CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED
UNIT 6
At work: job satisfaction
A
|
Aspects
of job satisfaction
What does job satisfaction mean?
[a feeling that your job is worth doing and fulfils you] Is it just having a pleasant
workplace or is it more than that? [the place where you work] Can a run-ofthe-mill
job be satisfying? [ordinary, not special or exciting]
Some people are prepared to put up
with a stressful or unpleasant job if it means short-term financial
reward. [immediate; opp. = long-term] [money gained] Staff morale
has been very low since the company announced a freeze on pay rises. [amount
of confidence felt by a person or group]
Our new manager is very keen to
encourage teamwork to help us solve problems. [working together for a
common purpose]
Is job stability more
motivating than an exciting, high-risk career? [not likely to change]
After working in the fast-moving fashion
industry for six years, Sam has decided to look for a career with a better work–life
balance. [developing or changing very quickly] [the amount of time spent
working compared to the amount of time spent doing things you enjoy]
Daniel’s job in a dynamic new
company is often challenging but exciting. [continuously developing]
Chloe is demotivated in her
current job following recent changes in the finance sector. [feeling less enthusiastic
about work] She is looking to work in / seeking a career in something
more creative, like marketing.
Language help
The text has some words with similar
meanings connected to work. It is a good idea to learn them in pairs, e.g. fast-moving
and dynamic (industry/profession), seeking a career in …
and looking to work in … . (Note: we say look to,
meaning consider or plan, NOT look for.)
|
B
|
Expressions
connected with working life
In many countries, women are allowed maternity
leave, and men paternity leave, if they’re having a baby. If they
adopt a child, they may have a right to adoption leave. [time away
from work to prepare for and look after a new baby / adopted child]
What perks (informal) /
(extra) benefits (formal) do you get in your job? [extra
things apart from salary, e.g. a car, health insurance]
What’s your holiday entitlement?
I get four weeks a year. [number of days you have the right to take as holiday]
Do you get regular salary increments
each year? [increases/rises; formal] Do you get performance-related
pay rises? [depending on how well you do your job] Do you get an annual
bonus? [extra money paid once a year, usually based on good performance]
Most people think they are overworked
and underpaid. (often said together as an informal, humorous fixed
expression)
Because of the recession, the company
announced that there would have to be voluntary/ compulsory redundancies.
[people losing their jobs, by offering to do so / having no choice]
During the strike, the airport managed
to continue running with a skeleton staff of volunteers. [the minimum number
of workers needed to keep operating]
The people on the interview panel at
the last job I applied for were so unfriendly that I got very nervous. [the
group of people interviewing someone for a job]
|
|
|
EXERCISES
6.1
|
Rewrite
these sentences by using words and phrases from the opposite page instead of the
underlined words.
|
||||||||||||||||
6.2
|
Find
expressions on the opposite page which mean the opposite of the underlined
words or phrases.
|
||||||||||||||||
6.3
|
Choose the best word or phrase to
complete each sentence.
|
||||||||||||||||
6.4
|
Each
sentence in these pairs of sentences contains a mistake. Correct them.
|
||||||||||||||||
6.5
|
Over
to you
•
What does job satisfaction mean to you?
•
Do you think financial reward is more important than job stability or
work–life balance?
|
ANSWER KEY
6.1
1
Do you enjoy teamwork?
2 I don’t think that financial reward is the key to job satisfaction. 3 Would you feel nervous giving a presentation to an interview panel? 4 Sales staff are often paid an annual bonus when they perform well.
6.2
1
a run-of-the-mill job
2 a person who is demotivated 3 a dynamic profession 4 a salary increment 5 voluntary redundancy 6 a skeleton staff of workers 7 someone who is overworked and underpaid 8 a performance-related pay rise
6.3
1
Rafael has done the same job for the last fifteen years and his job will be
secure until he retires.
For Rafael, job stability is very important. 2 Kate has a good work–life balance. She never works late and she often finds time to relax with her family or go to the cinema in the evening. 3 After graduating from Manchester University, Dan started work in the fast-moving film industry. 4 Amy joined the law firm for the long-term career prospects they offered. It would be hard work for the first few years, but she could later become a senior partner.
6.4
1
She was on maternity leave for three months after the birth of her
baby. Then her husband took
paternity leave for three months. (You can also combine the two terms and refer to parental leave.) 2 Sarah has been on adoption leave since she and Brian welcomed their new two-year old child into their family. Brian took voluntary redundancy from his job, which means he is at home too. 3 My holiday entitlement is four weeks a year. The atmosphere in my workplace is very pleasant, so I’m happy. 4 When I applied for the job, I was looking to join a dynamic team. However, the interview panel gave an impression of complete boredom and lack of interest. 5 The factory had to operate with a skeleton staff during the economic crisis. There had been a large number of compulsory redundancies. 6 I get some good perks in my new job. I get a company car and free health insurance. |
No comments:
Post a Comment
thank you for visiting my blog and for your nice comments