Rob: an actor

What’s the worst thing that has ever happened in your job?

So many bad things happened – but I think my worst moment was when I read my best bad review in the newspaper. They wrote terrible things about me, and I was so upset. Now I don’t read my reviews any more.

Have you ever done any other jobs?

Oh, yes. I’ve done hundreds of jobs over the years. Before I got my first big part, I was working as a waiter.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever done?

The worst job I’ve ever done was at an egg-packing factory. I stood for hours and hours at the end of a conveyor belt, putting eggs into boxes. It was noisy, boring and worst of all, the smell was disgusting – I’ve never eaten an egg since.

Read the article again and find words to complete the sentences below. The first letter of each word has been given to you.

The boss had a very n____ temper and he was and he was always shouting at me.

I never had any time o____: I even had to work at weekends!

I had to work non-stop from nine to six without having a proper b____ .

I wasn’t allowed to do anything at all without asking the boss for p____ .

The machines were so ____ that I couldn’t hear myself speak.

The conditions were d____ ! I had a shower every day as soon as I got home.

Work with a partner. Discuss these questions.

Do you know anybody who has had to work under conditions like these?

What are the worst conditions you’ve had to work under?

What do you think is the worst job in the world?

PART II

DIRECTIONS:

Is the job you have chosen the right job for you? Find out by doing this quiz. Tick ( _ˇ ) the statements you agree with and also guess what statements your partner might choose. After everybody is ready see whether your guess was right.

Job Quiz.

I'd love to do a parachute jump.

I don't like telling people what to do.

I prefer spending time on my own rather than in a crowd.

I find it easy to set myself objectives.

I have difficulty making decisions.

I find it difficult getting to know new people.

I'd love to travel abroad.

Friends sometimes complain that I order them around.

I like to have the advice and support of people more experienced than myself.

I don't like volunteering opinions in case they are unpopular.

I like to try to find new solutions to old problems.

I would prefer to be team captain than team member.

I get embarrassed easily.

I don't mind where I go with my friends as long as they are happy.

I like the latest fashions.

I like to be fully responsible for anything that I do.

Now add up your ticks and check your scores. Three or four ticks in any category indicates personality characteristics you should take account of when choosing a job.

ScoringA 1 7 11 15

B 2 5 9 14

C 3 6 10 13

D 4 8 12 16

Personality types:

A characteristics

The entrepreneur. You are the adventurous type. You enjoy new challenges and taking risks. You could find success in stock market dealing rooms or anywhere you can put your flashes of genius to good use.

B characteristics

The team worker. You work well with others but dislike having responsibility for other people, preferring to implement other people's plans rather than your own. You would probably do well in the armed forces or the Civil Service.

C characteristics

The backroom worker. You are a little shy, and find it difficult to mix with new people. You would do well in any behind the scenes job where you don't have to come face to face with strangers every day, such as a researcher or librarian.

D characteristics

The leader. You are confident in your abilities and you prefer to be in charge rather than to take orders. You enjoy having lots of people around you and would do well in a managerial post or any job which involves selling.

ACTIVITY H

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

PART I

DIRECTIONS: Read the text.

TEXT 2 My future career

What do you want to be when you grow up? We have heard this question many times during our school years. Perhaps, it was difficult for us to give a definite answer earlier. But now we understand that the time to choose our future profession has come.

Finishing school is the beginning of an independent life for millions of school-leavers. Many roads are open before us: technical schools, colleges and universities. Centuries ago there were only a few jobs: people were farmers, bakers, butchers or carpenters. Today there are thousands of different kinds of jobs, and new ones are constantly appearing. No wonder that it is not an easy thing to make the right choice.

When choosing a future career, we should consider different factors. In my opinion, money is one of the most important factors when you make a choice. There are highly paid jobs and low-paid jobs. For example, a businessman, a president or a film star, are highly paid jobs. A worker, a doctor or an engineer, are low-paid jobs. I think everybody wants to earn as much money as possible.

Training, promotional prospects and conditions should be also taken into account. On the other hand, it's good when you get satisfaction from your job. It is very important to choose a profession that suits your interests.

In my opinion, a job should be interesting and socially important. Some jobs are considered to be more suitable for men and others for women. For example, the professions of secretary or nurse are more suitable for women. A lifeguard or a pilot are more likely the jobs for men. You should also decide whether you want to work indoors or outdoors.

To make the right choice, you should take into account your traits of character. It goes without saying that to become a good doctor you must be patient, caring and kind. Teacher's work requires love for children, profound knowledge of subjects, and the ability to explain. A secretary has to be efficient and careful in order to do her work quickly and accurately. Salespeople need to be friendly and persuasive, to get people buy their products.

There are so many people who influence us in choosing our occupation. Parents and friends play a very important role in our choices.

My father works for an international company as a managing director. It is a highly paid job and it offers a lot of opportunities. You can travel abroad and meet different people. My father is a friendly person and he is easy to talk to. He thinks that I must choose my future profession according to my taste and preferences. I respect him and I want to become a businessman, too.

I have always been interested in economics and I am good at Maths. I have an aptitude for working with people, and I think I'm rather communicative and have good social skills. I have good analytical abilities and I am good at problem-solving. Besides, I am good at English. English has become the standard language for all kinds of international business communications. To know English today is absolutely necessary for every businessman.

To become a successful businessman you should know a lot. So after finishing school I want to enter the university and to study marketing or management. Management deals mainly with people. A manager is a person who directly supervises people in an organization. Managers spend a great deal of time communicating, coordinating and making decisions affecting the daily operations of their organization. Almost everything, a manager does, involves decisions, and in decision-making there is always uncertainty and risk. So managing is a very interesting, but difficult, job.