English and your Career

After finishing this Study Material you will know:

1.1 What is a career?
1.2 How to make a career plan?
1.3 Matching Job title
1.4 Personality test regarding career and personal life
1.5 Ten ways to improve career
1.6 Meeting & Greeting people
1.7 Selected terminology that you must know about career
1.8 A job interview
1.9 Exercise

1.10 A case study

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1.1 What do you mean by career?

In general terms career means
"An occupation or profession that you plan to pursue for your
lifetime or part of your life
Example: Career of an engineer, doctor, professor.
Some people know exactly what they want to do when it's time
to enter the job market. Others may have a wide range of
interests and aren't so sure. There are also some employed
people who are not sure if this is the career they want.
With so many choices and opportunities, it's sometimes
difficult to pick a career path.
You might be in any of the above situations. But, whatever
situation you might be in, achieving success in todays job
market requires the ability to communicate in English.

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Now, please pay attention to the following situations:

I. Recently, a career counselor at a major Canadian
university found that deficiency in English language skills
is a real obstacle for many of their recent graduates.

II.

A prospective employer from a large financial institution

complained about the cover letters from recent
graduates. They were so poorly written that the company
would not even think about hiring any of these applicants.
In both the situations, whatever students have learned in
their educational institutions doesnt pay off because of
poorly written English. So, it is quite apparent that the
need for correct English speaking and writing skill starts
from the beginning of any ones career.
The most difficult situations for people struggling with
business English are, in order of importance: making
telephone calls, socializing with colleagues, participating
in meetings, writing emails, and answering questions.
These are critical requirements in almost any work
situation. Fortunately, there is a range of ways to improve
your business English skills.

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Since you have chosen this course, I am sure you want to

do best in your career. Right?
Now lets think deeply and try to answer these questions
A

B
How ambitious are
you?
Do you have a
career plan?
Where do you
want to be in 10
years?

What should you do to get ahead in

your career? Choose the four most
important tips from the list below.
Find a friend and try to compare your
idea:

Change companies often

Use charm with your
superior

Which of the
following you
would prefer to
do?

Work for only one

company during
your career.

Go to your companies social

functions

Be energetic and
enthusiastic at all the time

Be the last to leave the

work every day

Find an experienced person

to give you help and advice

Study for extra qualification

in your free time

Work for several

different
companies.
Work for yourself
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Attend all meetings

All of the above are important points that you need to pay
attention to. Does your fellow colleague or friend share the
same views with you?

1.2 Steps for Career Plans

You can use the five step planning process whether you are:

Still at university;
An university leaver;
An adult adding on skills;
An adult changing your job or career.
Career plan is one of the best weapons for deciding your
own future. Via evaluating lifestyles, interests, passion,
skills, personality, strengths, weaknesses etc., this plan will
show you the best way to achieve your career goals in the
future.
Making a career plan is not really difficult. The key to
success is grasping five steps as follows:

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Step 1: Self assessing

At this step, self-assessment questions will help you to
understand yourself more thoroughly. Such questions take
various forms, but the most common ones are as follows:
Is a high salary important to you?
What types of jobs do you enjoy doing?
What makes your job important to you?
How do you describe yourself?
What skills have you had?
What training courses have you attended (or wish to
attend)?
Step 2: Specifying career goals
You need to specify long-term and short-term career goals
in your ideal jobs. However, it is critical that they should
correspond to your interests, passion and capabilities.
Only when you do activities you love and are good at, can
you attain true achievements in your jobs.

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Step 3: Researching jobs

After specifying your goals, you should find out the jobs
ideally suited to your demand and interests. Visiting
recruitment websites can help you to find out the jobs
available on the job market at the moment as well as
current hiring demand. Additionally, you should extend
your network on social networking sites such
as Caravat.com. Ask your friends who work in the
industries questions such as: What are their
responsibilities and duties? What skills are essential to
their jobs? How are promotion prospects? To make this
task easier, you need to update your profile, which lists
employment and educational background, expertise and
professional achievements.
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Step 4: Comparing and making decisions

The critical moment has come! This is the right time for
you to make a list of your most favorite jobs and grade
them according to the criteria such as values, interests,
personality, skills . The job which gets the highest marks
will be your top priority. If that ideal job is your current
one, from now on, you can invest all your effort in getting
promoted! On the contrary, you should take changing jobs
into consideration (probably moving to other
departments).
Step 5: Making action plans
You ought to specify much-needed knowledge and skills to
attain your goals with level of priority and deadlines. In
addition, you should confidently state to your manager
that you are ready to take more responsibilities.
Conversely, if you are still looking for your ideal jobs,
update your old resumes or create new ones. After that,
you should keep track of job information and research
career advice section on newspapers or recruitment
websites to grab new career opportunities and hone your
skills in finding jobs.
Have you ever heard of the saying If you fail to plan, you
plan to fail? Obviously, a career plan will help you to see
clearly goals and actions you need to take to decide your
own career future. Therefore, you should invest
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considerable time and effort in making this plan! This is

surely one of your wisest investments in the New Year!
If you are interested you can Go to this website link and
take a career quiz:
http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/postsecondary/careerplan
ning/program/wizard.html

1.3 Matching Job title

Now, lets find out if you know who is who in a company.
Five people from different companies are attending a workshop
on a public speaking. Match their job titles with their
responsibility.
Write the correct letter A-E for each job.
Job titles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

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chief financial officer (CFO)

Management consultant
Personal assistant (PA)
Quality manager
Sales representative

Responsibilities
A.

