Which of your personal characteristics will help you to succeed in your career?

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What career are you going to choose? I have heard this question many times during my school years. It's difficult for me to give a definite answer. As thinking about your future career you think about your future. So, choosing a career is one of the most important decisions in our life. I've changed my mind many times about each science. I think I'll specialize in computer study (Information Technology).

There are a lot of different jobs in the world and you should find out more about them. There are a lot of ways to do it. You can go to the library and read different books or you can talk to your parents who do different jobs. Many new jobs appear every year and they give you a lot of new opportunities.

There are several factors that influence the decision of young people to make their choice. They concern material and spiritual aspects of the future profession. It is generally believed that professions should be both prestigious and interesting.

The material aspect indicates the level of the society's values. Prestigious jobs give you a chance to enter a new social level in the society. Besides your future (career) profession should bring you satisfaction.

Most of the people want their children to follow their professions, but as for me I don't think I will. My mother works as a teacher and you can see advantages and disadvantages of this profession. It is a nervous, badly-paid profession. You have little free time, because you are always busy checking the exercise-books of your pupils. But you can teach your own son or daughter, you can help your children with the subjects you teach. And, of course to become a teacher you should be patient, kind, intelligent, well-educated, persistent and a little stubborn.

School also helps you to choose your future career, because it enables you to choose necessary subjects and become proficient in them. And you can choose a career suitable to your abilities and interests. While studying you can see in what subjects you are good at and you can choose the sphere in which to apply your knowledge and to connect your future profession. You can also ask your teacher for advice.

As for me, I want to connect my future profession with computers. I want to become a computer programmer, because I like computers and I am interested in how computer programs work. Besides, I have an aptitude for working with figures and solving mathematical programs. Algebra is one of my favourite subjects and I am really good at it. So I think I can work in a scientific or computational field. As far as my personal qualities are concerned I can say that I'm creative and hard-working. I have good logical reasoning and problem-solving skills. Besides, I'm rather communicative and like to work in a team. So I feel I can become a good specialist in programming.

In my opinion the profession of a programmer has a lot of advantages. It is a highly paid job and it can give you many opportunities. I will be able to work on the full range of development activities such as analysis, design, coding, testing and implementation. Computing is the most rapidly changing sphere of modern technology. The next generation of computers will be able to talk and even to think. We are living in the age of information. And I think that the future will be just filled with the computers. Today, computers are connected with English - the international language. You can also communicate with other people through the Internet; you can search for up-to-date information for exams, word processing, writing articles and essays. Many students find computer an invaluable home tutor in practising tests and difficult material on various subjects. And of course if you want to relax you can play both intellectual and entertaining games.

But to make a good specialist in computing, you should know a lot of programming languages and application programmes. So after finishing school it is necessary for me to enter a university or an institute to study computer science.

I think that middle paid and not nervous job is more important for me than a nervous, well paid job, because first of all you should think about your health.

There is a saying, "If you don't think about the future you don't have one." I agree with it even if you don't know what profession you choose you must feel that it is your vocation in life and you are useful to your country because choosing a career and getting a job are two of the most important things any person does in the future.

 

Discussing in pairs topics related to the theme:

1. Do qualifications necessarily lead to a successful career?

2. Which is more important, money or job satisfaction? Why?

3. Which is better, a low stress job with low pay or a stressful highly paid job? Why?

4. Apart from pay, how might you encourage people to work hard?

5. Would you be interested in an academic career? Why/Why not?

6. Which of jobs are dangerous?

7. Which of jobs do you need to be well-qualified to do?

8. Do you think women have the same career opportunities as men?

9.Is it easy for a woman to combine career and family obliga­tions?

10. Do you think there are jobs that should be done only by men? Why / Why not?

 

 

Activities:

1. Fill in the correct word.

profession job career occupation

1. Her ____________ as a dancer came to an end when she broke her leg.

2. My father has been unable to find a ________ for the past two years.

3. You must write your name, age and ________ on the application form.

4. Peter is a doctor by _________, and has his own practice in Brighton.

5. Julia got a _________ soon after she left school.

6. Although she is a lawyer by ________, she knows little about criminal law.

7. She started her __________ as an actress at the age of 18.

8. He has applied for several _________ but hasn't got.one yet.