Compact Systems

Personal Assistant/ Secretary

required to assist department managers in our office. You must have experience of working in a computer company for not less than 10 years. Age: 30+. Salary: $10,000. The job does not involve any travel.

Candidates must provide a CV, two references with the names of referees and a statement of what makes a good PA or secretary. Applications should be sent to:

Compact systems, in the newspaper, Hilary

96 Rosewall Drive,

Southtown,

SO3 4BT

Inventor Plus

Personal Assistant/ Secretary to the Managing Director

We are looking for a suitably qualified person with a minimum of 5 years’ experience of working in a company, but not necessarily in the computer industry, for the position of a Personal Assistant to the Managing Director. Applicants must have communicative and organizational skills, be well-dressed and willing to travel. Age: 28. Send your CV and applications to:

Inventor Plus,

60 Chiswick Avenue,

Hampton,

SO3 6QZ

Would you like to apply for any of these positions? Why/Why not?

• Vocabulary

A. Complete the sentences using the following words.

advertisement applicant

to advertise to apply for

requirement position

to require experience

application to provide

to assist curriculum vitae (CV)/ resume

reference referee

1. This company is looking for a person for the …..........of a Sales Manager who will …... a Managing Director.

2. They placed an …....... in the local newspaper two days ago.

3. Their main …........ are experience and communicative skills. They also …........ that an applicant should be self-disciplined.

4. ….. should have a 3 years’ ….... .

5. You must have two ….. from your previous work and give names of your …..... .

6. Candidates should …........ their …....... and send …....... to the address given in the newspaper where the company …....... its products.

B. Match the words with their definitions.

1. to assist	a) summary of a person’s life-story with details of education and experience
2. to apply for	b) an official letter requesting a job
3. to require	c) to help
4. application	d) to need
5. CV/resume	e) to request (something) officially
6. reference	f) a statement from someone who knows a person or has worked with him that gives information about him

C. Complete the job advertisements with the best words.

1. Sales Accountant Manager

Salary: $24,000 per year

Edinburgh-based company is seeking a person with sales experience to …1... sales worldwide and to …...2......... a large department in the clothing industry.

The person will also need to …3........ communication between our production, sales and marketing departments.

Background in clothing manufacturing essential.

Please contact: Sarah Atkinson, atkinson@btinternet.com or fax: 0131 123 7650.

2. Telesales Executive

Salary: $20,000 per year.

Our Telesales Executive will have the …..4...... you make effective phone calls to marketing contacts and to …5...business meetings for our clients.

Bebop offers excellent training and promotion ….6....... .

Call Paul Glover on 020 4456 1090 or e-mail: beboprecruit@easynet.co.uk.

3. Sales Manager

Salary: $26,000 per year

Conference and Events Company urgently requires a Sales Manager to …7.... a team of 8 telesales executives.

You will …....8..... the team and …..9..... all sales staff and their problems. In addition, you will …..10..... future marketing campaigns and …11.... a new marketing strategy.

Background of the candidate: experience in telesales and direct sales; at least 3 years’ management experience.

Location: Cheshire

Contact: Karen Poulson,

tel. 01260 271288, e-mail: cec@events.co.uk

1. a) increase b) set up c) lead

2. a) manage b) train c) direct

3. a) create b) plan c) improve

4. a) interest b) ability c) responsibility

5. a) work b) organize c) communicate

6. a) opportunities b) facilities c) qualities

7. a) boss b) lead c) drive

8. a) apply b) practise c) train

9. a) set up b) deal with c) look for

10. a) train b) control c) plan

11. a) improve b) develop c) increase

• READING

A. Read the discussion of the advertisements given above. Make a list of five things that are needed for a good PA/Secretary, in the opinion of two women.

• Hey! Look at this. Here is an advertisement for a Personal Assistant.

• Here’s another one – Inventor Plus. Have you heard of them?

• No, but I have heard of Compact Systems. They’re supposed to be very good to work for, and computer companies are my line exactly.

• Are you going to apply for it?

• I will, I think. Look at this. It says, “Must provide two references with the names of referees and a statement of what makes a good PA or secretary.

• What do you think they mean?

• I don’t know. Perhaps they mean things like filing systems.

• Oh yes, a good PA has to have a good filing system.

• Can you think of anything else?

• Well, you could say something about receiving visitors. “An effective Personal Assistant must be good at receiving visitors”, something like that.

• I agree, you mustn’t create a bad impression.

• Well, these are two things. What else?

• I know! A good PA must also distribute work fairly to other typists.

• And what about phone manner?

• Yes, of course. You’ve got to have a good phone number.

• And there’s appearance. In the last place I worked we had to dress very neatly.

• OK, that’s the fifth one: a good PA must also have a neat appearance Can you think of any more?

• No, I think those are the most important points.

B. What points do you agree/ disagree with?

• SPEAKING

A. What impression do you try to give to the people you deal with in business? What impression do you try not to give? You can use the following words and expressions:

I try to be: pleasant, sincere, friendly, confident, honest, skillful, intelligent, nice, helpful, polite. But the most important thing is a nice smile and friendly eye contact.

I try not to be: sleepy, unclear, lazy, dishonest, clumsy, stupid, unhelpful, rude.

B. Work in pairs. Look at the list and say which things are important when you are starting a new job.

• be punctual

• wear your smartest clothes (not trousers if you are a woman)

• go to the hairdresser’s the day before

• smile at everybody you meet

• ask if you can start work as soon as possible

• if you are a smoker, don’t smoke in the room in the presence of other people

• if you are a non-smoker, say you don’t mind if somebody in the room wants to smoke

• do your best to show your best qualities at once

• give people the wrong information about yourself

• inquire about the company pension scheme

• behave in an ordinary way

• be nervous