When job hunting, luck can be critical

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 365.

Part 1

II. READING

I. PRE-READING

UNIT 5. CREATE YOUR OWN GOOD FORTUNE

III. AFTER READING

v List all the main points of this article. What examples are given for each point?

v Assess yourself on the skills that are valued in the high-tech industry. Make up a plan on how to acquire the skills you lack.

v Read about a new Masters program which aims to turn arts graduates into financial whizz-kids on page 87.

v Whatever your future trade is, first of all you must be a professional. Read the article Students Need to Be Made Aware of the Importance of Being Professional on page 88 and learn about three key points the students need in order to stand out from the crowd of job hunters.

o Answer the following questions:

1. Are you a lucky person? Do you believe in luck?

2. Can you influence your luck? Explain your answer.

v Active vocabulary

o Study the following vocabulary items and collocations:

An experience you can only dream about

To wind up

To create interesting opportunities

To reiterate one's interest in something

To take advantage of an opportunity

To advance in one's career

To plan one's job search

Career strategy

To seem unlikely

o Read the text. Do the comprehension check below:

It probably seems that some of your classmates have all the luck. Things always go well for them, including their job hunts. When graduation approaches, they don't even have to look for positions. Good opportunities simply come to them through experiences you could only dream about. For instance, they fly home for a spring break and wind up sitting next to Bill Gates. You, on the other hand, end up sitting next to a screaming two-year-old.

Their good fortune may not be accidental, though. Most lucky people
work hard to create interesting opportunities. Consider a Bentley College marketing major who wanted to work in international logistics after graduation. With no interview invitations, much less job offers, his dream seemed unlikely. While visiting his campus career center for inspiration, he flipped through several business magazines. In one, he noticed an ad for New York Lines, a company that ships Asian goods through the Suez Canal to the U.S. The ad featured a testimonial from the director of international logistics. Pictured with her feet propped up, wearing a new pair of Reebok sneakers, it was easy to see that her employer was Reebok International LTD.

The marketing major was inspired. He called Reebok and asked to speak with the logistics director. When she answered, he explained how she learned about her, that he was graduating soon and was interested in entering her field. She agreed to provide advice for his search and they spoke for a few minutes.

The next day, the marketing major wrote her a thoughtful, concise letter, reiterating his interest in the field and thanking her for her interest and encouragement. He added that if she needed help, he was available. By April, he was working as a freight broker for Reebok. He was lucky, but by taking advantage of an opportunity, he created his own good luck.