20.

JOBS AND EMPLOYMENT

Work plays an important role in our lives. We do not only earn money but also find our place in
society, spend time with other people and feel useful. The economically active population includes people
who are willing and able to work and people who search for work – the unemployed. The first group
includes self-employed people and employees. Economically inactive people are minors, the retired, the
disabled, the sick or those who do not wish or are unable to work.
There are 2 types of work: manual (physical) and intellectual work. It is difficult to say which of
them is easier, both types of work are very demanding. Manual work requires good physical condition,
strength and persistence. Most manual workers work in manufacturing or construct buildings. Manual work
is included in jobs such as electrician, plumber, shop assistant, hairdresser, farmer…Some intellectual
professions require good knowledge (e.g. scientists, doctors, lawyers, accountants), others talent or creativity
(e.g. artists). There are more and more professions that require communication and organization skills (e.g.
public relations managers, interpreters, teachers, sales representatives). In some occupations, people have
responsibility for other people’s lives (e.g. doctors, pilots, drivers). Some professions can be very dangerous.
If you are a policeman, a pilot, a construction worker or a truck driver for example, there is a risk of you
being injured or being hurt in an accident. There are also volunteers who usually work for free in regions at
war or regions hit by natural catastrophes.
Choosing one’s career is an important step in everybody’s life. Most children have only vague
ideas of what they want to be. At first they admire so called ‘hero’ professions such as pilots, astronauts,
firemen or policemen. Girls dream of becoming actresses, models, singers or ballet dancers. But as they are
getting older their criteria for choosing their profession are becoming realistic. Not only they have to
consider their interests, hopes and desires but also their skills and abilities. The influence of their parents,
teachers, relatives and friends is also very important. Some children want to follow in their parents’
footsteps.
Teenagers between the age of 16 and 18 are expected to make their choice whether to continue their
education or work. Young people who want to earn some money as soon as possible face a lot of problems
finding a suitable job. It is so because of lack of qualifications and experience. The job market offers them
only part-time jobs, odd jobs or seasonal jobs. For this reason most of them decide to do some courses or
trainings to get better qualification. According to statistics young people with university education have
better chance of finding a job.
It is not easy to choose the right profession, especially at a young age. It is very important to have a
profession that suits us and that we like. We have to consider several factors, such as the type of work,
possible promotion and career development, salary, working time, commuting, travel opportunities and place
of work amongst others. Looking for a job is quite a demanding occupation, but there are many resources
which can help us to find a job. Advertisements on the Internet, national and local newspapers are one of
them. There are a lot of job centres which can be helpful. Using former colleagues’ help or other work
contacts is also recommended. After collecting information about your future job you have to write an
application. It should include information about yourself and reasons why you apply for the job. An
inevitable part of the application form is a curriculum vitae (CV). It should contain personal details,
education, qualifications, work experience, further trainings, skills, abilities and interests. Nowadays it is
very important to have communication skills, organizational ability and driving licence. Technology is
developing very quickly so it is necessary to improve computer skills. Besides that the applicant should
speak at least one foreign language. Companies need people who are responsible, creative, flexible and
cooperative. The aim of the application is to get an interview. Those who are selected are invited to an
interview. The job interview is the most important stage of getting a job. Applicants must be very careful
about clothes, what first impression they make and how they communicate to the interviewer. It is important
for the candidates to prepare for the interview, to speak clearly and to stay calm. There are a lot of guide
books where applicants can find some useful information about job interview. At the interview they usually
answer questions, describe their motivation and expectations. Successful applicants become employees of a
company, firm or other institution. The employer and employee sign a work contract. It states the job
description, duties and responsibilities, working time, salary and conditions of promotions. Salary is usually
low at the beginning of a career, but it increases with the professional growth and progress of the employees.
In our country working hours depend on the type of job. Employees can be hired to work full-time
or part-time. People usually work 8 hours a day (40 hours a week), in some cases they work 12 hours. Many
people are self-employed and run their own business. They can employ other people. Self-employed people
do flexitime, it means that they can start work earlier or finish later. Some people do shift work, which
means that they work at different times, outside normal daytime hours. It is typical for the healthcare service
(doctors, nurses), the emergency services (emergency medical services, police, fire-fighters), production and
transportation (machine operators, truck drivers). Some people work overtime, they work extra hours for
more money. When it is necessary people can take holidays for different reasons. They can usually take a
month’s holiday per year. When you are ill, you get sick pay.
New technology is developing very quickly so it is necessary to retrain. People have to improve their
computer skills and knowledge about the latest technology. New technology is changing the way we work. It
helps people in many ways. It replaces manual work, so working is more comfortable. Nowadays, a lot of
people are connected to the Internet and work from home. It has a lot of advantages – it gives you more
flexibility and more free time.
Although the right to work is one of the basic rights of human beings, everybody must be prepared
for the possibility of losing their job. You can be sacked e. g. when a company economizes and reduces
staff. In this situation it is important to try to find another job and not stay out of work for a long time. There
are unemployed people in our country, most of them are manual workers. In every society, there are people
who are not willing to work and never will be. They benefit from the social security system – they are on the
dole. They often work illegally or are supported by somebody else. However, the situation isn’t optimistic
even for graduates. Although they are educated, they have problems to find a proper job because companies
prefer experienced candidates. For this reason, a lot of young people go abroad where they have better
opportunities to find well-paid jobs.
The world is changing very quickly. More work opportunities have been created thanks to foreign
investors coming to Slovakia to set up their companies here. Some job areas have become more important in
the last twenty years such as information technology, business, the media. On the other hand, agriculture,
teaching, coal mining are doing badly. Some fields lack a qualified labour force, such as for mechanical
engineering or in the building industry. Besides that, the situation in the workplace has changed. The job
market is getting more and more competitive. The idea of a “job for life” has become old-fashioned. People
work for small, dynamic companies which can react quickly to changes in the market. Lots of people have
become self-employed. We are moving towards a global economy. English will probably remain the
international business language. In most professions nowadays, it is important to follow the latest trends. If
people want to stay in, they have to complete their education, retrain, develop their skills and keep informed.
Therefore, they often participate in different post-graduate study programmes, go on training courses and
attend different workshops, seminars and conferences.
The world of work is still dominated by men. The present situation is not very positive for women in
the workplace. Their work is not regarded as valuable as the work of male colleagues. Moreover, they
perceive that they have to work harder than men in the same job to get a top position in a company. They are
often less paid than men for the same work. Furthermore, pregnant women and women with young children
feel unsupported by employers, they feel that they are not wanted. Employers prefer men and women
without young children and without family responsibilities. A woman who is pregnant temporarily leaves her
job and she is on maternity leave. She usually stays at home for three years. During this period she receives
maternity pay from her employer. Then she continues working full-time and takes care of the child and the
household too. It is very difficult for every woman to have both a good family life and a successful career. If
a woman has a better paid job than her husband, he can stay at home instead of her and she continues
working.
When people reach retiring age, they go into retirement. In Slovakia people go into retirement at
the age of 62. They receive national income. Sometimes, people take early retirement.
Social welfare takes care of people from their birth to death, providing high standard of living for
them. A lot of institutions are involved in the system which are concentrated on different categories of
people. System of education is provided for children, health care deals with sick people, job centres help
people to find a job, unemployed people receive unemployment benefits, pension scheme is useful for retired
people. There are many other institutions such as banks, institutions for handicapped people, different kinds
of insurance companies providing accident insurance, health insurance, life insurance...
 20. QUESTIONS

