Stages in life

This is the presentation we used in class to talk about life. It includes the structures and vocabulary that Emmi used in her own speech. What I recommend is that you write an overview of your life, just as Emmi did, so as to make sure you integrate all the new words and structures in your everyday speech. This way they will come easily to your mind when you need them!

Listening exam practice - The world of work

So far we've worked on la lot of vocabulary, a few listenings and some grammar. Let's now test it all with a few exam-type listenings. We'll work on the first two in class.

The first listening is about a male model talking about his career.

The second listening is about creativity in business and how to enhance it.

Listen to an excerpt from a local radio programme. The presenter is interviewing passers-by in the city centre about the nomination of Liverpool as European Capital of Culture 2008.

Decide whether these statements are true or false.

               

1. The first speaker is going to open a hotel to take advantage of the increase in tourism in 2008.

2. The cost of buying a house has increased since Liverpool was named Capital of Culture.

3. The second speaker is looking forward to the opportunity to party.

4. Hollywood film companies are going to move to the city.

5. There is already a lot of construction work in the streets.

6. The last speaker thinks that people are much more positive since Liverpool was chosen as Capital of Culture.

7. Listeners will shortly be able to hear one of the people in charge of the cultural programme for 2008.

Interaction Sample

Toya & Emmi met some years ago while studying in England with an Erasmus grant. By chance, they come across each other on the streets of Murcia. What a coincidence!!!

Emmi

You are in Murcia working as a Language Assistant at a Language School. You've also taken the chance to do a course on Spanish that actually involves IT. Ask Toya about life, work and studies.

Toya

You're a teacher at a Language School, and you've also started studying French in your free time. Ask Emmi about life, work and studies. You start the conversation.  

This is what came out:

The Best Job in the World

This is a video that tells the story of a Job Ad that went round the world looking for applicants.

1.   What’s the job? Where is it?

2.   What are some of the job duties?

3.   Does this person have to rent a house?

4.   What’s the purpose of offering this job?

5.   What do applicants have to do?

6.   How are they going to select the best candidate?

Glossary:
off the coast
overwhelming
plunge pool
take the plunge
there's no catch

Job interview - A class project

 Our project for this unit is going to be a job interview. To make it as real as possible, you are going to write your own CV/ resume and a cover letter. You will have to bring it to Emmi's class next week. Apart from this, there's something else you need to do. On the Internet, you have to find a job advertisement that you'd like to apply for. Why not your dream job?  Remember: Impossible is nothing! Print it and bring it to class together with your CV and cover letter.

Emmi will tell us all about how to work on them so that they are practical, straight to the point, and veeery professional.

THE TASK:

 

In class, we have given you two templates. One for your COVER LETTER, and one for your RESUME. Clicking the words you can download them in case you need them again.

Emmi's presentation:

Job interview questions NI2 

Emmi has also shown you on the board a projection of two samples. A COVER LETER,and a RESUME again. These are her examples, but just like she said, feel free to look for other samples on the Internet until you find one that works perfectly well for you. 

Sample cover letter 

  

 

Click on the images to download.

 

I found this presentation surfing the net, and I thought you may find it interesting. It's a step by step guide to creating your CV in an original and unique way. And what's more, you'll be able to follow a thorough plan to target those you'd like to impress. There's also a practical example of how the author, who is a designer, successfully made his way to his dream job. ENJOY!

So for next class with Emmi remember to bring... 

Your resume
Your cover letter
Your add (a dream job you'd love to apply for)
Do your research on the company you want to work for

Listening - Modals for obligation and necessity

Listen to this conversation between Chris and Alice.



Among the following sentences, choose the ones that are true.

1. Alice has left school because she is a trainee in a restaurant to become a chef.
2. Chris is in charge of the Kitchen at a hotel.
3. Alice reckons the job must be very enjoyable.
4. Working in an important hotel implies meeting a lot of famous people.
5. Chris works very long hours, specially in the summer.
6. Once the food is cooked he can go home and relax.
7. He had more time off in his previous job.
8. Alice is determined to become a chef.

Classic job interview questions

Watch this video giving tips on how to succeed at a job interview. 

Useful vocabulary:

to do well
to trip up
a dreaded question
to handle
to redress
on no account
where your major strengths lie
state your achievements
ethos
to relish
never utter the phrase...
innocuous
to throw you off guard 
a good balanced answer vs a well balanced answer
an overview
roughly

Now answer the questions below. 

