APPLYING FOR A JOB

I
Warming-up. Practice the following sounds (use a free online Talking
Dictionary of English Pronunciation)

1) “deep-end” – «погружение» в сложную ситуацию

2) advertisement – реклама
3) applicant – претендент (на работу)
4) background – 1) биографические данные; 2) подготовка,
квалификация
5) board/panel interview – собеседование на совете или комиссии
6) conclusion – заключение, вывод
7) experience – опыт
8) impression – впечатление
9) pattern – образец, модель
10) probationary period – испытательный срок
11) prospective employer – будущий (предполагаемый) работодатель
12) reference – рекомендация; поручитель, дающий рекомендацию
13) salary – зарплата
14) strong points – сильные стороны
15) to emphasize – подчеркивать, выделять
16) to show one’s worth – проявить себя

1
 II
Read the following international words. Say what Russian words help
to define their meaning. Consult a dictionary if necessary. Define the
part of speech they belong to

Agency, résumé, career, to stress, sociability, traditional, candidate, to

discuss, domestic, financial, professional, personality, to criticize,
colleague, guarantee, qualification, motivation, reason, chance, stressful
situation, nervous, transport.

Noun Adjective Verb Adverb

… … … …

III
Explain the following words in English and make sentences with them
(you may use English explanatory dictionaries: Oxford , Cambridge

, Longman ). Translate definitions into Russian

1) TO EMPLOY (v) – ?
2) EMPLOYER (n) – ?
3) EMPLOYEE (n) – ?
4) EMPLOYMENT (n) – ?
5) INTERVIEW (n) – ?
6) TO INTERVIEW (v) – ?
7) INTERVIEWER (n) – ?
8) INTERVIEWEE (n) – ?

Write your sentences here:

1)__________________________________________________________
2)__________________________________________________________
3)__________________________________________________________
4)__________________________________________________________
5)__________________________________________________________
6)__________________________________________________________
2
7)__________________________________________________________
8)__________________________________________________________

IV
Read and translate the following English idiomatic expressions into
Russian

English Russian
1) above and beyond the call of …
duty
2) another string to one's bow …
3) day job …
4) earn while you learn …
5) glass ceiling …
6) golden parachute …
7) nine-to-five …
8) show someone the ropes …
9) pull oneself together …

V
Match the phrases and expressions mentioned above with their
English definitions1

1 ??? a person's regular job and primary source of income

2 ??? an invisible barrier that prevents some people from being
promoted
3 ??? a big payment made to people when they leave their job
4 ??? used to describe work that begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 5
p.m., usually from Monday to Friday
5 ??? a greater degree of courage or effort than is usually required
or expected
6 ??? another skill or possible course of action if everything else
fails
7 ??? the possibility of earning a salary while in training
8 ??? show someone how things are done
9 ??? recover control of one's emotions

1
[Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd Edition © Oxford University Press 2010]
3
 VI
Insert the proper English idiomatic expressions (from ex. IV) and
translate

1) If you are looking for a … , a government job would be the thing for
you.
2) The company is laying off 20 workers who will receive a … .
3) Camilla knew she would never become a company director – she
would not be able to get through … .
4) He is a DJ at the weekend, but teaching is his … .
5) The firefighter received a medal for his action, which went … .
6) As well as her excellent qualifications, she has got … to help her find
a job. She speaks fluent Chinese.
7) Become an apprentice and get paid while in training. You … .
8) My predecessor showed … , so I felt pretty confident.
9) I know you are frightened, but you need to … .

VII
Read and translate the text
"Wanting to be someone else is a
waste of the person you are"
(Marilyn Monroe, the American
actress, model, and singer)

