In your opinion, what qualities do you need for the job?

Jobs: secretary, doctor, carpenter, driver, plumber, officer, artist, business executive, bank clerk, TV star, interpreter.

Qualities: patience, courage, determination, goodwill, charm, stamina, reliability, loyalty, energy, experience, commitment, talent, creativity, intelligence, training.

Say if these are professions or trades.

lawyer dentist chemist milkmaid

architect priest farmer chef

librarian engineer scientist singer

janitor designer builder carpenter

plumber surgeon tailor weaver

hairdresser child-minder police officer bookkeeper

mechanic hairdresser veterinary manager

Complete each sentence with one of the words or word combinations from the box.

junior clerk solicitor private detective hired killer factory managers commercial traveller writer employee consultant chairman

1. Allen works for a firm that manufactures and sells different kinds of industrial glue, he is a successful ___. 2. A company should make every ___ feel important. 3. They appointed him ___. 4. Paul was engaged as a ___ at a very low wage. 5. She decided to hire a ___ to find out who was blackmailing her. 6. The police thought he was shot by a ___. 7. There are several opportunities for an experienced ___. 8. He's changed his job and is working now as a ___ for a German firm. 9. Before becoming ___, Schwartz had been a clerk, a cab driver and a door-to-door salesman. 10. Most of ___ he meets seem to be interested in talking about work and golf.

Fill in the blanks with prepositions if necessary.

1. I'm sorry ___ Tom. He has worked as used car dealer ___ Brown and Company ___ ten years and now the firm has been taken ___ by Jones Ltd., and they are going to dismiss him. 2. I see ___ today's paper that you need a secretary ___ knowledge of French, I would like to apply ___ the post. 3. I was ___ the impression that I had paid you ___ the work you did ___ me. 4. I thought he would offer Ann the job, but he offered it ___ me. 5. He advised the strikers to go back ___ work. 6. I'm certainly not married ___ my job. 7. The key ___ my success is determination, motivation, hard work and luck. It's luck to be ___ the right place at the right time. 8. I'm thinking ___ changing my job because there are few prospects. 9. Ruth is looking ___ a new appointment ___ the moment. 10. I'm well-qualified and have completed a course ___ graphic design. 11. I'm starting next week ___ a trainee chef ___ a large hotel. 12. He got a job ___ the south and spent the next years doing the work he really enjoyed.

Complete each sentence with a derivative formed from the word in capitals.

e.g. ____ injures and even deaths are quite common in the coal mining industry. OCCUPY. –

Occupational injures and even deaths are quite common in the coal mining industry.

OCCUPY EMPLOY NEIGHBOUR COMMIT COMMERCE JOB PROMOTE OVERWORK PRESENT TEACH ABLE

1. It's often difficult for people who are in work to appreciate the problems of the _______. 2. Janet says she'd like to go into ________ after she finishes college. 3.She makes a little money by working as a cleaner for some people from the ________. 4.Teaching is a profession that require total ________. 5. Withervoe was the first woman pilot to be employed by a ________ airline. 6. The ________ feel excluded from many things that we take for granted. 7. Because of his ________ he has put a good deal of effort into the simplest tasks. 8. Like a lot of people who want ________ he's pushing himself too hard. 9. We are all ________ and underpaid. 10. The position of a sales _______ is the only position offered by some companies.

Read the article and fill in the blanks with the suitable word from the box.

officers psychologist impression jobs equality pay inquiries professions employment boundaries capacities terms

In early seventies, when the Department of Employment said the answer to women's low _1_ - and perhaps to poverty in general – was for women to break through the ring-fence of special women's _2_ , it seemed improbable this social transformation would ever be achieved.

Events since have demonstrated the untruth of these _3_. Women of all types have blazed trails in new areas, so that in a matter of a few years the impossible has happened. There are women piloting airliners, women as navigating and radio _4_ on ships, women detective superintendents leading murder _5_ ; women military officers performing strenuous training exercises – all on equal _6_.

The change has not been one of revolutionary speed but it has spread through a wide range of jobs. It is no longer only university graduates and the like who are breaking the _7_ of tradition.

One of the problems for women, according to an industrial _8_, is that "they consistently undervalue themselves". There are an awful lot of girls in jobs below their _9_ simply because of the way they think about themselves.

It is evident that women can, and are adapting themselves to male _10_. But for true equality, why can there not be further stage – valuing women's _11_ properly. Why should not a nurse or a home help be considered as valuable and paid as well as a carpenter or plumber? When this equation is solved, _12_ will be here.

