Job Hunting and Applying for a Job

As soon as people find themselves out of work, they start job-hunting. Firstly, there are state employment agencies, whose services are free, but whose results are minimal. Secondly, there are similar private agencies, for whose services you must pay. Many people get jobs with the help of family and friends. However, the most common job-hunting approach is through advertisements. Companies which need to recruit or employ new people, usually advertise the job or position in a newspaper or on special web sites.

When you find a want-ad you are interested in, you can apply for the job. Employers or head-hunters ask for information about job candidates in a variety of ways.

Many have a standard job application form for all applicants to complete. They use this method to make sure that they have the same information about each applicant. But all employers ask for a CV or curriculum vitae or (US) resume which contains details of your education and experience. A letter of application or (US) cover letter can be as important as the CV as it often provides the first direct contact between a candidate and an employer. If this letter is not well written and presented, it will make a poor impression. Many employers ask applicants to mail these documents. Others will only accept these papers electronically. They use software that scans resumes and cover letters for key skills and experience.

Some employers will want additional material, like portfolios or references. Letters of reference are written evaluations of your work and can be written by your present or previous supervisor, manager, fellow team member, or teacher at your request. A portfolio, whichis a personalized collection of items that illustrates your skills and experience, might include work samples, letters of recommendation, awards and honors. It's up to you to show why you'd be a good fit for the job.

If the company’s Human Resources Department decides, after having read your papers, that you are the right person for the job, they will invite you to attend an interview.

Some twenty years ago, candidates could win a top job with the right look and the right answers to questions such as ‘Why do you want this job?’ With so little information about a candidate, most employers hired people they liked rather than the most competent person. Employers also looked for experience – had a candidate done this before? But having experience in a job does not guarantee that you can do it in a different environment.

Today companies are no longer satisfied with traditional job interviews. They put candidates, especially for many white-collar jobs, through a series of tests, role-playing exercises and long interviews by psychologists. The tests are not about mathematics or grammar, or any basic technical skills for which many candidates have long been tested. Rather employers want to evaluate candidates on intangible qualities. Is she creative? Can he lead people? Is he flexible and capable of learning? How will he function under pressure? Most important, will the potential recruit fit the corporate culture? These tests are all part of a new trend – companies are getting more careful about hiring.

The reason for such testing is clear: many hires work badly and the cost of bringing the wrong person on board is sometimes huge. The aim is to measure skills in communications, analysis, organization and management with special attention to personality traits and motivations.

At the moment, most companies haven’t shifted to the new practice yet. Some do not see the need or don’t believe that such testing is worth the cost. But even those companies that have not started intensive testing have toughened their hiring practices. Many now do background checks, for example, looking for signs of drug use, violence or sexual harassment.

Job interviews are always stressful. The best way to reduce the stress is to be prepared. So, it is strongly recommended to review the "standard" interview questions and sample answers to these typical questions. A very good tip is to find out about the job and the company.

And then, if you have done everything properly and if you are lucky, you may get the job. But usually it takes several attempts to be employed.

2.1 C hoose a), b), or c) to complete the sentences below.

1. Job-hunting means looking …

a) at a job

b) after a job

c) for a job

2. The most popular way to start job-hunting is to …

a) use the services of an employment agency

b) look for a newspaper want-ad

c) ask for the help of family and friends

3. In order to have standard information about each candidate employers ask candidates to …

a) send a CV

b) complete an application form

c) write a cover letter

4. A CV contains details of a candidate’s …

a) profile

b) background

c) training and previous work

5. The company’s … Department is responsible for choosing the most suitable candidates.

a) Public Relations

b) Personnel

c) Research and Development

6. Traditionally, candidates have been tested for their … during interviews.

a) practical skills

b) creativity

c) fitting the corporate culture

7. Nowadays, employers want to evaluate candidates on their …

a) personality

b) experience

c) appearance

LEARNING THE WORDS.

3.1 Match the following words from the text to their definitions. Suggest the Russian. Use the context of the text if necessary.

