A.

21st century careers

0. Lead-in: Think of a family member or anyone else over 40 you

know well. How many/what kinds of jobs has the person had in their
lives?

1. Vocabulary

a. Look at the list of different work arrangements/formats. Match

them to the definitions/ explanations. https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/52625589868

fixed-term contract freelance work gig work job sharing remote work

part-time position permanent position (full-time) seasonal work volunteering

self-employment

1. ___________________________: Employees are hired on a long-term basis and typically

receive benefits like healthcare, retirement plans, and paid time off. They work a set number
of hours each week.

2. ___________________________: Employees work fewer hours than full-time employees,

often with reduced benefits. Can be permanent or temporary.

3. ___________________________: Employees are hired for a specific period, often to

complete a particular project or cover for a temporary absence. Contract lengths can vary
widely.

4. ___________________________: Self-employed individuals who work on a project-by-

project basis.

5. ___________________________: Employees work from a location other than the company's

office, often from home or another remote setting. Can be full-time or part-time.

6. ___________________________: Similar to freelancing, gig workers take on short-term, one-

off tasks or jobs through online platforms or apps.

7. ___________________________: Individuals start their own businesses and work for

themselves, assuming full responsibility for their income and expenses.

8. ___________________________: Two or more employees share the responsibilities of a

single full-time position, dividing the work and often the salary and benefits.

9. ___________________________: Jobs that are available during specific times of the year,
such as holiday retail positions or agricultural work.

10. ___________________________: Individuals donate their time and skills to non-profit

organizations or community causes without monetary compensation.

b. Speaking

i. Think of the profession you are planning to work in. Which of the above (or any other)
arrangements are common in this profession? Do staff typically have permanent positions? fixed-
term contracts? etc.

1
ii. Work with a partner/group. Choose one of the work arrangements. Make a list of its advantages
and drawbacks.

2. Jigsaw listening: “Losing the ladder”

Before you listen: What does the term to climb the career ladder mean?

Listening

Student A: Watch parts of the video “Squiggly careers” (0:00 – 4:10, 5:31 – 7:35)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ALfKWG2nmw

Take notes of what the speakers mean by a “squiggly career” and prepare to explain it
to Student B afterwards.

Student B: Watch the video “Your career path doesn´t have to be a straight line” from
the Harvard Business Review. Watch up to 5:33.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAgMKap9Cv8

Take notes of what the speaker means by “a rockwall career” and prepare to expain it
to Student A afterwards.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/52625589868

https://www.amazon.de/Squiggly-Career-
Ladder-Discover-Opportunity/dp/0241385849

https://vectorportal.com/vector/climbing-the-career-ladder/33080

2
B. Starting your job search: SWOT

Start with your strengths. For me-- and again, in this analogy, going
up the wall -- I know that the lane that's going to be easiest for me
is the one that allows me to power up using my leg strength. The
second that I need to use my arms, forget it. I am off that wall. I'm
not going to successfully navigate it. Now translate that to what
your strengths and your opportunity areas are.

KeyAnna Schmiedl, “Your career path doesn´t have to be a

straight line”, Harvard Business Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAgMKap9Cv8

S W
O T
Before you start looking for a job, you should reflect on your strengths, expectations and
opportunities. A useful tool for this is a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for „strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats“. A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method that helps to evaluate the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in a project or business. But a SWOT analysis can
also be done to assess a person´s professional abilities, for example when starting your career or
when considering a career change at a later stage in your life.

SWOTting yourself means asking yourself questions under the SWOT headings, giving honest answers
and drawing the right conclusions from your responses. Strengths and weaknesses relate to you as a
person. Threats and opportunities have to do with external factors, i.e. the market, the competition,
the company etc. (Kirchhoff et al., 2009)
Source (adapted): Kirchhoff/Raaf/Pledger (2009): Career Express – Job Applications. Cornelsen, Berlin

3
a. Read the SWOT analysis of a Tourism Management student below.

Strengths Weaknesses
(What am I good at?) (What don´t I do so well?)

 I am excellent at foreseeing problems.  I am bad at taking direct criticism.

 I am able to take on responsibility.  I am hopeless at doing routine jobs.
Internal

 I am fluent in English and Spanish.  I sometimes feel unsure of my ability to

 I am great at paying attention to
detail.
 I am very interested in foreign
cultures.
 I am able to follow a task through.
communicate efficiently.
 I need to work on my computer skills.
 I am not good at working with slow
colleagues.

Opportunities Threats
(What are the opportunities ahead of me?) (What obstacles do I face?)

 The travel industry is generally keen on  There will be tough competition for
employing staff from different traineeships at renowned companies.
External

countries.  I will compete with native speakers for

 With a traineeship at an internationally
renowned company I can go anywhere I
like.
 I can bring a Central-European
perspective to an international team.
trainee positions.
 It can be quite a challenge to live and
work in a foreign country for some time.

Source (partly adapted): Kirchhoff/Raaf/Pledger (2009): Career Express – Job Applications. Cornelsen, Berlin.

b. Over to you: what are YOUR strengths and weaknesses? SWOT yourself! Among others, you can
use some of the following phrases:

I´m good/excellent/bad/hopeless at …

I´m interested in …

I´m able to …

I sometimes feel unsure of …

I need to work on my …

There will be tough competition for …

I will compete with …