1. Do you work or are you a student?

Sample 1: I am a student at university, but because it is very expensive to go to university, I am forced to have a
job to pay my fees and other expenses such as books and transport. In fact I am very lucky to have the chance of
studying while I work because I get the best of both worlds, but it does mean a lot of pressure, and I have to burn
the candle at both ends.
Idioms chất lượng:
• to have/ get the best of both worlds : nghĩa là bạn là người có thể trung hòa, có thể tận hưởng và kết hợp được
hai thứ đối lập ở cùng một thời điểm. Đây là một cách nói rất hay mà người bản xứ hay dùng.
• to burn the candle at both ends : gặp nhiều áp lực vì sống một cuộc sống bận rộn.

Sample 2: Currently, I am an eighteen student studying at HaNoi University in Viet Nam, majoring in business
studies.

2. What’s your major? / What work do you do?

I study law because it’s a really well thought of degree and I’m hoping to pursue it as a career in the future.
Từ ăn điểm:
Well though of: được đánh giá tốt

3. What do you like most about your study/ job?

sample 1: It’s such a huge subject that there will always be parts you like and parts you don’t like. I find Human
Rights fascinating because it can really make a difference to peoples’ lives. On the other hand, modules like Land
Law and Equity are really boring.

sample 2: I guess it’s mainly because of the job flexibility & my passion for journalism. To be more specific, this job
offers me alternatives to the typical nine-to-five work schedule, enabling me to find a better balance between work
and life. Besides, this job gives me opportunities to pursue my dream to become a journalist down the road.
+, Job flexibility (expression) gives employees flexibility on how long, where and when they work.

sample 3: Generally, the best thing about my job is ... simply/mainly because ...

 Boost my people skills (nâng cao kỹ năng giao tiếp) - Ví dụ: I enjoy interacting/communicating/mingling
with different types of clients.
 Expand my social network (mở rộng quan hệ xã hội) - Ví dụ: I may establish a sound relationship in this
area.
 Meet my requirements (đáp ứng các nhu cầu) - Ví dụ: Financial security (đảm bảo vấn đề tài chính)
 Promotion opportunity (Cơ hội thăng tiến) - Ví dụ: Self-improment (Hoàn thiện bản thân)

sample 4: Well I guess the thing I like most about this job is the salary. I make what I’d consider is a lucrative
income, which means not only is it enough to cover my bills, but there’s also some extra to spend on whatever I
want. So on payday, I often treat myself to a meal at a high-end restaurant or splurge on a nice shirt.
Vocabulary:
- Lucrative income: Thu nhập sinh lời
- High-end: the most sophisticated, and typically the most expensive product in a line: tinh vi nhất và thường đắt
nhất, hiểu nghĩa cao cấp.
- Splurge on something: to spend a lot of money on someone or something: ý hiểu để chi tiêu rất nhiều tiền vào một
ai đó hoặc một cái gì đó.
4. Do you want to change your study/ job in the future? / Is there some other kind of work
you would rather do?
Sample 1: Answer: Actually, I don’t think I’m able to dedicate myself to any other job rather than this one. In fact,
to me it’s the experiences and opportunities I can gain that really matters.
To dedicate to Sth: devote (time or effort) to a particular task or purpose ( ý chỉ cống hiến (thời gian hoặc công sức)
cho một nhiệm vụ hoặc mục đích cụ thể)

5. What are the most difficult or interesting parts about your study/ job?/ is there anything
you dislike about your major/job?
Sample 1: Honestly, the worst I have to say about my job is .... since ...

 I am a little bored with sitting in front of a computer screen all day long, and I am longing for a job that
involves dealing with people. (trong trường hợp bạn muốn thể hiện rằng bạn khá chán khi phải ngồi màn
hình máy tính hằng ngày và mong muốn được làm một công việc có thể tiếp xúc với nhiều người hơn).
 Frankly speaking, I am currently experiencing some bottlenecks at work, and I want to actively look for some
breakthrough, so I have chosen to improve my competence through studying abroad. (sử dụng trong trường
hợp bạn muốn nói rằng công việc hiện tại đem tới cho bạn khá nhiều trở ngại, bạn mong muốn được chủ
động tìm kiếm sự đột phá bằng cách đi du học).
 I hunger for escaping from my daily life routine and living a different life. (sử dụng khi bạn muốn thể hiện
bản thân mong muốn thoát khỏi sinh hoạt thường nhật của mình)