1. Explain the importance of work in people’s lives. Which parts of the population are economically
active and inactive?
2. What are typical dream jobs of children? What was your dream job when you were a child? What
influences the decision-making of young people in choosing their career?
3. Make comparison between manual and intellectual work. Give examples of jobs from each category
and give a description of duties and responsibilities involved.
4. Which jobs are typically done by men/women? Explain why.
5. Talk about working opportunities for young people while studying. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of having a part-time job?
6. How can people get to know about job vacancy sources?
7. Name the most popular jobs nowadays. What are the worst-paid jobs?
8. Explain what job discrimination is. Give reasons why people are subject to job discrimination.
9. How would you define workaholics?
10. What are common reasons for people being unemployed? What could be done to reduce the
unemployment rate?
11. Sum up the steps which must be taken in process of looking for a job. What items should be included
in CurriculumVitae?
12. What should be done to “survive” a job interview? What are the most common interview mistakes?
13. Name qualifications, skills and personal traits required to get a well-paid job.
14. What are the basic elements of the employment/work contract?
15. What types of working time can you distinguish? Express your opinion on a flexible work schedule.
What positive consequences does reduction of working time lead to?
16. What in your opinion is necessary in order to start your own business? What are the pros and cons of
having one’s own business and being self-employed in comparison with being an employee?
17. Have you ever done any voluntary work? What are the possible benefits of doing voluntary work?
18. Compare working opportunities and conditions in Slovakia and abroad (salary, social system, social
perks…)

ROLEPLAYS / SIMULATIONS

A friend of yours does not know what to do in the future. Think of his/her qualities and say which ones are
essential for the following professions:
- Accountant - Teacher
- Musician - Police detective
- Lawyer - Manager
- Doctor - Plumber
Recommend a career to your friend and explain why, taking into consideration his/her personality.

A friend of yours has become unemployed. Try to explain to him/her what to do to find a new job (e.g.
retraining courses) and how to use social security system. What would you do if you lost your job after
completing your studies?

A You are a student who is going to have an interview with your school’s career officer. Before
interview, you were asked to fill in the form. As you haven’t got a clue what to do after finishing your
secondary school ask the officer questions so that you can get some useful information about your future
career opportunities.

B You are a school career officer. You are going to have an interview with a student who isn’t able to
decide about his future career. First think about jobs which may be suitable for the student talking into
consideration his/her answers given in career advice leaflet. Give the student some advice concerning hi/her
future career. Think about the student’s abilities and interests, point out the advantages of the might-be
professions considering pay, working hours, qualifications, career prospects.
 20. PICTURES

1 Identify the professions depicted in the set of photos. What skills and personal qualities are
necessary to do these jobs?
2 Which of the jobs shown in the pictures would/wouldn’t you be able to do under what
conditions?
3 Would you mind doing a job that is traditionally carried out by people of the opposite sex?
Explain why.
4 What kind of job would you like to have in the future? What qualifications and skills will
you need for the job?