Visits customers, leaves samples and supports the

customer service department.
B.
Is responsible for testing new product and deals with
customers complaints.
C.
Interviews clients and gives them advice.
D.
Is responsible for the companys accounts, and
controls money coming in and going out.
E.
Organizes meetings and deals with correspondence.

1.4 Personality test regarding career and

personal life
We understand, working may not be fun all the time. Do you
work or study too much? Or you know how to balance your
work with your life?

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PERSONALITY QUIZ
HOW OFTEN

1. Do you plan your days activity?

2. Do you sleep eight hours a night?
3. Do you find time to relax during the
day?
4. Are you on time for appointments?
5. Do you spend more than one hour
on lunch?
6. Do you see your friends at
weekends?
7. Do you do exercise or sports during
the week?
8. Do you read a magazine in the
evening?
9. Do you wake up full of energy in the
morning?
10. Do you laugh in a normal work
day?

TOTAL SCORE

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0 = never
1 = seldom /
rarely
2 = occasionally
3 = frequently /
often
4 = usually
normally

5 = always

How to Interpret the

Score:
41 50: well done! You find it very easy to relax.
But be careful you are so relaxed that you are in
danger of disappearing! Maybe you need to wake
up and make sure people still know that you are
there.
31 40: you find it quite easy to relax. People like
being with you, because you are a positive
presence.
21 30: you didnt find relaxing very easy and life
is a bit difficult for you.
11 20: you didnt find relaxing easy at all thats
why you struggle so much at home and work.
10 or below: youre making life hard for yourself
and maybe for the people around you too. Your
health may even be suffering. Relax!

1.5 Ten ways to improve career

Now, read the following tips for getting ahead in your career:
I.

Make a list of your priorities. Outline your tasks for the

day.

II.

You may be physically be at work, but are you there

mentally? Are you really present?

III.

Delegating task is an important skill to master at any

level

IV.

Always look for opportunities to broaden your skills.

For example, you can attend professional development
seminars.

V.

Socialize with your colleagues. This will help you learn

about what's happening in other departments.

I.

Create your own goals. Determine where you want to

be professionally and what skills you need to reach that
goal

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II.

Accept challenges that force you to try something

new.

III.

Be clear about what you want. If you believe you

deserve a promotion. Go ask for it.

IV.

Take time off and relax. Attending to your personal life

and doing things that make you happy will help your
performance at work

V.

If you are disappointed by your current career, look

for ways to transform your job into more of what you
want. If it doesn't solve the problem, maybe it's time to
look for a new position.

VI.

If you follow this advice, you will significantly increase

your opportunity to earn more money, get promoted
sooner and move ahead faster.

1.6 Meeting & Greeting people

Now, lets find out how good you are in greeting somebody.
Here are some phrases you can use when you greet somebody.
Lets see if you can choose the best responses.
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I.

I.

Good morning, my
name's Rox Cox
II.
Hello, I'm Lother
Muller
III.
Excuse me, are you
Linda Gordon?
IV.
Hello, Ms Leonardi,
How are you?
V.
Excuse me, is your
name Brown?
VI.
Hi, George. Nice to
see you again.
VII.
Pleased to meet
you, Mr., Lehman

Not too bad,

thanks. And you?
II.
No, I am not.
III.
Pleased to meet
you, Ms Cox
IV.
How do you do Mr.
Muller?
V.
Please, call me
Peter.
VI.
Yes, it is.
VII.
Nice to see you too.

Not that difficult, right? Try to find a friend and practice saying
the greetings and responses with him.

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1.7 Selected terminology that you must know

about career.
Appointment

a job, especially an important job

the type of career, training, or education
Background
that someone has had
used for talking about business compared
Business
to things that you do when you are not
working
a strong feeling of wanting to do
call
something, especially as a career
a strong feeling that you must do a
calling
particular type of job, especially one that
you consider morally good
a job or series of related jobs that you do,
career
especially a profession that you spend a lot
of your working life
a career politician, soldier, teacher etc
career adjective wants to be in their profession for a long
time and to achieve success or power in it
connected with the process of choosing a
careers objective
career
a system for making regular progress in
career structure your career by moving to a more
important job or position each time
the process of working with someone to
collaboration
produce something

