Do you need to practise your English more? Do you want to practise having conversations? Improve your daily English conversation skills with a number of of lessons. Learn how to speak English for everyday use.
In these conversation exercises, you will also find grammar lessons, question-answers for improving your English language.
CHAPTER 12 – LOOKING FOR A JOB
Situation: John just graduated with a Bachelor degree in Finance. As a result, he wants to find a job in his field of studies instead of continuing to hold his current Payroll position.
Nancy: Hi. It is good to see you, John.
John: Same here, Nancy. It has been a long time since I last saw you.
Nancy: Yes, the last time we saw each other was New Year’s Eve. How are you doing?
John: I am doing OK. It would be better if I have a new job right now.
Nancy: You are looking for a new job? Why?
John: I already finished my studies and graduated last week. Now, I want to get a job in the Finance field. Payroll is not exactly Finance.
Nancy: How long have you been looking for a new job?
John: I just started this week.
Nancy: Didn’t you have any interviews with those firms that came to our campus last month? I believe quite a few companies came to recruit students for their Finance departments.
John: I could only get one interview with Fidelity Company because of my heavy workschedule. A month has already gone by, and I have not heard from them. I guess I did not make it.
Nancy: Don’t worry, John. You always did well in school. I know your good grades will help you get a job soon. Besides, the job market is pretty good right now, and all companies need financial analysts.
John: I hope so.
Nancy: You have prepared a resume, right?
John: Yes.
Nancy: Did you mail your resume to a lot of companies? How about recruiting agencies?
John: I have sent it to a dozen companies already. No, I have not thought about recruiting agencies. But, I do look closely at the employment ads listed in the newspaper every day.
Nancy: Are there a lot of openings?
John: Quite a few. Some of them require a certain amount of experience and others are willing to train.
Nancy: My friends told me that it helps to do some homework before you go to an interview. You need to know the company well—what kind of business is it in? What types of products does it sell? How is it doing lately?
John: Yes, I know. I am doing some research on companies that I want to work for. I want to be ready whenever they call me in for an interview.
Nancy: Have you thought about questions they might ask you during the interview?
John: What types of questions do you think they will ask?
Nancy: Well, they might ask you some questions about Finance theories to test your academic understanding.
John: I can handle that.
Nancy: They might tell you about a problem and want you to come up with a solution.
John: I don’t know about that. I hope I will be able to give them a decent response if the need arises.
Nancy: They will want to know you a little bit before they make a hiring decision. So, they may ask you to describe yourself. For example, what are your strengths and your weaknesses? How do you get along with people?
John: I need to work on that question. How would I describe myself? Huh!
Nancy: Also, make sure you are on time. Nothing is worse than to be late for an interview. You do not want to give them a bad impression, right from the start.
John: I know. I always plan to arrive about 10 or 15 minutes before the interview starts.
Nancy: Good decision! It seems that you are well prepared for your job search. I am sure you will find a good job in no time.
John: I hope so.
Nancy: I need to run; otherwise, I will be late for school. Good luck in your job search, John.
John: Thank you for your advice. Bye!
Questions/Answers Practice
| Q: How is the job market? | A: The job market is very tight at the moment. |
| Q: Are there a lot of job openings in your field? | A: No, there are very few job openings in my field. |
| Q: What type of company do you want | A: I would like to work for a |
| to work for? | manufacturing company. |
| Q: What kind of position are you looking for? | A: Without a lot of experience, I am looking for an entry-level position. |
| Q: Are you looking for a job close to home? | A: I would love to get a job close to home. However, I would go wherever the job is. |
| Q: What did you put on your resume? | A: I put down my educational background, my working experiences, and my past achievements. |
| Q: Is that all? | A: No, I also put down what I am looking for in the new job. |
Q: Did you send a letter to the companies
A: Yes, I did. along with your resume?
Q: What should you say in the letter?
A: I should express my interest in the open position and my wish to have an interview with them.
Q: What should you do after the interview?
A: I should send them a thank you letter.
3) Comprehension test
- When was the last time Nancy and John saw each other?
- What is John doing right now?
- Why is John looking for a new job?
- Why did the firms come to Nancy and John’s campus?
- Which company did John have an interview with?
- What does John think about his on-campus interview?
- What is Nancy’s suggestion regarding John’s resume?
- What else should John do besides sending out his resume to companies?
- What are the requirements of the newspaper ads?
- What should John do before going to an interview?
- What are the questions that may be asked during the interview?
- Why shouldn’t John be late for his interview?
- What time will John be arriving for his interview?
4) Discussion
- What do you put on your resume?
- What should you do to get prepared for an interview?
- How important is it to get a job in your field of studies?
GRAMMAR REVIEW
VERBS
Rules for verbs
- It is very important to find the true subject in a sentence because verbs should agree with their subjects. If the subject is singular, the verb should be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.
I am doing research on a few companies.
Nothing is worse than to be late for an interview.
The list of guests for the upcoming event was already prepared last month.
- Verbs in the present tense always end with –s in the case of singular third person. I eat.
They eat.
He eats.
John eats.
- Verbs should be singular when nouns depicting quantity, distance, time and amount are used in the sentence.
Fifty dollars is the limit set for the gift exchange. Twenty years is a long time.
- In questions, verbs usually precede their subject.
How are you doing?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Verbs can become nouns by adding –ing to the end of the verbs. The new word is called a gerund, and it can be used as the subject or object of a verb.
Jogging is one of my hobbies. (Subject)
Listening is a necessary skill. (Subject)
They might ask you a few questions to test your understanding of Finance. (Object) We are very interested in learning English. (Object)
- Verbs can be classified as active or passive. When the subject is the one doing the action, the verb is in the active mode.
John drove to school.
My father built our house in 1995.
When the subject is the recipient of the action, the verb is in the passive mode. The passive mode is formed with the verb be + past participle.
John was driven to school. (John did not drive; somebody drove him to school) Our house was built by my father in 1995.
- The present participle form of a verb can be used as an adjective.
It is freezing out there.
She is a very loving mother.
Questions/Answers Practice
Pair the students and have them practice the following questions and answers. Ask them to come up with similar questions and answers.
| Q: What does your mother do every morning? | A: My mother prepares breakfast for my father and me every morning. |
| Q: How do your parents feel about your graduation? | A: My parents are very happy for me. |
| Q: Did you prepare the schedule of departures for Western Airlines? | A: The schedule of departures was prepared a long time ago. |
| Q: How do you feel about one hundred dollars? | A: A hundred dollars is a lot of money. |
| Q: Can you run 10 miles? | A: Ten miles is quite a distance. |
| Q: Can you carry fifty kilos of rice? | A: Fifty kilos is a lot to carry. |
| Q: Do you like to read? | A: Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. |
| Q: Why do you need to learn English? | A: Learning English is a requirement for passing the citizenship test. |
| Q: Should boys learn how to cook? | A: Cooking is a necessary skill for everybody. |
| Q: How is the weather today? | A: It is freezing today. |
| Q: How is John? | A: John is a hard-working employee. |
| Q: What type of company do you want to work for? | A: I would like to work for a manufacturing company. |
| Q: Did John drive to school? | A: Yes, John drove to school. |
| Q: Did John drive to school? | A: No, he was driven to school by his mother. |
| Q: Did John Lennon write the song? | A: Yes, John Lennon wrote the song. |
| Q: Did John Lennon write the song? | A: Yes, the song was written by John Lennon. |