Unit 6: Future Jobs - Reading

Exercise 1: Choose the option that best completes each of the following sentences.  Computer programmer David Jones earns £35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank prepared to let him have a cheque card. Instead, he has been told to wait another two years, until he is 18. The 16-year-old works for a small firm in Liverpool, where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job. David's firm releases two new games for the expanding home computer market each month. But David's biggest headache is what to do with his money.  Despite his salary, earned by inventing new programs within tight schedules, with bonus payments and profit-sharing, he cannot drive a car, take out a mortgage, or obtain credit cards. He lives with his parents in their council house in Liverpool, where his father is a bus driver. His company has to pay £150 a month in taxi fares to get him the five miles to work and back every day because David cannot drive. David got his job with the Liverpool-based company four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels and working for a time in a computer shop. "I got the job because the people who run the firm knew 1 had already written some programs," he said. "I suppose £35,000 sounds a lot but actually that's being pessimistic. I hope it will come to more than that this year." He spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother £20 a week. But most his spare time is spent working. "Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school," he said. "But 1 had been studying it in books and 'magazines for four years in my spare time. 1 knew what 1 wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway." David added: "I would like to earn a million and 1 suppose early retirement is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear." 

Exercise 2: Choose the word or phrase - A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage When most people interview for a job they are very nervous. Being nervous for an interview is natural but if you're prepared you will feel more confident and you'll be more (6)_______ to get the job. Read the following tips on interviewing and try them on your next job interview. Before the Interview Make a list of a few of the strong (7) ________ that you want to emphasize in the interview. Think of things that make you good at the job. For example, “I am a patient person” or “I have experience in this kind of job.” These points are going to be the things you need to remember to talk about in the interview. Get your clothes ready. Plan (8)_________ you are going to wear to the interview. Make sure it is clean and ironed and the shoes look good. Call for (9)_________ to get to the place where the interview is going to be. Drive there a day or two before the interview to make sure that you know how to get there. Look for information about the company in the Internet or talk to people you know who work there. The more you know, the more (10)_________ you will be in the interview. Practice interviewing. Have a friend pretend that he is the person who will interview you. Have him ask you interview questions and practice answering them with (11)_______. During the Interview Arrive to the interview a few minutes early. When you meet the interviewer, the person who is interviewing you, make eye (12)________, smile, and give them a firm handshake. It's important that you make a good first impression. Most interviewers will make a (13)________ about you in the first five minutes. Make sure it's a good impression! During the interview speak with confidence and sit up straight in the chair. Show that you are an active listener. An interview will not be impressed if you (14)________ provide answers that miss the point. After the Interview Thank the interviewer for the interview. Go home and send them a thank you (15)_________. Put it in the mail immediately.