APPLYING FOR A JOB

1) The happiness of any person largely depends on having a suitable
job. One may learn about a job vacancy in a newspaper, the Internet, from a
friend, from the employment agency, or TV advertisement.
2) If you want to get a job you are interested in, it is necessary to
convince the prospective employer of your ability to do this job well. Firstly,
you should prepare a résumé (in the USA) or curriculum vitae (CV) in Great
Britain.
3) Your résumé should summarize essential facts from your
background, personal data, career objective, work experience, education,
etc. You should emphasize your strong points in your résumé. For example,
4
if you do not have job experience, stress your personal qualities (sociability,
honesty, reliability, efficiency, etc.) or educational background.
4) A well-composed résumé will make the prospective employer
understand what abilities make you suitable for a particular job.
5) If the employer is interested in you, you will be invited for an
interview. Interviews are conducted on the various patterns.
6) There are traditional one-to-one and group interviews, board or
panel interviews (where a panel of interviewers interviews an applicant),
"deep-end" interviews which allow a candidate to demonstrate skills and
apply his knowledge.
7) It is essential to find some
information about the company you want
to work in to make a good impression on
the interviewer.
8) Besides, there are some rules of
behavior in an interview. For instance,
you should wait until the interviewer
shakes your hand when greeting you.
Also, it would help if you didn't sit down
until the interviewer offered you to do that.
9) It is common to avoid discussing personal, domestic, or financial
problems in the interview if you are not asked about them.
10) Interviewers cannot check the applicant's professional skills
immediately, so the first thing they are attracted to is the interviewee's
agreeable personality and friendly attitude.
11) It would be best not to criticize your former colleagues or
employer: criticisms help reveal your negative qualities.
12) Interviewers are usually interested in the qualifications of the
candidate, previous job experience, motivation, and the reasons for applying
for that job.
13) In the interview, you may also ask questions about salary,
probationary period, social guarantees, transport facilities to or from the job,
and chances of promotion. But it would help if you discussed the subject
you are interested in after the interviewer introduced it.
5
 14) A job interview is a stressful situation for any applicant. Most
interviewees feel nervous, and not everyone can show their worth in the
interview.
15) It is necessary to pull oneself together for some time because the
conclusion about the candidate is made within the first ten minutes of the
interview.

VIII
Summarize the text "Applying for a Job" using the communicative
scheme below

Applying for a Job

resume interview

main parts data types participants

interviewer interviewee

questions rules of
behavior

6
 IX
Scan the text. What are the main factors of job satisfaction and job
dissatisfaction?

JOB SATISFACTION
Job satisfaction is essential in the life of a modern person. Many adults
spend a lot of time at their workplace, and thus, it is crucial to be content
with one's position.
Some factors influence job satisfaction. If a company allows
professional growth, employees may take some exciting training programs
or courses and have job-related travels.
Having a brainy boss and agreeable colleagues is also great luck.
Earning plenty of money makes a person socially independent from parents,
others' help, circumstances, etc.
The status of the company also plays a significant role. Many young
specialists would like to work in a large prestigious company because there
are more chances to be promoted.
Of course, different people prefer different jobs: some like to work on
a computer, others want to be a part of a team or independent in their
professional lives. But in any case, an employee needs to be praised for an
excellent job by his superiors.
Job dissatisfaction makes any person extremely unhappy. For example,
low wages lead to social unprotection, a hostile working environment causes
job inefficiency, and stressful situations may harm health. In this case, even
a highly qualified specialist may become a bad employee.
After graduation from the University, everybody wants to find a good
position in an organization with a reputable status.

7
 One of the most significant things for everyone is to have financial
independence. Also, it matters if the job is fascinating because many people
hate boring and monotonous work. Some people enjoy making decisions on
their own. Everyone needs the knowledge to be helpful for the bene

job satisfaction job dissatisfaction

1)… 1)…
2)… 2)…
3)… 3)…

X
Match these word combinations with their Russian equivalents

1. to make a good impression a. возможность

on someone
2. career objective
3. to shake hands
4. opportunity to
demonstrate skills
5. it is common to avoid
discussing
6. company you are going to
work in
7. some rules of behavior
8. suitable person for a
particular job
9. to check applicant’s
professional skills
immediately
продемонстрировать
мастерство
b. произвести хорошее
впечатление на кого-либо
c. принято избегать обсуждения
d. желаемая должность
e. кандидатура, подходящая на
определенную должность
f. немедленно проверить
профессиональное мастерство
претендента
g. некоторые правила поведения
h. пожать руку
i. компания, в которой вы
собираетесь работать

8
 XI
Paraphrase the sentences using the synonyms from the box instead of
the underlined words

background, résumé, panel, emphasize, contain,

prospective, applicant

1) To apply for a job, the first thing you should do is prepare a curriculum
vitae.
2) A résumé should include a summary of essential facts from
your biography.
3) You should point out your strong points in your résumé.
4) A well-composed résumé will make the potential employer
understand what abilities make you suitable for a particular job.
5) A "deep-end" interview allows a candidate to demonstrate his skills
and apply his knowledge.
6) A board interview is the one where a panel of interviewers interviews
applicants.