Who's in charge?

The people in the left-hand column are all in charge of the things in the right-hand column. Match them correctly.

a captain a chairperson a chief a conductor a curator a director an editor a governor a manager/manageress a matron a president a prime minister a principal a warden an umpire

the actors in a film or play the nurses in a hospital a tennis or cricket match a newspaper, a magazine a ship, a football team a shop, a bank a government a meeting, a committee a museum a college an orchestra an old people's home a tribe a republic a prison

Match the jobs on the left with a suitable definition from the right.

an accountant a barrister a caretaker a childminder a copywriter a detective a diver a gardener a head teacher a lecturer a psychiatrist a receptionist a scientist a social worker a stockbroker an undertaker

looks after, takes care of gardens is an expert in, for example, physics, chemistry, biology looks after children during the day so that parents can go out to work arranges funerals is a lawyer who appears in court is a doctor who treats people suffering from mental illness buys and sells stocks and shares for people helps companies with their bookkeeping and finances is a person in charge of a school helps and gives advice to people with serious financial or family problems works under water using special breathing equipment looks after a school, a block of flats, etc. welcomes and deals with people arriving at a hotel investigates crimes, trying to find the people who did them teaches at a college or university writes the words used in advertisements

Write the answers in the boxes

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15

What do these people do? Give your definitions of the jobs.

an engineer a dentist a surgeon

a turner a baker a cook

a conductor a secretary a sailor

a plumber a manager chemist

a waiter a policeman a physicist

When speaking about people working with you we usually describe their attitude towards the work and colleagues using certain adjectives. Moreover, a lot of professions and trades demand certain traits of character. Let's remember some of them.

Here are 20 adjectives to describe a person's character or personality. Complete the sentences below with a suitable adjective from the list. Use each word once only.

affectionate bad-tempered big-headed bossy brave

cheerful childish clever cruel easy-going

forgetful friendly greedy honest impulsive

lively materialistic modest optimistic pessimistic

1. The Brown children were very ______ at school, so I'm not a bit surprised that they did so well at university.

2. Frank will never steal anything. You can trust him completely. He's so ________.

3. She won the race easily. But instead of boasting about it, she just said she was lucky. That's typical of her. She's so ________.

4. They're a very _______ couple. They're always showing their fondness and love for each other.

5. As a child he was very _______ and used to hit and kick animals – especially cats.

6. She always wants a bigger share than anyone else. She's so ______.

7. Gloria's always expecting the best to happen. She's such an _______ person.

8. Paul is always so angry and irritable. I've never met anyone quite as _______ as him.

9. My cousin is always happy and smiling. She's such a _______ person.

10. We had such a warm welcome when we were in Denmark. I had no idea that Danes were so _______.

11. Most people are far too _______ nowadays. All they seem interested in is buying more and more things, such as cars, TVs, and so on.

12. My grandfather always expects the worst to happen. He's really ________.

13. Don't keep telling Sharon how wonderful and talented she is. She'll get _______.

14. You'd better write his phone number down, Dave. You won't remember it otherwise. You know how ________ you are.

15. I could never be a childminder. Children are far too ________ for me. I'd be exhausted just watching them running around.

16. He loves telling people what to do. He's so ________.

17. Peter never worries very much or gets annoyed. He's a very _______ person.

18. My husband's very _______. If he sees something he just buys it without thinking about whether we can afford it or not.

19. Oh, grow up, Simon! Stop being so _______!

20. The police told her she was very ________ to jump into the river to rescue her sister.

Here are another twenty adjectives to describe a person's character or personality. Again, complete the sentences below with a suitable adjective from the list. Use each adjective once only.

arrogant cautious cowardly dishonest

frank kind proud punctual

reliable self-confident self-conscious selfish

sensitive strict stubborn sympathetic

talkative vain well-behaved witty

1. He is very sure he is going to succeed. He is extremely __________.

2. Everyone thought it was ______ of him not to help his friend when he was being attacked.

3. They say that women are generally more _______ than men. They often find it easier to understand and be aware of other people's problems.

4. It wasn't easy to have a conversation with George because he wasn't very ______. Not a bit like his sister, Emily, who never stopped talking.

5. Swedes and German have a reputation for being ______. If you arrange a meeting with them they are always on time.

6. He's so _______! He behaves as if he's so much better or more important than the rest of us! I can't stand him!

7. Maureen's so _______. She's always coming out with clever and amusing remarks. I wish I could make people laugh the way she does.

