Jobs and Occupations

Maturita topic 10, general part, at Cambridge B2 First level. The specific part of this topic is Jobs in IT and Job Interview.

What to talk about

• your dream job and what you consider when choosing a job
• the jobs of your family members
• types of jobs – manual vs. office, employed vs. self-employed, full-time vs. part-time
• working conditions – salary, hours, benefits, remote work
• unemployment and the future of work (automation, AI)

Model answer

Choosing a job is one of the most important decisions in life, because we spend a third of our lives at work. When I think about my future job, the most important things for me are that the work should be interesting, that I can develop my skills, and of course that it is well paid. Job security and a good working atmosphere matter too – I’d rather earn a little less in a team I like than be paid a lot in a place where everybody is stressed.

My dream job is to become a software developer, ideally in a company that makes games or apps. I like the fact that in IT you can work almost anywhere in the world and often remotely. My parents have quite different jobs: my mum is a nurse and works shifts, including nights and weekends, which is very tiring, but she finds her job meaningful. My dad is an engineer in a factory and has regular working hours.

There are many ways to divide jobs. Blue-collar workers do manual work, for example in factories or construction, while white-collar workers work in offices. Some people are employed by a company and get a monthly salary and benefits such as paid holiday, meal vouchers or a company phone; others are self-employed and run their own business, which gives them freedom but also more risk. Students often have part-time jobs or summer jobs – I worked as a shop assistant last summer, which taught me a lot about dealing with customers.

The world of work is changing fast. Since the pandemic, working from home has become normal in many professions. Automation and artificial intelligence are taking over routine tasks, so some jobs will disappear, but new ones will be created. I think the most important thing is to be flexible and to keep learning. People today often change jobs several times in their career, which was unusual for my grandparents’ generation.

Vocabulary

Grammar worth showing

• future forms: I’m going to study IT. I’ll probably work abroad. By 30, I’ll have worked in several companies.
• would rather / prefer: I’d rather work in a team than alone.
• make vs. do: make money, make a decision; do a job, do overtime.

Useful phrases

• The most important thing for me is…
• I wouldn’t like to work as… because…
• It must be very demanding / rewarding.
• In the future, I can imagine myself working as…
• There are pros and cons to…

Speaking practice

Part 1 – about you

Part 3 / 4 – discussion