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Conversation Worksheet
WORK
Part 1: VOCABULARY BUILDER
Vocabulary: Work Verbs
1a Number the verbs in the order that they would normally appear in a story of a person's job hunt and
employment.
interview ___ promote ___ hire ___ dismiss / fire ___ apply ___ search ____
1b Use the verbs above in the correct form to complete the dialogue.
Tom: I hear you lost your job, Amanda. What happened? You didn't work there very long, did you?
Amanda: Only a few months. I guess I just wasn't the right person for the job. When I (1) _____ for the
position I really wasn't sure it would suit me, but after they (2) _____ me they told me I'd be perfect, and
they (3) ______ me on the spot.
Tom: I guess they were impressed with you.
Amanda: I don't know. I'd only been working there for a month when they (4) _____ me to assistant
manager. That's when the trouble started. They have a lot of really difficult people working there, and I
just couldn't manage them. Nobody wanted to listen to me because I was so new in the company. So after
two months they (5) _____ me.
Tom: So what are you planning to do next?
Amanda: I'm not sure. I'm (6) ______ for a new position now, and I've found a couple of good possibilities,
so I'm not too worried.
2a Match the jobs with the descriptions of what the people do.
1 accountant
a operates buses, trucks, etc.
2 personal assistant
b manages collections of books
3 librarian
c helps people with legal problems
4 teacher
d serves food to people
5 nurse
e makes sure people obey the law
6 doctor
f creates and manages websites
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7 firefighter
g cuts and colors people's hair
8 police officer
h manages people's money
9 writer / news reporter
i cleans homes and/or buildings
10 hair stylist
j helps people who want to buy things
11 fashion designer
k gives lessons
12 salesperson
l prepares food
13 waiter / waitress [server]
m creates new houses and buildings
14 chef / cook
n helps organize someone's daily business
15 driver
o creates clothes
16 janitor / custodian / cleaner
p sells cars, insurance, etc.
17 builder
q creates written news and stories
18 computer programmer
r writes code for computing
19 web designer
s helps take care of sick or injured people
20 store clerk
t diagnoses and treats illnesses
21 lawyer
u manages investments and money
22 banker
v deals with fires and other emergencies
2b List the workers under the places where they work.
bank
hospital
restaurant office school store
fire station
police
station
building
site
beauty
salon
doctor
2c Name three jobs you might be interested in doing and three you would never consider doing. Give
reasons.
3 Read the dialog and write the idiomatic expressions next to the meanings below.
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Josh: What do you do for a living?
Samuel: I work as an accountant in a bank, but I might need to take a new job soon.
J: Why? Cant you make a living as an accountant?
S: Oh sure, its normally a well-paid job, but my bank is downsizing its personnel, and I may be out of work
soon. Some of my colleagues are already collecting unemployment, and Im freaking out!
J: Well, dont panic. I work in a company which is actually recruiting personnel. Why dont you e-mail me
your resum?
S: I will. Is your company expanding?
J: Yes, it is. Its a big Swiss food company which is opening branches in America. The pay was quite low at
the beginning, but Ill get a raise next month.
S: Thats great. Do you need to work overtime or do you work the same number of hours every month?
J: I work extra sometimes because, as a salesperson, I need to report a certain number of sales per month.
S: I do too, just to catch up with the backlog of work.
J: Yes, I guess we all do that nowadays.
S: I think Ill hand in my notice to the bank this week and apply for a position in your company.
S: Hey! Dont rush. You shouldnt quit before you actually get a new job.
J: You're right. Ill slow down and do things step by step. Thanks for all your help.
1 to get a higher salary
____________________
2 how you get a regular income
3 accept/start a job
____________________
____________________
4 earn enough to support yourself
5 reduce personnel
____________________
____________________
6 work beyond the regular schedule
7 find and employ new personnel
8 unfinished work
____________________
____________________
____________________
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9 get compensation benefits from the government
10 resign from your job
____________________
____________________
4a Complete the titles with the letters from the abbreviations.
CEO CFO Dr. PhD. Pres. PM MP RN
1 d octo r
2 __ __ __ __ ident
3 __hief __xecutive __ fficer
4 __ rime __ inister
5 __ octor of __ilosophy
6 __ hief __ inancial __ fficer
7 __ egistered __ urse
8 __ ember of __ arliament
4b Now write these people's titles.
1 "I actually have two titles. I make all the major decisions for my company. Basically, I'm the head of the
whole business." _________ and _________
2 "I work with sick people in a hospital. I organize all of their daily care, make sure they take their
medications and try to keep them in good spirits as well." ________
3 "I am the elected leader of my country. In some countries I'd be known as the president, but we use a
different title." ________
4 "I examine sick people, try to figure out what's wrong with them and then decide what treatment they
need. I had to study for many years to get my title." _______
5 "I am the elected representative of the people in the area where I live. I spend much of my time meeting
with other representatives, trying to pass laws that will benefit our country." ________
6 "I am in charge of the decisions about money for my company. I'm not as powerful as the head of the
company, but my decisions are certainly very important." _______
7 "I studied for many years in my subject, and in the end wrote a book-length manuscript in order to get
my title. I now work as a professor at a university." ________
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5a A job interview. Listen to the dialog between Samuel and the interviewer.
