3. Reading

Read this article adapted from the Financial Times and answer the questions.

Silicon Valley staff tuck into Lunch 2.0

Even the millionaire engineers of Silicon valley, the centre of computer technology in the USA, like to have a free lunch.

There is an interesting new idea in Silicon Valley called Lunch 2.0. Workers go to other companies for free food and the chance to make new contacts. It started with four men trying to get into companies such as yahoo and Google to sample their free gourmet lunches.

But the idea is so successful that several companies now invite anyone for a free lunch. Except, of course, it is not really free. The lunches are partly about networking and eating, but they are also about presenting products and looking for new staff.

In the latest example, more than 100 people turned up for lunch at the offices of Ning, a web company, in Palo Alto last week.

They had sandwiches, salad, cookies - and a presentation by Gina Bianchini, Chief Executive.

David Kellogg, a Yahoo technician and one of the people who started Lunch 2.0, said: 'There's a business side and a food side to this.' He says lunch at the LinkedIn social networking company is the best so far.

Financial Times

4. Decide whether these statements are true or false.

1. Very rich people always like to pay for their meals.

2. Lunch 2.0 is an idea where workers can have a free meal at another company.

3. The only purpose of Lunch 2.0 is for workers to have a good meal.

4. Companies who offer the meals also tell visitors about the company.

5. Companies use these lunches to find new staff.

6. Gina Bianchini is the Chief Executive of Palo Alto.

7. Ning gives its visitors steak and chips for lunch.

8. Linkedln is the best place to go for a free lunch.

5. Complete these questions using either how much or how many.

a) .……………...food do you usually buy each week?

b) ………………companies offer free lunches?

c) ……………… products do you sell?

d) ……………….salad would you like with your meal?

e) …………….... free lunches do you have each week?

f) ………………..sandwiches are there?

Discussion

Would you like to go to other companies for lunch?

What other ways can companies attract new staff?

Jobs

Online job applications

Before you read

1 Answer this question.

Have you ever applied for a job? If yes, how did you apply for it?

2 Choose the correct word or phrase in italics to make true sentences.

A graduate is someone who has got a university degree / professional certificate.

A decade is ten / 100 years.

А ВТ / CV usually includes details of education and work experience.

Reading

Read this article adapted from the Financial Times and answer the questions.

Online applications: Advantages for both sides

Today's students and graduates have probably been using the Internet for a decade or more, downloading the music they want from the Web and buying and selling their clothes on eBay, so they are unlikely to be worried about applying for a job online.A survey of 235 leading UK employers found that 65 per cent of the companies accepted only online applications. Just 2 per cent accepted only paper applications.

So graduates must learn to present themselves well online, just as they did with a CV in the past.The advantage for large companies doing online recruitment is that time is saved, and they will probably get the best candidates before other companies. Many students accept their first offer because, if they have a job to go to, they can then concentrate on their final exams.

Another important advantage for employers is the ability of the Internet to contact many more candidates if the online site is designed well.

'Graduates expect the modern employer to use the Web, and so we have concentrated on recruiting online,' says Rachel Blacke, graduate recruitment adviser at Balfour Beatty. 'They must apply online to one of our 13 businesses, but if they are not successful, other parts of the group can look at the applications. This would be difficult if the original applications were made on paper.'

Financial Times

Complete these sentences with suitable words from the article.

We need to employ g …s for this job, so we'll contact the university.

Don't worry, he is u … у to be late. He's always on time.

When you have an interview, it is important to p … t yourself well.

He is in charge of r … t and has to find all the staff the company needs.

He has the a … у to do a good job. He will do well here.

She completed the a … n form online for a job with a travel company.

2 Decide whether these sentences are true or false.

Most students have probably been using a computer for less than ten years.

Many students are unhappy about looking for a job online.

Over 200 top UK companies accept only online applications.

Very few of the top UK companies accept only paper applications.

Companies who recruit online are more likely to get the best candidates.

A lot of students will take the first job offer they get.

Online recruitment allows companies to look at more people.

Balfour Beatty prefers students to send in paper applications.

Balfour Beatty is a group of 13 different businesses.

Discussion

Go online, find a recruitment site and look for a job you would like to do.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of looking for a job online.