Sample 2: Sometimes I feel dead tired when sitting in front of a computer screen all day long to deal with
overwhelming workload. I mean, I’ve led a sedentary lifestyle which really exerts a negative effect on my physical
& mental health & I have had a very hectic schedule, which always keeps me up to my ears in deadlines. Down the
road I am yearning for a job that involves dealing with people & makes me feel less stressful.
Vocabulary:
- Dead tired: exhausted ( Mệt mỏi, kiệt sức)
- All day long: during the entire day (cả ngày dài, suốt cả ngày)
- Overwhelming: very intense (Áp đảo, rất mãnh liệt)
- Sedentary lifestyle: a type of lifestyle with little or no physical activity (Lối sống ít vận động, chỉ một loại lối sống
với ít hoặc không có hoạt động thể chất)
- Hectic: busy (ý chỉ bận rộn)
- Up to my ears in something: busy doing something (ý chỉ bận rộn để làm điều gì)
- Down the road: in the future (thành ngữ ý chỉ trong tương lai)
- Yearn for: to feel a powerful desire for something (để cảm thấy một mong muốn mạnh mẽ cho một cái gì đó)
- exert yourself to make a big physical or mental effortIn order to be successful he would have to exert
himself.
- exert something to use power or influence to affect somebody/something

6. Why did you choose your major?/ Do you think this career has a bright future?
6a. Why did you choose your major?/
A: I chose it simply because ...

The reason why I decided on ... is that ...

The incentive/starting point was that I found ..... quite ....

because of your preference: I am really into ..., and I always believe that I was born for ..., and my dream is to be
a/an ... one day.

because of trend: (Do you think this career has a bright future?)

It is well acknowledged that .... is a big trend/megatrend, so I believe that an increasing number of people will
devote themselves into this area.

Personally, I strongly believe that the sector of ... will be promissing/highly demanded/ a sunrise industry.

because of the family tradition: The biggest reason is that my father is a succssful businessman, and I plan to
follow in his footsteps after graduation.

6b. Do you think this career has a bright future?

It is well acknowledged that .... is a big trend/megatrend, so I believe that an increasing number of people will
devote themselves into this area.

Personally, I strongly believe that the sector of ... will be promissing/highly demanded/ a sunrise industry.

7. Is the course/job different from what you have in mind?

Answer: Actually, I don’t think I’m able to dedicate myself to any other job rather than this one. In fact, to me it’s
the experiences and opportunities I can gain that really matters.
To dedicate to Sth: devote (time or effort) to a particular task or purpose ( ý chỉ cống hiến (thời gian hoặc công sức)
cho một nhiệm vụ hoặc mục đích cụ thể)

Extra questions: Do you miss being a student?

Answer: I surely will miss my student life once I get involve in the workplace. For me I think when I’m a student, at
least I have someone guide me, whereas at work mostly you must guide yourself. The academic environment appears
to be a comfort zone for me, while I’m sure I’ll struggle with fitting in the working environment.
Cụm từ:
- To get involve in: to become a part of (an organization) nghĩa là để tham gia vào, trở thành một phần của một tổ
chức, cơ quan.
- To fit in: to become suitable or appropriate for Sth or S nghĩa là để phù hợp với, để trở thành phù hợp hoặc thích
hợp cho Sth hoặc SO.

https://ielts-fighter.com/tin-tuc/Cau-tra-loi-mau-Speaking-IELTS-Part-1-2-3-Topic-Work-
Job_mt1527612882.html

https://ames.edu.vn/tai-lieu-ielts/luyen-thi-ielts-5-0-6-5/15742/ielts-speaking-part-1-chu-de-cong-viec-hay-viec-
hoc-hien-tai-cua-ban-your-work-or-your-study-
PART 2: Describe your dream job

1. What kind of things you would do in that job?

2. What the working conditions would be like?
3. What kind of workplace you would work in?
4. And say if you will be able to get a job like that? Why?

sample 1:

Today I am going to talk about my dream Job for the future. I am going to tell you what the job is, the sort of
experience and qualifications I might need to do it, then what it involves including what might be the most difficult
thing about the job. I think it will be pretty obvious why it is my dream job, but I’ll explain that too. My dream job
would be to be a travel writer!

Travel writers are often self-employed. They travel the world to interesting places and then write magazine,
newspaper and internet articles about their experiences. In terms of qualifications, I think that’s less important than
having a portfolio of examples of your work that show you are a really good writer. Having said that, possibly
qualifications that provide a good basic level of English language are useful, and maybe even creative writing or
journalism courses might help you to build confidence and develop a writing style

To do this job you have to be willing to go to lots of new places. You also need to be able to write fluently and in
different styles for different publications. Travel writers must be very flexible, as you might need to go to difficult or
uncomfortable places and to travel at short notice.

The most difficult part of the job? Well, it’s not very well paid, so often travel writers need to have another job a well,
because, unfortunately, you can’t really make a living out of this type of work. Also, even if you are successful, it
would be quite an unsettled way to live, it would be hard to maintain friends and pursue hobbies if you are moving
around all the time … mind you, I think that would be a small price to pay to be part of such a fantastically interesting
and stimulating profession!