XII
Insert the proper prepositions and translate the sentences.

of (4); on (2); in (4); within; for (2); about (3); from (2)

1) The happiness … any person largely depends … having a suitable job.

2) One may learn … a job vacancy … a newspaper, … a friend, … the
employment agency.
3) If you want to get a job you are interested … , it is necessary to convince
the prospective employer … your ability to do this job well.
4) It is essential to find some information … the company you want to work
… to make a good impression … the interviewer.
5) Interviewers are usually interested … qualifications … the candidate, and
the reasons … applying … that job.
6) The conclusion … the candidate is made … the first ten minutes … the
interview.
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 XIII
Match the words in column A with their synonyms in column B

A B
1. happiness a. applicant
2. résumé b. conduct
3. experience c. CV
4. prospective d. form
5. pattern e. joy
6. candidate f. nervous
7. behavior g. potential
8. salary h. skill
9. stressful i. value
10. worth j. wage

XIV
Act out telephone conversations and translate them

A
Secretary: Hello, Mr. Newman's office.
Mrs. Lewis: Hello. My name is Natasha Lewis.
Could I contact the Personnel Manager?
Secretary: I'll find out if he is available. Hang
on a moment.
Mrs. Lewis: All right.
Mr. Sanders: Joe Sanders, Personnel Manager.
Good morning.
Mrs. Lewis: Hello, Mr. Sanders. I want to apply
for a laboratory assistant position at the
Certification Department with your company.
Mr. Sanders: Please leave your resume to my
secretary. Do you have any job experience, Mrs. Lewis?
Mrs. Lewis: Yes, laboratory assistant at the University.

10
Mr. Sanders: Good. I'll study your resume and schedule an interview with
you next week.
Mrs. Lewis: Thank you, Mr. Sanders.
Mr. Sanders: Goodbye.

B
Secretary: Hello, Mr. Affleck's office.
Mr. Voit: I'd like to speak to Mr. Affleck.
Secretary: One moment. Hold the line, please. I'll
see if he is available.

In a minute or so.

Secretary: Are you listening?

Mr. Voit: Yes.
Secretary: I'm sorry, but Mr. Affleck is not yet
available. He must be at a conference. But I expect
he will be back in a few minutes.
Mr. Voit: Could I leave him a message, please?
Secretary: Sure.
Mr. Voit: Well, I'd be very much obliged if you asked him to ring me up
any time on Friday. My name is Ken Voit.
Secretary: Very well, sir. I'll make a notice of it. Does he know your
telephone number?
Mr. Voit: I had an interview with him. He has my resume, and my number
is in it.

11
C
Secretary: Good morning. General Electronics. How can I help you?
Mr. Newman: Hello. My name is Ted Newman, and I want to speak to Mr.
Robbins, please.
Secretary: Please, hold the line, Mr. Newman. I'll put you through.

She is contacting her boss.

Secretary: Mr. Newman is on the line.

Mr. Robbins: Put him through.

She is putting Mr. Newman through.

Mr. Robbins: Hello, Mr. Newman.

Mr. Newman: Hello, Mr. Robbins. How are you?
Mr. Robbins: I'm very well, thank you. How are you?
Mr. Newman: I'm fine. I'm calling about our meeting.
Mr. Robbins: Yes. I'm ready to see you in an hour.
Mr. Newman: Thank you.

D
Mrs. Farris: Hello.
Man: Speaking. Who is this?
Mrs. Farris: I'd like to speak to Mrs. Casper.
Man: You've got the wrong number. What number do
you dial? This is a private residence.
Mrs. Farris: I'm sorry.

Mrs. Farris dials again, but the line is busy. She tries
again.

Secretary: Good afternoon. Mrs. Casper's office. How can I help you?
Mrs. Farris: This is Helen Farris from Dosco Ltd. May I speak with Mrs.
Casper?
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Secretary: I'm afraid Mrs. Casper is not available at this moment.
Mrs. Farris: I'd like to arrange a meeting sometime next week.
Secretary: Well, Mrs. Casper can see you at 11 o'clock on Friday. Is that all
right?
Mrs. Farris: I'm afraid I can't come on that day. Could we fix another day?
Tuesday?
Secretary: No, I'm sorry. On Tuesday she has a meeting in the morning.
Mrs. Farris: Well, is the afternoon possible?
Secretary: Yes, five o'clock p.m. is the best time.
Mrs. Farris: All right. Thank you.
Secretary: Goodbye.

