a job, employment agency, an employment agency counselor, to assess smth. (skills, per­sonality traits), accomplishments, to take personal initiatives, to locate a job, word-of-mouth leads, bulletin boards, execu­tive recruiters, current and recent publications, set priorities, job market, concentrate on current openings, vacancy, job op­portunity, to tap the market, to search vacancies ads, the "hid­den" job market, position (post), to fill positions, recruiters, resume, CV, to present resume, to post a job, in-house post­ings, permanent job, short-term job, grant-generated job, ca­reer prospects, to tackle the problem, to claim a position, (pro­fessional) background.

2) Match the idioms in column A with the definitions in column B.

	A		B
1	self appraisal	A	to visit without an appointment
2	self evaluation	B	newspaper listing a job
3	give notice	C	to give someone a god opinion of you
4	create a good impression	D	determine your own value or worth
5	classified ad	E	estimate your own qualities, abilities
6	get around to	F	inform smb. In advance about leaving the job

 

3) Complete now the blanks in words "spider" with job in the center using the words from vocabulary section* and memorise them. Work in pairs. Compare your versions with those of your partner.

Attributes

 

3) Make up word pairs of the words given below in two col­umns:

1. bulletin                       a. recruiters

2. to assess                     b. personal traits

3. word-of-mouth          c. resume

4. to tap                         d. postings

5. to present                   e. board

6. to hunt                        f. leads

7. to search                     g. a job

8. executive                      h. prospects

9. to fill                           i. the market

10. to present               j. vacancies ads

11. employment            k. job

12. career                     1. a position

13. permanent                 m. agency

4) Translate the words given in brackets.

 1) There are several ways of (поиска работы). 2) First you should (оценить) your own chances 3) He studied the ads of (o вакансиях) being published. 4) Solid companies (помещают объявления) in prestigious expensive publications. 5) Your main task is to understand whether the position (согласуется) your skills and education. 6) Such special demands (устанавливают уровень) of the candidate's qualification. 7) Remember that the demands enumerated in the ads (обязательны). 8) Carefully read (требования) made of the given position. 4) There is a need to understand that the word does not (подразумевает) secretarial functions 10) (Предварительный отбор) is carried out on the basis of resume 11) Reading the ads you may (выделить/получить) information on (деятельности) of the company. 12) There is a need (представить ce6e) at least in general out­line the personnel structure of Western companies.

5) Complete the following sentences using suitable words or phrases from the table below. Translate them into Russian.

 

managing director; junior executive; colleague; director; supervisor; staff; senior executive; superior; employee; middle manager; subordinate; work-force.

 

1) The group of executives working below the top managers are generally called... 2) Valerie is an important person in our company. She is a member of the Board of ... . 3) Peter, a recent university graduate, has been with the firm for a year. He is at present a.... and is being trained for a managerial position. 4) Their ... is expanding rap­idly. They now have over 5.000 employees. 5) At least 50% of our ... have been with the company over ten years. 6) ... in an organization generally have more fringe benefits than lower-level managers. 7) We are a Small group in the Research and Development Department. For­tunately, I get on well with all my ... 8) 9) I work under Mr. Brown. He is my ..... 10) Shelia and Tom work under my authority. 1 am their boss and they are my.... . 11) I am responsible for .... training and de­velopment. 12) A .... is a person of high rank in an organization, usu­ally next in importance to the Chairman.

 

 

6) Rearrange the mixed- up letters to make the name of each job.

ocnacntuat        Accountant

realwy               L______

nirdeegs            D______

rarteyces            S______

enegrine             E________

pitersnotice        R________

retrucle               L________

hicretcat              A________

7) Match the following jobs given to the left with their definitions to the right. Check yourself looking up in the section “Glossary”.*

 

1	non-executive director	A	one of the committee of top managers who control a company
2	receptionist	B	someone who is in charge of the financial department
3	solicitor	C	One of the directors of a company who gives advice, but doesn’t have any responsibility for how the company is managed
4	treasurer	D	someone who is in charge of the money for an organization
5	managing director	E	someone whose job is to welcome and deal with people arriving at a hotel or office, visiting a doc­tor etc.
6	finance manager	F	someone whose job is to advise people about laws, write formal agreements, or represent people in court
7	chartered secretary	G	a secretary who has successfully completed special examinations to be in charge of some special business affairs of a company or other organization
8	lawyer	H	someone whose job is to keep and check financial accounts
9	accountant	I	someone who is in charge of a large company or organization
10	director	J	someone who is in charge of the financial department

8) Match the following adjectives to describe jobs with their definitions.

1. tiring                   a. making you feel very sad 

2. stressful              b. making you feel happy and satisfied

                                   because you feel you are doing

                                   something useful or important.

3. challenging         c. making you feel that you want

                                   to sleep or rest.

4. varied                 d. producing or using new or

                                    imaginative ideas, results, etc.

5. creative               e. involving different kinds of

                                   things or people.

6. depressing           f. making you worry a lot.

7. rewarding            g. difficult in an interesting   

                                    or enjoyable way                                    

 

10) Read the text and discuss it in English.