The reason I would like to do this job so much is that I love going to new places. For example, earlier this year I got
to go to Vietnam to work as a TEFL teacher, that was a new and wonderful experience for me. I would so enjoy
telling other people what it was like and encouraging them to go on an adventure of their own. I also like
communicating ideas in writing, it would be wonderful to make a living out of the two things I enjoy most – travel
and writing!

Unfortunately, there are very few opportunities to make a living as a travel writer, so I think it might have to stay
as my dream Job, rather than my actual job! Even so, I think it is important to have a dream, because otherwise how
can you ever have a dream come true!
sample 2:

• For me, the ideal job that I would like to have is to be an air hostess.

• This job involves taking care of customers on planes, serving food and drinks, and making sure that they
have a safe flight. In Vietnam, to apply for this position, an applicant has to meet various requirements,
including being at least 20 years old, having good communication and problem-solving skills, having a good
command of language, and so on. One special thing is this career is open to both men and women, although
women are preferred.

• There are many reasons why I think this job would suit me. Firstly, I have a passion for traveling. Taking
this job, I could travel to many countries on a regular basis. Occasionally, when I have free time between
flights, I would be able to go sightseeing and enjoy a variety of local food. Secondly, I have quite a good
command of English and French, which are spoken by the majority of people around the world. Therefore,
this would help me a lot if I could get this job. Lastly, I am really interested in talking with others. So, I
believe that this job is perfect for me since I would meet hundreds of people every day. As a final point, I
hope that I can follow my dream career in the future.
sample 3:

Everyone dream to have a good job. I am not an exception in this case. I also have a dream job and it is to be a
well-reputed banker. Thank you for expressing my about my dream job and I will describe it in brief here.

Usually, a banker needs to have some special degrees in Finance or Management. An MBA is a suitable one.
Further, there are some other professional courses are also available like Bank Management etc. to reach the job. I
have completed my MBA and pursuing another degree to make my dream come true. But it is really difficult for a
woman to achieve her dream job and this is for extensive competitions in the sector. A large number of women
like me are after the job and hence the scopes are limited. However, I am trying my best to reach the goal and
someday I definitely will be with my dream.

The job would involve a good number of tasks and responsibilities. In fact, there is no specific limit for the job but
there are some ideas about it. I think the job might want me to do some of the documenting of the clients’
transactions, assist is account opening with the bank, distribution of money to the clients or the real owner and
more other. In fact, I have to remain busy round the day with numerous types of works and responsibilities.
Sometimes, I may need to move out of the bank for some official purposes. The bank may also send me to get
training on other banking issues. Arranging for remittance transfer and monitoring online transactions etc. are
some of the notable tasks that a banker needs to do usually. There might be some exceptions as well. So, I am
preparing for the responsibilities.

The most difficult thing about the job is to get it. Generally, banks recruit with recruitment examinations. The
candidates have to appear in the recruitment exams, and then they are asked for formal interviews with the
authority (if they can pass the written tests). Finally, the recruitment is completed. But this is not as easy as it
sounds. The recruitment test takes place for hours. It needs lots of preparations. In fact, applicants who are weak
in mathematics and accounting are unable to pass the tests. Besides, the test also comes with analytical ability
analysis. As a candidate, you need to pass all the segments. Then comes the oral test. The Human Resource
department is responsible for arranging the written and oral tests. If I can cross both the barriers, I can have the
job.

Baking is my dream job for several reasons. First of all, this is a secured job. I know there are lots of troubles with
this profession, but there are fewer chances of losing the job. Besides, the remuneration that I will get is smart
enough to lead a decent life. Moreover, I like to have some challenges in my career and profession. Banking is one
of the professions that comes with some specific set of challenges. As a woman, I am able to undertake them and
could exercise my mental faculty to the largest extent. Based on the grounds, banking has become my dream job.

sample 4:

I must admit that my dream job has nothing to do with the current job I am doin g. I have always wanted

to become an event manager for any kind of event from a conference to a concert. The process of

planning and preparing for an event is what I find intriguing and fascinating.

I’d probably enjoy working and being trained in such a flexible and dynamic environment that is the

event industry. I would like to get to know the behind-the-scene procedure of creating from a small to a

mega event. In Saigon, there are a lot of amazing event companies but If I could choose, I’d say Gem

Center is the company that I’d love to work for.

To be able to be an event manager, I need two things: a qualification in event management and working

experience. My bachelor degree is Tourism and Event Management so I only need to have more

competent working experience in this field to get into the position where I can be hired as an event

manager. An event manager is a highly well-organized person who can handle adversity efficiently so I

will need to improve at that part too.