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delegation

division of labor
employment
function
gig
incumbency
occupational

off-site

the process of giving some of your work,

duties, or responsibilities to a less senior
person or a less powerful person
the way that the work that needs to be
done is divided so that different people
are responsible for different parts of it
work that you are paid regularly to do for a
person or company
someones job or particular responsibility
a piece of work that you do for money,
especially if you are self-employed
an official position
relating to, or caused by, your job
a short trip for all the employees in a
particular department or company,
especially so that they can learn more
about each other and how to work
together better

Opening
Opportunity
opus

a job that needs a person to do it

a job that is available
any piece of work that someone produces

order book

the total work that a company has agreed

to do in the future, which shows how safe
its workers jobs are

pluralism
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a situation in which someone has more

than one job or position, especially in a

church
a way of organizing your working life in
which you work for several different
portfolio working employers and do several different jobs at
one time instead of working all the time
for one employer
Position
a job in a company
post
a job, especially one with a lot of
responsibility
a period of time during which someone
probation
who has been given a new job is watched
to see whether they can do the job well
and stay in the position
a job that you need special skills and
profession
qualifications to do, especially one with
high social status
professional
relating to your work or career
the process of obtaining the skills,
professional
qualifications, and experience that allow
development
you to make progress in your career
in a way that is connected with your work
professionally
or career
chances of success, especially in a job or
prospects
career
work or duties done for a person or an
service
organization
situation
a job
slot
a job that someone has as part of a team
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of people
start out
used about someones career
the period of time during which someone
tenure
has an important job or is an elected
official
a period of time during which a politician
term
or other official holds their job
a job or type of work that someone is
trade
trained to do
vacancy
a job that is available for someone to do
the experience and skills that you gain in
work experience
doing a particular job
the period of time in your life that you
working life
work
the amount of work that a person or
workload
organization has to do
careerist
very serious about ones career
a
an action or change of job that helps you
good/smart/clever to be successful in your career
career move

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Lets find out if you know the basic vocabularies associated

with career:
What do you call someone who ?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Employs people ..
Is employed by a firm.
Applies for a job
Is interviewed for a job
Is seeking (looking for) a job.
Participates in something..
Has left university with a degree

1.8

A job interview
-How would you feel if you were asked these questions?
How would you reply?
-Can you tell me why you think you will be good at this
job?
-Why should we employ you?
-you dont have much experience in this field, do you?
-You have taken quite a lot of time out from work. Why is
that?

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-You are quite a quietly-spoken person. Do you have

problem asserting yourself?
-Now, your last job. Did you choose to leave?
-And what do you know about our company?

-So tell me what you did yesterday?

Prepare the answers and get ready before you face any
interview Achieve real results, whatever stage your career is

1.9 A Sample Exercise

Lets, see how good you are in choosing the right word

1. At present, people generally retire/resign at the age of 65

2. I joined/applied for the company when I was 25 and have

worked there ever since.

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3. What's the best way to pay/reward our employees for good

performance?

4. About 700 staff where laid off/dismissed when the company

lost the contract from Toyota.

5. We have educated/trained our staff to use of laser

equipment.

6. All the big companies recruits/employs from top business

school

7. I have one day off/holiday to attend a course at college

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1.10 Case

study:
Find out who wins the Employee of
the Year Award

The criteria for selecting the best employee should

be:
Make a significant contribution to company efficiency,
profit, product development or stuff development.
Deal with professional or personal problems
successfully.
Be a mentor or set a positive example to others.
Represent the company values of healthy living.

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Ian Roger is 40
years old. He's
production
manager and he is
based in
Singapore. His
responsibilities are
to supervise
projects and to

Michelle Yong is
36. Shes a finance
assistant shes
based in
Singapore.
Michelle usually
deals with Asia
division accounts
and sometimes
does auditing for
other division. She
has a masters
degree in business
administration.

Sarah Mullen is 31
years old and
based in the head
office in Dallas. As
the companys
internal and
external
communications
manager. Sarah is
also in charge of
the companys
successful new
email system. She
regularly works
late to help
colleagues or to
attend external
events. Sarah has
a degree in
journalism.

Henry King is 57
and is the research
and development
manager. Henry is
based in Dallas. He
manages R&D of
new product ideas,
including the best
selling new
Chocolate chewing
gum range. Henry
is famous for
always thinking of
new ideas and
projects.

Coordinate
resources. His
professional
background is in
engineering. Ian
usually goes scuba
diving at
weekends and he
also enjoys
marathon running
and cooking. He
runs a sports club
for local children
and he raises
money for their
training.

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In her free time

Michelle likes
painting, and she
also does judo.
Michelle suffers
from Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome
and often works
from home, but
this does not stop
her ambitious
career plans.

Sarahs personal
interest are writing
detective stories,
breeding Yorkshire
terriers and
showing her dogs
in exhibitions.

Henrys
professional
background is in
food technology,
and in his free
time he enjoys
visits to museums,
at galleries and the
theatre.