לומדים אנגלית / קוראים ספרי ילדים

In my last post I introduced the first aspect of the general subject of this unit:

Work and Leisure

Today we will discuss another aspect:

Employment and Education

Let's talk about it.

• Have you ever looked for a job?
  Was it a difficult experience?
• The first step may be looking through the ads in the paper.
  How would you choose what ads to address?
• You may be asked to send your CV.
  What information would you include?
• Can you prepare for the interview? How? 
  You may wish to act out the interview. You can be the employer and one of your classmates will pretend to apply for a job.
  Can you act out or write down the scene?

Getting ready to Read

The following passage deals with instructions concerning CV writing.

Make sure you know the meaning of the following words before you start reading. Look them up in the dictionary.

career

counseling

introduction

qualifications

goals, objectives

position

session

Reading Passage 1

Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow.

1. Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to the Career Counseling Center. I am Dr. Oren Sahvit and I am in charge of the syllabus of this course. The object of this lecture – our first lecture – is to help you write a proper CV – the first step towards finding a good job.

2. Your CV is your first introduction. A well written CV can create a lasting impression on your future employer. Plan your CV carefully. Start with your personal details. Then, write specific details about your studies, qualifications and past experience. In the end, write a paragraph about yourself. Focus on the employer, even though you are writing about yourself. Think about what he needs and expects, what his goals are, and then, concentrate on what you can provide to help your employer reach those goals. You won't get hired just by describing your past. Focus on the future, or rather, the employer's future. Show how the skills and experience you can offer may help your employer achieve his objectives.

3. Remember, a well planned CV can make the difference between getting a job or getting a "Thank you, but we have already filled the position" note. Writing a good CV is very important, but there are many other elements involved. The CV is not the last step. It is just the beginning of the hiring process. What happens after you have sent the CV? At first, nothing. You simply have to wait. Waiting may prove hard and frustrating, but you have no other choice. You have to give the employers some time to review your application before you can follow up.The question is when you should follow up on the job application. There is no fixed rule, but in general, no sooner than a week after submitting the CV. Once you have decided to start the follow up, write a short, polite follow-up email directly to the hiring manager. Say you’re still interested and reiterate why you’re the perfect fit. If you still get no answer, you may decide to make a phone call to make sure your application hasn't got lost. 

4. Here is a quick summary of the key steps on how to follow up on a job application:

• Follow up at least one week after applying.
• Try to find the hiring manager’s contact details and write a personalized follow-up email.
• Reiterate your interest in the position and say why you’d perform well in the job.
• After another week without response, call the company to check if they received your application.

5. For our next lesson, please prepare a sample CV. Our next session will be devoted to work-interview strategies. We will also have special sessions on how to choose relevant want ads, how to dress for the interview, how to approach the salary issue in the interview and many other aspects of the process of job application. Thank you for your attention. I hope you have enjoyed the lecture and I am sure this course will help you find the job you are looking for.

Questions

1. Who is the passage addressed to (paragraph 1)?
……………………………………………………………………………………

2.  This passage is:

a. a letter.

b. part of a course.

c. a commercial.

d. an article.

3. What is the aim of the passage (paragraph 1)?
……………………………………………………………………………………

4. Who is Dr. Shavit (paragraph 1)?
……………………………………………………………………………………

5. By personal details (paragraph 2), the author does not refer to:

a. name and address

b. telephone and email

c. ID

d. medical information

6.  What should your CV focus on (paragraph 2)?
…………………………………………………………………………………..

7.  What may happen if you don't write a proper CV (paragraph 3)? 
……………………………………………………………………………………

8.  You should start the follow up (paragraph 3)

a. whenever you like.

b. a few days after sending the CV.

c. a week or more after sending your CV.

d. as soon as possible.

9. In what case should you call the hiring manager (paragraph 3)?
……………………………………………………………………………………

10. What home assignments did the students get (paragraph 5)? 
……………………………………………………………………………………

Reading Passage 2

Editing and Correcting

A close reading of the following passage will show that an absent-minded editor has mixed up the order of the paragr aphs and left irrelevant sentences in the passage.

Read the passage carefully and then:

• Rearrange the paragraphs in suitable order.
• Find the irrelevant sentences (one in each paragraph) and cross them out.
• Give the passage a suitable title.

Helpful Vocabulary:

enlightened   –   נאור

privileged elite   –   שכבה בעלת זכויות יתר

scholarship  –   מלגה

loan   –   הלוואה

Reading Passage

Today, however, things are much more complicated. People are very busy and have no free time. In modern, enlightened societies, most youngsters finish high school and can continue their studies if they choose to do so. University is no longer reserved to the privileged elite. Special scholarships and loans are offered to students who could not otherwise afford to study.

Nowadays, people take education for granted.Things were different in the past. Being a high school graduate used to be considered a supreme achievement. Few youngsters continued their studies at university in those days, and those who did, were usually rich and extremely talented. They all wanted to be singers. The variety of subjects they could major in was quite limited, so it was not very difficult for them to make their choice.

Not only has the number of students increased, but so has the number of subjects taught at university. Students no longer have to choose between teaching, law, medicine and engineering.  There is an incredibly large variety of professions and possibilities seem endless. There is no time for sports or hobbies nowadays. The problem is that it is now much more difficult to choose a career and many people, therefore, need the help of trained counselors to help them decide what profession suits them best.

And that's all for today. More texts and suggestions in my next post.