Which two answers shouldn't you give to the first question?

Which phrase should you never utter as an answer to the third question?

Which of these things does she recommend for question number four?

tell your life history

give an overview of highest qualifications

go into as much detail as you can

run through the jobs you've had so far

avoid same structure as in your CV

give examples of things you've succeeded at

What can you focus on if it's your first job? 

Job interviews - movie scenes

Can you extract advice for job interviews from these movie scenes?

Formal interview

Mother & Child

First impression

The Pursuit of Happyness

Negotiating conditions

Erin Brokovich

Job stereotypes

What stereotypes can you think of for these jobs?

25 qualities to show when job hunting

When you’re job hunting, you need the right skills, education, and experience. But that’s not all you need. Employers are also looking for a host of other qualities.

For some examples, take a look at the following list. Don’t be freaked out by the length. Read through it. Think about how you rate on each item and how you could improve. It could be the best thing you ever do for your job hunt.

1. Energy. Humans are drawn to energetic people because energy is contagious and an upper. Job interviewers are human.

2. Good manners. Dressing appropriately, sitting erect, maintaining eye contact, waiting to sit until your interviewer is seated—these things all show respect for the person and the situation.

3. Maturity. Mature people know how to focus on the needs of others. Immature people are just wrapped up in themselves. Employers really prefer the first one.

4. Judgment. When interviewers start questions with “tell me about a time when you,” that’s your opening to bring up examples of when you showed excellent judgment.

5. Problem-solving skills. The “tell me about a time” question is also an opportunity to talk about how you effectively approach problems.

6. Loyalty. Employers seek candidates who can demonstrate loyalty to something—a cause, colleagues, a company, your profession.

7. Cheerful nature. A positive attitude, a smile, and an easygoing attitude tell an employer you will be a pleasure to have around. That’s important.

8. Good health. Employers need to believe that you can physically do the job. If you have visible health issues, you might consider preemptively addressing them.

9. Financial responsibility. Lots of jobs involve a credit check. So if you have a problem in this area, start working now to fix it!

10. Demonstration that you finish what you start. This is one reason many employers require a college degree. If you don’t have one, look for other examples of your stick-to-it-iveness.

11. Follow-through. Not quite the same as #10. Follow-through is a habit of mind highly valued at most companies. A good example is writing a thank-you note after the interview.

12. Demonstration of an ability to go above and beyond. Employers dream about these kinds of employees. Think of a time you’ve shown this quality and find a way to talk about it.

13. Ability to handle criticism. When interviewers ask about “your greatest weakness,” they want to see that you’re capable of recognizing you do have weaknesses, and that you’re willing to put in the work to correct them.

14. Ability to cooperate with others. Be nice to receptionists/assistants/colleagues. Show that you would be an asset to the team.

15. Intelligence. For example, in interviews, employers notice how well you appear to understand questions and whether you answer them clearly, in complete sentences, using reasonably good grammar.

16. Demonstration that you know something about the employer’s business. A no-brainer. At least it should be.

17. Have you reached a level commensurate with your age and qualifications? Don’t let the interviewer wonder. If this is an issue for you, tackle it head-on.

18. A career trajectory that makes sense. Learn to talk about your career in a way that shows you have a plan. Ideally, you’ll be able to show continuous improvement.

19. Long-term goals and objectives. What you want to do here is demonstrate that you are a thoughtful person with goals, and the smarts to pursue those goals. It ties in with #18.

20. Solid, thought-through reasons for leaving past jobs. Even if you’ve had 10 jobs in the past six years, it doesn’t have to hurt you if you can show good smart reasons for why.

21. Punctuality. The reason you need to be on time for interviews is that this is the employer’s first clue that you can meet a deadline.

22. Resilience. Can you still perform when the going gets tough? Think of examples from your personal and work life, and try to work them into the interview.

23. Attention to detail. Your resume is the classic platform for showing an employer that you can produce a meticulously accurate product.

24. Flexibility/adaptability. Interviewers sometimes ask an unexpected or even “crazy” question just to see how you react. This is a time to be at your most unflappable.

25. Some evidence of achievement and commitment in your personal life. Employers ask about your hobbies and passions as a way of getting to know you, and because they like to see some success here, too.

 By Karen Burns

Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.