Your background and career.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 815.

Your career

Reading

You can make a fortune with a career in computers.

D. Make sentences using the phrases in Exercise C. For example,

A. Work in pairs. Answer these questions about the article:

1. Did the girl enjoy high school? Compare with your own situation and

show the difference (if there is)

2. What did the girl decide to do at the end of the course?

3. Why did the girl quit her job by the age of thirty?

4. Why was possible for the girl to go traveling?

5. How did any online employment agencies find a vacancy for the girl?

“I enjoyed high school – my grades were good and I got involved in a lot of extracurricular activities. At the age of eighteen I went to university (AmE college/university). I got a place at the university in my home town, although some of my friends moved away to the other universities and lived on campus. At first I hate it, and I nearly dropped out after a few months. But after a while I made friends and got used to writing all the essays (AmE papers). Money was a problem – I had no grant or other financial aid – and I worked my way through college by doing a little part-time work whenever I could.

My degree was in economics, and my main subject (AmE major) was international trade. The lecturers (AmE professors) were good and I enjoyed the course (AmE program) very much. I spent the middle year of the course working as an intern in a bank – that was really useful. It was the only part where I got some real vocational training. At the end of the course I thought about staying on to do a Masters, but I decided that the life of a postgraduate didn't really interest me. It was time to enter the world of work.

After graduating, it took me several months to find a job. I was short-listed for a few jobs, but they never called me back for a second interview. Eventually I was offered a junior position in the international department of a bank. Because of my internship (work placement) I knew more or less what to expect in terms of the working environment. I spent five years there, learning the business and was promoted to Senior Analyst in my late twenties.

That time in my life was really hectic – I was living the life of a typical young, single person on the financial services sector. I worked hard and partied hard. I often stayed at the office until eight in the evening, and was exhausted at the weekends. By the age of thirty I was burnt out. I needed some personal space to decide where my life was going, and I decided to take a year off. I gave in my notice and quit my job.

I had saved up quite a lot of money from the job in the bank, and so I was able to go traveling. I backpacked my way around India and South-East Asia and had some crazy times. But I knew that I had to settle down one day, and I wanted to start a family. So I came and started to look for a work again. I registered with some online employment agencies, and they found a vacancy almost immediately. It was in a similar field as before, but less high-pressure.”