8. Once his mind is made up, he won't listen to a word you say. He's so _______.

9. You only care about yourself, don't you? You never think about me or anyone else. You're so ________!

10. My neighbour is always so friendly and helpful. I don't think I've ever met such a _______ person as her.

11. Joanna spends hours looking at and admiring herself in the mirror. She's so _______.

12. He always wore a hat because he was very ______ about his bald patch.

13. It's a pleasure to look after my cousin's children. They're so ________. I wish my children had their good manners.

14. Mark is a very ______ person and never makes any decision without looking into things very carefully first.

15. If Simon says he'll do it, then he will. You can trust him. He's very _______.

16. Although she was very poor, she was very ______, and refused to accept any form of charity.

17. I wouldn't trust him with anything. He's so ________. He's always trying to cheat people.

18. Maureen was very ______ when I told her that my grandfather had died.

19. Years ago, teachers were very ______ and pupils weren't allowed to speak in class or ask a question without putting their hands up first.

20. I always try to be ______ with my friends. If they ask for my opinion, then I give it to them straight, even though they might not like it.

Using the words from the above exercises, what qualities do you think are most important for the following people to have?

a teacher a partner

a boss a politician

a soldier an accountant

a childminder a detective

a stockbroker a secretary

a scientist an interpreter

The texts given below describe you several professions. From these descriptions you can learn a lot about this or that profession.

1. Adventure Travel Guide

The job

Adventure travel guides organize and lead trips to exotic locations around the globe.

They make all travel arrangements, including reserving lodging and dining, scheduling activities and arranging for visas.

During the trip, these guides are responsible for educating the group on cultural customs, coaching individuals on the basics of various adventurous activities and overseeing all participants' well-being and safety.

Adventure travel may include activities such as mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, skiing, horseback riding, diving, sailing, cave exploration and white-water rafting.

Skills

Adventure travel guides need effective communication and people skills as they deal with a variety of people and situations. Contagious enthusiasm and experience in a range of adventurous disciplines will ensure a successful trip.

It is crucial to be able to exercise good judgement under pressure and be resourceful when dealing with emergency situations that are bound to arise.

As a leader, adventure travel guides must be reliable and trustworthy to build the group confidence necessary for successful completion of potentially dangerous activities.

In such a small profession reputation is everything. Building and maintaining good rapport with employers and co-workers is essential.

Education

As a relatively new career, there is no accepted standard for training. Universities and travel companies are just beginning to offer programs.

While there is no specific certification required for adventure travel guides, some of the activities involved require certification that can be obtained through intensive programs.

Outlook

Although adventure travel is currently tourism's fastest-growing sector, competition is relatively high.

As Baby Boomers begin to retire and travel, there is expected to be an increased demand for adventure travel guides.

Related Careers

Camp counsellor, Naturalist, Park ranger, Tour guide.

2. Camp Counsellor

The job

Camp counsellors spend the majority of their time planning and organising recreational and educational activities for campers.

To be an effective camp counsellor, your campers must be having fun and learning at the same time.

This job often requires extensive physical activities.

Skills

You need to be able to keep up with your campers, so physical fitness is important.

Camp counsellors need to bring an abundance of energy and enthusiasm to work every day, as well as an ability to motivate children.

When it comes down to it, this job is all about working with kids. You must be able to relate to them and serve as a leader and role model, as well as arbitrate problems between campers.

Education

Requirements range from a high school diploma (sometimes less) to a graduate degree, depending on the position. Generally, the higher degree of education you have, the more likely you'll be put in a supervisory role.

Outlook

Employment of recreation workers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2008.

Related Careers

Recreational supervisors, Recreational therapists, School counsellors, Social workers, Teachers, Youth counsellor.

3. Copywriter

The job

This job involves writing copy for various media that gets attention, communicates a message and prompts customers to take action as well as convey the company brand.

Copywriters build client relationships by providing information in a clear manner.

Often times, copywriters produce direct-mail pieces by creating content, establishing designs and ordering artwork.

Skills

Copywriters must have an excellent grasp of the written word and be able to alter their writing style for the material's desired impact.

They also need to be familiar with different marketing techniques and how their roles fit within that strategy. Copywriters must understand a company’s position within the industry and the world of target customers.

Attention to detail is important; one poorly chosen word can make a difference. Some copywriters juggle many projects, so time management skills are also critical.

Education

A college degree is usually required. Although some employers look for broad liberal arts backgrounds, most prefer to hire people with degrees in communications, journalism or English.

