Work

If you’ve just graduated from college and you’ve never had a job, you can start your career by doing an internship (a temporary, low-level job) to gain experience. Depending on the company, the internship could lead to an opportunity to get an entry-level job (a job that doesn’t require much skill or experience) at the same company. 

Although you might be earning minimum wage (the minimum salary required by law), if you do excellent work and are a good team player (you cooperate well with your co-workers) you could get a promotion (get an increase in responsibility) or get a raise (get an increase in salary) – hopefully both! Just don’t slack off, otherwise you’ll be fired/dismissed (lose your job). 

It’s normal for there to be periods of time when you have a heavy workload (a lot of work) and need to work overtime (work extra hours). But if you have a very demanding job (an intense job with lots of responsibilities) and you’re stressed out all the time, then it might be time to quit your job (leave your job voluntarily) and look for another one. 

Now that you have experience, you’ll be able to get a job with a more competitive salary (salary that is higher than average) and generous benefits (extra benefits like health insurance, discounts, a company car, etc). If you can’t find a well-paid and rewarding job in your field, it might be time for a career change. 

The typical way of applying for a job is to read the job ads in the newspaper or online, then send your resume to the company with a cover letter. The company will then interview the candidates it feels are most qualified, based on the job description. 

Sometimes job seekers (people looking for a job) need to take a menial job (job requiring a very low level of skill) in order to earn a living (get enough money to survive) while they’re between jobs. But if you’re persistent, a great job offer should come your way sooner or later – maybe even for your dream job (a job that would be perfect for you)! 

Complete the blanks in this conversation between two managers looking to hire a journalist: 

Melissa: Hi Terry, let's go over the list of people who have _____________ for the job.

Terry: Sure. There's Bob, who's fresh out of college and says this would be his "___________ job." 

Melissa: Although I admire his enthusiasm, this isn't an _____________ job - we really need someone with a bit of experience. 

Terry: Here's a resume from Dana - she's a freelance writer who's looking for a more stable way to earn a ____________. Unfortunately, she mentions in her cover letter that she's not willing to work _____________ because she has two small kids at home. 

Melissa: Hmm... this is a rather _____________ job and sometimes we do need to work late. Let's not rule her out, though. Who else is in the running? 

Terry: There's Steven, a veteran reporter who's currently ______________ jobs. He makes it clear in his cover letter that he expects a ______________ salary and ______________ benefits. 

Melissa: He might be worth it. Why did he leave his last job?

Terry: Um, well, I checked his references and it turns out he was _____________ for sexual harassment of a co-worker.

Melissa: Oh... that's not ideal. Do we have any other __________________? 

Terry: None who are particularly qualified - there's a marketing consultant looking for a ___________ change, and a few people who apparently didn't read the job _____________ and sent us generic letters. 

Melissa: Maybe we could __________ Dana the job, and if it's too much work for her to handle, we could have Bob do an _______________ to help her out. We could only afford to pay him ____________ wage, but he might find the experience ______________. 

Terry: OK – let’s ______________ both of them next week.