E
Secretary: Hello, this is Mr. Green's secretary. What
can I do for you?
Mr. McGregor: Could I speak to Mr. Green?
Secretary: Who's calling, please?
Mr. McGregor: My name is Vincent McGregor. I'm
from Hewlett-Packard Company.
Secretary: I'm afraid Mr. Green is not in the office
now. He is in a meeting right now. Can I give him a
message?
Mr. McGregor: No, thank you. I'll phone again. When do you think he will
be back?
Secretary: Not until 4 p.m. I'm afraid.
Mr. McGregor: Oh, what a pity! I'm calling to confirm our appointment for
Monday morning at 10 o'clock.
Secretary: All right, I'll find out and confirm it today at 5 p.m.
Mr. McGregor: Thank you very much!
Secretary: Let me put down your number.
Mr. McGregor: The number is 8 923 605. Then 88 72.
Secretary: How do you spell your name?
Mr. McGregor: It's M-C-G-R-E-G-O-R.
Secretary: Thank you. Good-bye.
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 XV
Act out telephone conversations and give English equivalents to the
Russian phrases

A
A: Hello. The NAVA Company.
B: Здравствуйте, меня зовут Елена Березина. Могу я поговорить с г-
ном Фишером?
A: Сожалею, г-н Фишер находится в командировке.
B: Когда он вернется?
A: Боюсь, его не будет до понедельника.
B: Could I leave him a message, please?
A: Sure.
B: I would like to cancel our appointment on Thursday.
A: Может, мы назначим встречу в другой день.
B: Это было бы отлично.
A: Пятница, 10 часов Вам подойдет?
B: Да, спасибо большое.
A: Как пишется по буквам Ваше имя?
B: It’s B-E-R-E-Z-I-N-A. Helen.
A: Очень хорошо. До свидания.
B: Спасибо. До свидания.

B
A: Здравствуйте, офис г-на Блэка.
B: Здравствуйте. Это звонит Иван Попов. Могу ли я поговорить с г-
ном Блэком?
A: Боюсь, он сейчас занят. Могу ли я Вам помочь?
B: Can I speak to somebody else? I left my resume to Mr. Black. So, I'd like
to know if he schedules an interview with me.
A: Я могла бы соединить Вас с менеджером по персоналу.
B: Да, спасибо.
A: Минуточку.

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She is putting Ivan Popov through Personnel Manager.

А: Go ahead, please.
B: Алло…
С: Hello. Personnel Manager speaking.
B: Доброе утро. Я хотел бы работать в Вашей компании. Я оставил
свое резюме в среду.
С: Как Вас зовут?
B: Иван Попов.
С: Скажите свое имя по буквам.
B: It's P-O-P-O-V. My first name is I-V-A-N.
С: Спасибо. Ваше резюме довольно хорошее. У Вас трехлетний опыт
работы в сфере маркетинга. На какую должность вы претендуете?
B: Market Analyst.
С: Хорошо, мы можем назначить собеседование на вторник. 11 часов
Вас устроит?
B: Сожалею, у меня визит к доктору в 11. Можем ли мы назначить
встречу на 2 часа дня?
С: Конечно. Офис № 17. Возьмите диплом и квалификационные
сертификаты с собой.
B: Хорошо. Спасибо большое. До свидания.

XVI
Work in pairs and makeup telephone calls according to the following
situations

• Make up your dialogue concerning job search.

• You call your deputy and tell him that you will be at your office only
tomorrow at ten o'clock.
• You call the secretary of the vice-president in your company to make
an appointment for next Thursday.
• You call your immediate subordinate to cancel an appointment.
• You call your manager to say that you are ill and cannot come to work.
• You are a secretary of some manufacturing firm and the client on the
phone speaks too quickly.
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 XVII
Read the following information and render the general rules of
composing a résumé. Consult the Vocabulary notes