Creating an error-free and successful event is my dream and I’m trying so hard to get to that position

where I am competent to work in that position. Thank you for listening!

sample 5:

Well, working as an international volunteer has become my dream job since I was in high school. After I watched a
video concerning the role of volunteerism in society, I had made up my mind to be a part of the worldwide
volunteers. I involved in the ‘Global Citizen’ program of AIESEC and had meaningful experiences with the teaching
project in Thai Land.
I found that the most important skill was teaching method. For instance, when we learned about animals, I came
up with the idea of making animals’ sounds and used my body language, so that students could understand what
animals I was talking about.
I’m aware volunteerism provides no financial rewards, yet I still have my heart set on being an international
volunteer for two main reasons. Firstly, it is an integral part of my life, I can’t stand watching people who crave for
studying, but they can’t afford to learn because of their poor living condition. I saw Thai students’ eyes and I just
wanted to stay there forever to teach, to love and to be a friend of them. Secondly, my motto in life is living to
dedicate my ability to the world. I felt over the moon once students could speak English confidently. With an
extraordinary heart, I desire to make a difference to the world with a message: ‘ we make a living by what we get,
but we make a life by what we give’.
Words and phrases:
🌟 Volunteerism: Công việc tình nguyện
🌟 Worldwide /global (adj) toàn cầu
🌟 Involve (v) tham gia
🌟 Come up with: nghĩ ra
🌟 Financial reward: khoản tiền thưởng
🌟 Have s.o heart set on +Ving: khao khát làm gì đó
🌟 Integral part: phần không thể thiếu
🌟 Can't stand+Ving: không thể chịu được
🌟 Crave for: mong muốn làm gì
🌟 Motto: châm ngôn
🌟 Over the moon: rất hạnh phúc
🌟 Extraordinary heart: trái tim đầy nhiệt huyết
🌟 Make a difference: tạo ra sự khác biệt
🌟 ' We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give' :
mindset 1: UNIT 3 – Study and work – PART 1
Part 1
1. Describe the company or organization you work for.

– I work for the Energy Development Corporation (EDC); it is a company that focuses on the
development of renewable energy.

2. What is your position?

-I am part of the geophysical survey team, I am a geologist.

3. What are your responsibilities?

– Our team is accountable for identifying if a significant resource is present, as well as to

collect and analyze samples within the area of research.

4. What do you like about your job?

–The best thing about my job is that I can travel and discover places in which I otherwise
would not be able to see.
5. What do you dislike about your job?
-Conducting projects in far-flung areas means being away from my family for several days.
Thus, I don’t spend a lot of time with my wife and kids. I miss them so much.

6. How many hours do you work each day?

-When I am out in the field work, I spend several hours traveling to the area, then the survey
usually lasts for a couple of days, and sometimes – even weeks. When there is no fieldwork, I
usually work from 8 am to 5 pm at the office.

7.What would be your ideal job?

-My ideal job is be something that always brings something new to life, not a repetitive
monotonous work. I am good at my responsibilities, but I also expect some pleasant moments
at my workplace.
PART 2: DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM JOB
Everyone has their dream job, and I am no exception. Since I was a little boy, it has been my dream to work as
human resources management in a multinational company. What make me really want to have the job because I
am fond of interacting with other people, then working in the work place will give me the chance to deal
with human relationships, not to mention that a teacher from my university compliment on my leader skills and
he said that I have the ability to organize people to work together and lead them to boost the productivity, which
is one of the reason driving me to the job.
Generally, working in human resources field is likely to be well paid, besides it also challenging for me to find
work in the area because the position will require high level of qualification and large amount of experience. Thus,
to prepare for my career, I have gained a bachelor in business administration, and I am about to do a mater
degree in the field, in which I will specialized in human resources management. Apart from my studies, at that time
I did my bachelor, I also took part in several voluntary work. By doing that, I have got a great deal of valuable
experience such as social skills and business knowledge as well. I hope that all of this can help me to take my
ideal job easier.

Describe the job you would most like to have. You should say:

 what this job would be

 where you would work
 which qualifications you would need and
 explain why you would like to have this job most.
I must admit that I have realized one of my passions a little bit too late in life. Seems like I have
always wanted to become a chef in a nice high-end restaurant. Eating food is great, isn’t it? But
the process of cooking food and the skill it requires to have is what I find even more intriguing
and fascinating.
I could probably enjoy working and being trained in fine dining restaurants or some cruise ships
that offer a variety of international dishes. I would like to get to know different cultures all over
the world through food. I think it is one of the aspects that distinguishes countries.
To be able to be a chef, I need to have education in culinary arts. I also need to undergo a training
in various restaurants to be able to apply the knowledge and information I obtained at school. A
chef is a highly creative person, since one of his/her responsibilities is to arrange food with a
final touch and think of its overall appealing look on the plate.
The kitchen is the only place I have ever felt like I really belong to. I love its heat and the pressure,
apparently.
https://thetesttaker.com/portfolio/work/#answers