5b Make a new dialog with your partner. Try to include a true experience you had. Use 5a as model.
6 Listen and Read
6a Listen once without reading and answer the questions.
1 What does the narrator do for a living?
2 What made her unhappy about her job?
3 What alternative did she suggest to her boss?
Confessions of a Teleworker
I am a book editor, and for years I spent about three hours every day traveling back and forth from the
suburbs to my office in the city. It was exhausting, depressing, expensive and unproductive.
I used to think I was getting a lot of work done during my train ride, but that was mostly an illusion; half
the time I couldn't even find a seat, and when I did manage to sit I usually read nonsense or played games
on my laptop. I arrived at the office tired and cranky, and sometimes stayed that way all day, knowing I'd
have to do it all over again in the evening.
All that changed a couple of years ago. I suggested to my boss that I would do better work at home. At
first she was horrified. "What about all the meetings?" she said. I bravely suggested that most of the
meetings were a waste of time anyway, and that 99 percent of the discussions could be done by phone or
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e-mail. Amazingly, she agreed, but added that I would have to come into the office at least once a week to
touch bases with my colleagues.
Let me say that I was 100% right. I've become much more efficient, make far fewer mistakes and am a
much, much happier person. I also spend a ton less money since I don't need new clothes all the time, can
have lunch and coffee at home and don't have to buy endless gifts for my co-workers. My boss is very
happy with the results, as well. Her only complaint is that she can't work from home as well she's the
one person who really has to show her face in the office every single day, poor thing.
6b Listen again while reading and choose the correct meaning of the following ideas.
1 Traveling back and forth' (line 1)
a. traveling from work to home and vice versa
b. traveling for a long time
2 illusion (line 3)
a. a lie
b. a bad perception of reality
3 a waste of time (line 9)
a. a worthless activity
b. a useful activity
4 cranky (line 5)
a. dirty
b. bad-tempered
5 touch bases (line 11)
a. do paper work
b. talk to the people at the office
6 complaint (line 15)
a. dissatisfaction
b. remark
Scroll down for the answer key
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Answer Key CW WORK Vocabulary builder File
1
1 search
2 apply
3 interview
4 hire
5 promote
6 dismiss / fire
2
1h 2n 3b 4k 5s 6t 7v 8e 9q 10g 11o 12j 13d 14l 15a 16i 17m 18r 19f
20p 21c 22u
3
1 get a raise
2 do for a living
3 take a job
4 make a living
5 downsize
6 work overtime
7 recruit
8 backlog of work
9 collect unemployment
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10 hand in notice
4a
2 Pres
3 CEO
4 PM
5 D Ph
6 CFO
7 RN
8 MP
4b
1 President and Chief Executive
2 Registered Nurse
3 Prime Minister
4 Doctor
5 Member of Parliament
6 Chief Financial Officer
7 Doctor of Philosophy
Tape script exercise 5
Interviewer: Good morning, Mr. Johnson. Sit down, please.
Samuel: Thank you.
I: How did you learn about our company?
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S: Actually, I met Mr. Josh Carridan, who works for your company, and he strongly suggested I should
apply for a position here.
I: Oh, yes. Mr. Carridan is one of our best salespeople. And why do you want to work for us, Mr. Johnson?
S: Because your company is opening new branches, and Id like to be part of a company which is
expanding.
I: Why are you leaving your job?
S: The bank I work for is downsizing, and though Im very happy working there, I might be out of work
soon.
I: I see. What are your responsibilities?
S: Im still working as an accountant in the Loan section. Its a challenging job.
I: What was your biggest accomplishment?
S: I was appointed when the Loan section was created, and I was in charge of the whole section. Today,
there are five people working thanks to all the new loans taken out by customers who trust the
institution.
I: What major challenges did you have to face?
S: Probably, recruiting reliable new employees to work with me.
I: What has been the most difficult situation you had to face?
S: To work hand in hand with the police in an investigation of one of our clients.
I: What motivates you in a job?
S: To have a challenges, opportunities to be promoted, and a cooperative working environment.
I: What are your expectations?
S: To have a steady, challenging job.
I: Why should we hire you?
S: Because Im experienced, responsible and ready to try new challenges.
I: Well, thank you. We'll certainly get back to you when we've made a decision.
6a
1 She is a book editor.
2 She had to spend so much time commuting.
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3 Working from home.
6b
1a
2b
3a
4b
5b
6a
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