For those who specialize in a particular area, such as science, fashion or legal issues, additional background in the chosen field helps.

Outlook

The employment of writers and editors is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2008, partly because of the advent of online publications.

4. Coroner

The job

Coroners inquire into the cause of deaths. They decide if a death occurred under natural circumstances or due to accident, homicide or undetermined causes. Then they list the cause on the death certificate.

Coroners direct the activities of physicians and technologists who perform autopsies and tests to determine causes of death.

Coroners testify at inquests, hearings and court trials. They also direct workers to prepare documents for official records.

Coroners are appointed or elected to serve in a specific administrative area, such as a city or county.

Skills

Coroners should possess knowledge of living organisms and how they function as well as injuries, illnesses, and other defects that could cause death.

Excellent analytical and communication skills are important for getting and analyzing data or information and communicating findings to others.

They must be able to co-ordinate the work of others, make decisions and solve problems.

Education

There are different levels of preparation necessary to become a coroner, and this varies according to local law.

Outlook

Nationally, the number of jobs for inspectors and compliance officers, which includes coroners, is expected to grow about as fast as average through the year 2008.

Related Careers

Forensic science technician, Medical and clinical laboratory technologist (lab-tech), Physician

5. Events Planner

The job

Event planners design, organize and coordinate conferences, conventions, meetings, seminars, exhibitions, trade shows, festivals and other events.

They are responsible for participants' accommodations and transportation, facilities, catering, signage, displays, translation, audio-visual equipment, printing and security.

They also establish and monitor budgets to support these ventures.

Skills

Event planners should be well-organised and skilled in co-ordinating event logistics.

They must have excellent presentation skills as they have to clearly communicate information effectively and persuasively.

Knowledge of media relations and marketing is important when promoting events.

Education

Event planners typically possess bachelor's degrees in business administration, marketing, tourism or hospitality administration.

Related Careers

Administrative assistant, Executive assistant, Marketing professional, Public relations manager, Sales representative (sales rep)

6. Help Desk Representative

The job

Help desk representatives are EMTs for the knowledge economy. Providing productivity "first aid" to baffled, frustrated and sometimes clueless computer users, they combine customer service, technology training and computer troubleshooting abilities. They answer phone calls, interpret problems, provide simple technical support, keep track of issues and resolutions, use automated diagnostic programs and resolve recurrent problems.

When it comes down to it, this job is more about people than technology. If you don't enjoy helping others, lack patience and can't find satisfaction in reducing other people's stress, don't take a seat at the help desk.

Most help desks are part of a medium to large organisation's IT support function, reporting to the IT group. While even the smallest organisations need these types of services, they may not have the financial or technical resources to set one up, relying instead on an IT generalist or in-house computer guru.

Help desk representatives may be called on to work outside the 9-to-5 day if the organisations' activities require computer users to work beyond those hours.

Help desk reps can expect to straddle both edges of the technology curve. They need to constantly learn about new technologies while still supporting older installations.

Skills

Help Desk representative skills fall into four main groups:

Customer Service: including customer-oriented telephone and email/chat abilities that respond quickly, competently and patiently to customer requests.

Problem solving: gathering information, evaluating options and offering good solutions.

Product and technical knowledge: understanding both the overall systems environment, such as system maintenance, workstation support, Internet connectivity and security services, as well as the specific products in use. Familiarity with alternative products and the nature of technical problems is also important.

Training and education: knowing how to present complex technical information to non-technical audiences, an ability to design and deliver instructional training is also valuable.

An additional nice-to-have skill is non-English language fluency sufficient to conduct technical support and training in that language.

Education

Computer support specialists generally need only an associate's degree in a computer-related field as well as significant hands-on experience with computers.

Earning certifications in the specific technologies or products in use at the workplace is valuable and might be considered a prerequisite for advancement.

Outlook

The last 10 years have seen virtually every industry reshaped by the presence of computing and telecommunications technologies. The presence of these devices on every desk has not, however, made everyone sitting in front of them an expert user. In today's technologically diverse and complicated workplaces, every organisation needs help desk representatives to answer questions, get detailed information on a specific issue, resolve problems or locate further assistance.

The economic outlook for computer and data processing support services is good for at least the next six years. Ten-year forecasts in 1998 projected 117 percent growth for computer and data processing services by 2008, making it the economy's fastest-growing sector. Support functions were forecast to grow at nearly twice that rate.

Related Careers

Customer service representative, Technical sales support, Technical support representative