Looking for a job?

You have probably already thought about steps to undertake to fine a job. Some of you may be working, others are still looking for a post Whatever we do, we will work one day, and this time I would like to give you some useful vocabulary in English.

What is a job? It is what we do regularly to earn money (most often), especially in a particular company or for a person. There are different types of jobs. First of all, it can be full-time, i.e. a job that you do for at least the same number of hours a week as people usually work. A part-time job is a job you do for fewer hours a week than people usually do.

Then we have another word - work. It also means something you do to earn money or the place where you do it. Occupation is a more formal term than job. A post is a particular job with responsibilities you have within a company. A position is usually used in advertisements and also means a job. To find a position, you can look in newspapers or Internet career sites, or check out postings at specific company web sites.

Now, let's think of what you should do to get a job. Having located a post you are interested in, you apply for it. This means you should write a letter or fill in a form that will be sent to your potential employer (a person, a company or an organization that pays someone to work for them as a member of their staff). Do not mix up employer and employee: the latter is someone who is regularly paid for work.

You should also send to the employer your CV, or Curriculum Vitae, which is a document giving details of your qualifications and the jobs you have already had. Normally, there are special rules for writing a CV, and American schools, for example, include in their courses the subject called business writing where students are taught how to write their CVs.

Now let's imagine you were chosen from among other job seekers (a formal word used to name somebody who is looking for a job). Going to an interview - a meeting with people you are hoping to work for - you will probably find in the office other applicants (someone who applies for a job) or candidates (someone who is competing with other people for a particular job). And every one of them will also be an interviewee, i.e. an applicant who is asked to come for an interview.

If the employer liked you, you will be hired. [Please, notice the difference between British and American English. In Britain you hire something if you are paying to use it for a short time. But if you want to keep it for a longer period you rent it. You can also hire a person for a job that won't last long. But you employ somebody for a permanent job. In American English you always hire people and rent things, whether it is for short or long periods.

In case you do your job badly the employer can sack or fire you: tell you that you must leave the post. You are made redundant if you are needed no longer in your company. If you take the decision yourself, you resign; in other words, you say officially you are leaving the job or quiting (which is more informal). And, finally, you retire when you are old. The adjective used for describing someone who is not working because of his senior age is retired.

You can also be unemployed or jobless, or out of work, which is used to speak about someone who has no job but wants to work.

We would like you to tell us about your job experience next time. Have you already had a job? How did you find the position? How long have you been working in your company? Do you think it is important for a person to make a career? Which one would you like to have? Have you ever written a CV? What should a CV look like to be noticed by an employer? What personal qualities should an applicant have to be chosen among other candidates? Why can an employee be fired? Are there any ways to avoid it? What should unemployed people do to find a job? What are the advantages and disadvantages of full-time and part-time jobs? If you have not worked yet, what job would you like to apply for?

Think about one of these questions and send us your ideas. By Alevtina Kozina

Where to work? Which of us hasn't asked him/herself this question? And which of us has found an appropriate place or has already chosen a job? It's not easy, is it?

Some people think that when you are a teenager, it's too early to think about such things. Of course they are right in some ways, but I don't agree with them completely.

As to choosing a job, it's the right age to get informa­tion. Teenagers have more free time than students for example. They have the opportunity to prepare them­selves for any activity. If a pupil is keen on computering, - he/she may decide to connect his/her life with this sci­ence. In his spare time he/she can read a lot of specific literature, work in the Internet, and simply spend a lot of time learning how to work with a computer. It's also possible for him/her to visit different sorts of computer classes, etc. This is the first step in defining what will be of his/her future job.

The second step is consulting with friends or relatives working in this area. It's always useful to get advice from an older and more experienced person. So if our teenager decides to connect his life with it, what about a future job for him?

Naturally, it's early to talk about a full-time job, but instead you can try a part-time job. A lot of organiza­tions need assistants in the summer. There you can be offered work to design sites, to look for information in the Internet, etc. Anyway, you have a chance to try to work.

When trying a job you find out what you want and the inclinations you have.

So, the main thing for teenagers is to choose the area of activity. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. If you are offered to work as a promoter -try! It's not the best job, but it isn't the worst either. It gives you an opportunity to associate with people, to know their demands and tastes. This job can give you a basic knowledge of adver­tising. Well, who knows, maybe after a while it can give you. an idea to train yourself in PR-activity, for example.

There is only one unchanging thing: every experience is useful.

As for me, I formulised some rules for a beginning worker. Here they are: Do not expect too much from your first job. Every mistake is more useful than success. Do not depend on anybody except yourself. Never let a job harm your health. Be proud of the job you have. Write down your job advantages and disadvantages.

Analyse them.

Improve yourself constantly. Try yourself out in various areas. Do not wait for help - ask for it, or correct the situation yourself.

By Maria Yaylenko

Welcome to the Real World

H ere are six adults talking about the careers advice they had at school. Look at the pictures and their captions. How many quotes can you match to the pictures? Which words in the captions or quotes help you to do this?

А

At school they were only interested in people who were going to university. I always knew I wanted to do something like acting or being in front of a camera. They quashed the idea of me going to drama school. I suppose they had no resources to tell me how to go about it.

В

I don't see how a complete stranger can help you choose your career. Surely you need someone who knows you quite well. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was interested in films and music, and I thought things would just fall into place. When I left school, I took a year off and started clubbing solidly.

С

Even at the age of 14,1 knew 1 could do things for myself, could make them happen in the real world. That's the real test - after you leave the classroom. Other people can't tell you your strengths and weaknesses; you have to work them out for yourself.

D

I went to a school that was very sports-oriented, but the teachers always advised us to concentrate on getting good exam results first. It was good advice, and I started a degree, but I didn't finish my course because Leicester offered me a contract in the middle of it.

E

There was no careers advice whatsoever in my school. Maybe some students did have a teacher talk to them, but there were no lessons or anything formal. I certainly didn't get any useful information about becoming an actress, although it was my headmistress who actually spotted what she called my 'potential'. She told me I should go on the stage.

F

I was too busy at school to listen to careers advice. In 1967, just before I left, the headmaster came up to me and said, 'I predict you will either go to prison or become a millionaire/ He was absolutely right. But I've never stopped worrying about the first half of his sentence.