HOW TO COMPOSE A RÉSUMÉ

It is usual to begin a résumé with personal data. It includes your name,
address, social insurance number, home telephone number, and business
phone number (recommended if your present employer is aware of your job
search). It may also contain such facts as your date of birth, marital status,
and the number of dependents.
Such a section as an explanation of your career objective may be
optional. Here you may point out the specific position for which you are
applying.
The structure of the next part of your résumé will depend significantly
on your work history. If you are a recent graduate with limited job
experience, begin with your education first, and you should highlight
achievements and honors and note extracurricular activities.
Your résumé should involve information about the courses you took
(which are relevant to the position you desire), special training you may
have participated in, and skills you have. Continue with your part-time or
summer employment, and indicate your responsibility and duties.
If you possess a solid professional background, you should first begin
with your work experience. Information provided here includes a job title,
employer's name, address, date of employment, and a summary of duties. It
would be best to emphasize your responsibilities and highlight personal
achievements and promotions.
Your list of positions should have an inverse chronological order. Thus,
it usually begins with the current employer.
Then your résumé could include a brief section necessary to give
employers an insight into your leisure and non-work activities: clubs or
professional associations, community volunteer work, sports, and hobbies.
Finally, you could list references. It has become acceptable to write
"References: Available upon request" because addresses, titles, and phone

16
numbers may change. You have to choose references carefully and always
ask permission to use their names as referees.

Vocabulary notes:
summary – краткое описание
current = present
dependant – материально зависимое лицо
duties = responsibilities – обязанности
extracurricular – общественный, внеучебный
to highlight – освещать
insight into – представление о
job title – название должности
marital status – семейное положение
part-time – почасовой
position – должность
promotion – продвижение по службе
relevant to – относящийся к
reverse – обратный
work history – трудовая биография

Phrases for rendering a text

The plan for rendering a
text
1. The title of the text
2. The main idea of the
text
Some expressions to be used while
rendering a text
The text is headlined (entitled)…
The headline (title) of the text I have read
is…
The main idea of the text is…
The purpose of the text is to give the reader
some information on…
The text aims to provide the reader with
some material (data) on…
The text is about…
The text is devoted to…
The text deals with…
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 The text touches upon…
3. The contents of the text
Some facts, names,
figures
4. Your opinion about the
article
• The author starts by telling the reader
that…
• The author writes (states, stresses,
thinks, points out) that…
• According to the text…
• Further, the author says…
• The text goes on to say that…
• In conclusion…
• The author comes to a conclusion
that…
I found the article fascinating
(important, valuable, helpful, dull, of
no value, too hard to understand…)
because…

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 XVIII
Study the sample of résumé and prepare your résumé

RESUME

NAME: Alexander S. Morozov

DATE OF BIRTH: 10.02.1997

MARITAL STATUS: Single

CURRENT ADDRESS: 342 West 175th Street, Apartment 4H,

New York, NJ 10033,
Tel. (212) 535-94-49

OBJECTIVE: A position of an expert analyst

WORK EXPERIENCE:
Avon Beauty Products company. The USA.
2020 – 2022 New York, USA
Position: laboratory expert at the Laboratory of Perfume
Ingredients.
Duties: carried out chemical analysis of perfume
constituents. I wrote laboratory conclusions on cosmetics
products.

2019 – 2020 Avon Beauty Products company. Russia.

Moscow, Russia
Position: ingredients expert at Laboratory Analysis
Department.
Duties: made laboratory expertise of the perfume and plant
ingredients of the company products; instructed the
company's representatives in products ingredients.

EDUCATION: Kemerovo State University,

Faculty of Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
2015 – 2019

Mendeleyev Institute of Chemistry and Technology,

Moscow,
Department of Analytical Chemistry
postgraduate courses
2019 – 2021

INTERESTS: Analytical Chemistry

Certification of Products

REFERENCES: Professor Mikhail K. Abramov

Academician Dmitriy S. Mikhalkov
20
 RÉSUMÉ

Full name

Personal information
Date of birth

Marital status (single/married)

Contact information
E-mail, telephone number, current address

Career objective

Professional interests

Personal skills and abilities

Foreign language proficiency: language

(Basic User/Independent User/Proficient User)

Work experience (inverse chronological

order)

Education

Additional training and education

Activities (hobbies)

References (a person willing to testify in

writing about the character or ability of
someone, especially an applicant for a job)

21
 XIX
Imagine that the representative of the company interviews you. Please answer the
questions

1) What is your name?

2) Could you tell me about yourself and describe your background in brief?
3) Why are you interested in joining our company?
4) What do you know about our company?
5) What kind of position do you want?
6) How did you hear about this position?
7) What is your professional experience?
8) What are your main strong points for this job?
9) What is your weakness?
10) How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
11) Do you prefer working independently or on a team?
12) What do you do to improve your knowledge and skills?
13) What are your salary expectations?
14) What is your objective? What kind of position do you want in the future?

The topic is composed by Roman S. Islamov, Ph.D. (Kemerovo State University,

2022)

22