UNIT

4 The longer read

Jobs BLOG
How do I become a … ?
Episode 3: This week we look at another
three careers that consistently appear in
our surveys among young people.

Zoologist
You’re a fan of wildlife documentaries. For instance,
you watch all the BBC documentaries with Sir
David Attenborough, National Geographic’s nature
programmes, and you’re fascinated by the life of
Jane Goodall. You love animals, but becoming a vet
doesn’t seem appealing enough to you – that’s all
about cutting cat’s claws and inspecting dog’s ears!
If you want something more exciting, try zoology …
Zoologists study animals, their behaviour and how they live in their environment. If you become a zoologist, most of
the time you’ll be working in a laboratory studying data, but you’ll also be able to do things such as looking after
a group of animals at zoos or taking part in animal conservation projects. In your job, you’ll be studying animals
closely: e.g. their behaviour, their diet and the environment in which they live. You’ll probably specialise in a
particular group of animals.
You’ll probably have taken a university degree in zoology. Alternatively, you’ll have taken a degree like veterinary
science or biology, followed by a master’s degree in zoology.
Airline pilot
What will your life be like if you become an airline pilot? You’ll fly passengers all around the world, and you’ll be
able to visit lots of fascinating places for free. It sounds ideal, doesn’t it?
However, becoming an airline pilot isn’t easy because it will take a long time until you can fly alone. By the time
you qualify as a commercial pilot, you’ll have completed at least 250 hours of flying time. If you want to fly with an
airline, you’ll have to do 1,500 hours. You’ll also need to spend a lot of time as a co-pilot or even as an instructor.
You’ll need certain ‘soft skills’, including being a good communicator, being able to resolve problems quickly and
being good at time management.
You’ll need to train at a private flying school, although some people join the air force to obtain their training.
Newsreader
What about if you become a newsreader? Well, you’ll be on TV or on the radio every day. Your name will be well
known, maybe even your face. You’ll have to communicate important information to the public, and you’ll be
keeping up to date with all the latest events from around the world.
To become a newsreader, a degree in journalism or media studies is essential nowadays. However, the key
here is experience, so ideally you’ll need to get some while you’re still studying, such as by writing for your
school newsletter or your college newspaper. After you graduate, you’ll probably have to do lots of internships,
i.e. spending time working for companies without getting paid in order to gain experience. Then you’ll work as a
reporter, looking for information and interviewing people for your articles.
You’ll need to have excellent communication skills. As a reporter, you’ll have developed skills as a writer and editor
of your own work. Now as a newsreader, you’ll need to learn some performance skills, for example, how to stand,
how to move and how to interview people live on TV or on the radio.
Next week: nurse, biomedical engineer and hairdresser.

Get Involved! B1+ © Macmillan Education Limited 2021

 UNIT

4 The longer read

1 Read the blog and answer the questions.

Subskill: Recognising examples
1 Which job does not require a
university degree? Examples help us understand the
author’s intention. Examples can come
at the beginning or in the middle
2 Who will be interested in this type of sentences.
of information?

4 Find six words or expressions that the

2 Read the blog again. Match the sentences
with one of the jobs. Write the name of
the job.
1 You might need to be able to perform like
an actor.
2 You will probably spend most of your
time inside.
3 You might work for a long time without
receiving a salary.
4 You have to train for a long time before
you can get this job.
5 There are two different ways to learn how
to do this job.
3 Answer the questions.
1 What job does the writer compare
zoology with? Why?
2 What aspects of animals’ lives do
zoologists study?
3 According to the writer of the blog, why is
the job of an airline pilot so attractive?
author uses to give examples.
5 Word work Match the definitions to the
underlined words in the text.
1 to get something you want, especially
by going through a difficult process
2 perfect, the best possible
3 the protection and management of
animals
4 attractive and interesting
5 the most important way of achieving
something
6 sharp, curved nails at the end of an
animal’s toes
6 Which of the three careers would you be
most interested in? Why? Why wouldn’t
you like the other two careers?

4 What soft skills does a pilot need to have?

5 What’s the most important thing you

need to become a newsreader?

6 Which are the most important skills that a

newsreader needs to have?

Get Involved! B1+ © Macmillan Education Limited 2021