1 position 2 to apply for sth 3 want-ad 4skills 5 samples 6 awards 7 honors 8 interview 9 competent 10environment 11intangible

a) sth given as a grant, e.g. a prize in a competition b) marks of respect, distinction, etc. c) that cannot be seen, touched, etc. d) havingability, knowledge, etc. to do what is needed e) advertisement in a newspaper about a vacant job or position f) place or rank in employment g) to ask for sth h) abilities to do sth expertly and well i) meeting with sb for formal examinations, esp. between employers and applicants for posts j) surroundings, circumstances k) sth taken as a model to show what the rest is like

 

3.2 Match the following word-combinations from the text to their Russian equivalents.

1 they start job-hunting 2advertise the job or position 3 you can apply for the job 4 employers or head-hunters 5 standard job application form 6 letter of application 7letters of reference 8 written evaluations 9 It's up to you to show 10 you’d be a good fit for the job 11 at your request 12 to attend an interview 13 white-collar jobs 14 intangible qualities 15 have toughened their hiring practices 16 background checks 17violence 18 sexual harassment

a) Вы должны показать … b) стандартное заявление о приеме на работу c) сексуальные домогательства d) рекомендательные письма e) дают объявление о работе или должности f) насилие g) они начинают поиск работы h) проверка биографических данных i) вы можете подать заявление о приеме на работу j) письмо-заявление о приеме на работу k) невидимые, неосязаемые качества l) ужесточили практику приема на работу m) работодатели n) письменные оценки o) по вашей просьбе p) вы подходите для этой работы q) для участия в собеседовании r) офисные должности

3.3 Fill in the synonyms from the list. Suggest the Russian. Use a dictionary if necessary.

Advertising; qualities; to assess; great; documents; cover letter (US); post/office; to be present at; advice; employers; to employ/to hire; to fill in/fill out (US); candidates; computer programs; resume;

to recruit to complete to attend to evaluate CV

head-hunters applicants papers traits letter of application

software advertisement huge tip position

 

3.4 Form all the possible nouns from the following verbs.

to recruit to employ to hire to advertise to apply for to evaluate to aim to measure to fit

…, a … employment, an …, an employee a … … …, … … … a …, … a …, …

3.5 In writing, match the parts to make up the word-combinations from the text.

1 job- 2state employment 3 want- 4apply for the 5 head- 6 job application 7curriculum 8 letter of 9cover 10 skills and 11letters 12 at your 13. work 14 awards and 15It's up 16a good fit for 17 to attend an 18white- 19intangible 20personality 21background 22 drug 23sexual

a) checks b) honors c) collar jobs d) to you e) use f) experience g) harassment h) ad i) samples j) request k) traits l) interview m) hunting n) qualities o) agencies p) letter q)form r) job s) vitae t) the job u) hunters v) of reference w) application

4. READING FOR DETAIL. Read the text carefully to answer the following questions.

1) Where can people apply when they start job-hunting?

2) What is the most common job-hunting approach? Why?

3) In what ways employers ask for information about job candidates?

4) Why do many employers ask candidates to complete a standard job application form?

5) What information does a CV contain?

6) Why is aletter of application as important as the CV?

7) How can all these papers be sent to the employer?

8) What additional information will employers want from applicants?

9) What is a letter of reference (portfolio)?

10) In what case is a candidate invited to attend an interview?

11) Why did most employers hire people they liked rather than the most competent person some twenty years ago?

12) What did employers look for?

13) What do many companies require candidates to do nowadays?

14) What are the tests about?

15) What is a new trend in hiring employees?

16) What is the reason for such careful testing?

17) What is the aim?

18) Have all companies shifted to the new practice yet? Why (not)?

19) What is the best remedy to reduce the stress during an interview?

 

5. SPEAKING. Complete the following sentences with the words and word combinations from the text and the exercises.

1) When people find themselves out of work, they start …

2) They may apply for a job to a state or private … or use the help of …

3) However, the most common job-hunting approach is through …

4) Companies which need to recruit or employ new people, usually …

5) When you find a want-ad you are interested in, you may be asked to complete a …, to write a … or a …

6) A CV is the most common paper required by employers which contains …

7) Some employers will want additional material, like …

8) Letters of reference are written by …

9) A portfolio might include …

10) If the employer decides that you are the right person for the job, they will …

11) Some twenty years ago, candidates were asked questions such as …

13) Employers also looked for …

14) Today companies are no longer satisfied with …

15) Employers put candidates through a series of …

16) They want to evaluate candidates on …

17) These tests are all part of a new trend – …

18) The reason for such testing is clear: …

19) The aim is to …

20) At the moment, most companies haven’t shifted to …

21) But even those companies that have not started intensive testing have …

22) The best way to a successful interview is to be …

23) And then, if you have done everything properly and if you are lucky, you may …