How many hours do people spend at work? When you think that on any typical weekday you spend more time working than with your family, you realise that salary, although important, is not the only thing to take into account when choosing a career.
Today we are going to look at two fields of vocabulary: Jobs and Personality Adjectives
1) Let’s start with a simple but very common confusion.
What’s the difference between ‘JOB’ and ‘WORK (noun)’? (All the answers to the questions are at the bottom, below the article.)
2) Good! Now, connect each job with its definition. Remember to double-click any word you don’t understand:
Plumber – Architect – Waiter – Nurse – Engineer – Lawyer (US: Attorney) – Surgeon – Miner – Courier –
- There are two types: A Barrister, who takes charge of court cases, and a Solicitor, who deals with Legal paperwork.
- He serves in a restaurant.
- An doctor who carries out operations in the operating theatre.
- His/Her job can be dangerous. It involves going underground to extract minerals.
- Helps doctors with their work looking after patients.
- Installs and repairs the systems of water supply.
- A job with many branches in civil construction, mechanics or robotics, telecommunications, aviation….
- s/He delivers parcels, usually by truck or lorry, although sometimes by bike or motorbike.
- s/He designs a building before it gets built.
3) What’s the difference between these professions?
- An Au Pair and a Babysitter
- A Bouncer and a Bodyguard
- An Astronomer and an Astrologer
- A Psychiatrist and a Psychologist
- A priest and a Vicar
- A Fisherman and a Fishmonger
4) OK, now let’s go on to the adjectives. Which of these are positive when related to employment. In other words, which would you look for in a candidate?
- Strong-willed
- A team player
- Approachable
- Laid-back
- Reliable
- Easy-going
- Committed
- Focused
- Capable/Efficient
- Quick-tempered
- Absent-minded
- Demanding
Soldier – Football Manager – Writer (Author) – Pop/Rock Star – Undertaker – Farm Hand – Nursery Nurse – Accountant
- Flamboyant
- Flexible
- Creative
- Patient
- Hard-working
- Serious
- Sensible
- Sensitive
- Methodical
- Warm-hearted
- Thick-skinned
- Brave
- Self-disciplined
- Charismatic
- Efficient
- Formal
- Articulate
ANSWERS & MORE QUESTIONS BELOW !
1) Your JOB is your position, the name of your profession; What you are.
Your WORK is what you do and where you do it.
Examples:
- I’m a fireman (that’s my job). I have to put out fires and rescue cats (that’s my work).
- I’ve got a lot of work ( = a lot of things to do) at the moment. I can’t complain, though – my wife has got two jobs ( = she works for two different companies). That’s busy!
2)
- There are two types: A Barrister, who takes charge of court cases, and a Solicitor, who deals with Legal paperwork = LAWYER/ATTORNEY
- He serves in a restaurant = WAITER (WAITRESS=female)
- An doctor who carries out operations in the operating theatre = SURGEON
- His/Her job can be dangerous. It involves going underground to extract minerals = MINER
- Helps doctors with their work by looking after patients = NURSE
- Installs and repairs the systems of water supply = PLUMBER
- A job with many branches in civil construction, mechanics or robotics, telecommunications, aviation…. = ENGINEER
- s/He delivers parcels, usually by truck or lorry, although sometimes by bike or motorbike = COURIER
- s/He designs a building before it gets built = ARCHITECT
3) What’s the difference between these professions?
- An Au Pair HAS A FULL-TIME JOB (OFTEN IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY, and a Babysitter JUST LOOKS AFTER CHILDREN ON (FOR EXAMPLE) FRIDAY OR SATURDAY EVENINGS SO THAT THE PARENTS CAN GO OUT TO A RESTAURANT.
- A Bouncer IS THE SECURITY GUARD AT A NIGHTCLUB (DISCO) and a Bodyguard PROTECTS THE LIFE OF A VIP.
- An Astronomer IS A SCIENTIST WHO STUDIES THE STARS and an Astrologer ‘READS’ YOUR FUTURE ACCORDING TO THE POSITION OF THE STARS
- A Psychiatrist PRESCRIBES MEDICINE FOR MENTAL DISORDERS, DEPRESSION, ETC. and a Psychologist DOES NOT WORK WITH MEDICINE
- A priest IS A CATHOLIC and a Vicar IS A PROTESTANT PREACHER
- A Fisherman CATCHES FISH and a Fishmonger SELLS IT
(If you want to add anything to this, write a comment below)
3) WHICH ARE POSITIVE QUALITIES WHEN LOOKING FOR AN EMPLOYEE?
This depends on the job (and on your opinion) but I would say that in most cases…
Strong-willed – COULD BE A PROBLEM
A team player – PERFECT
Approachable – IDEAL, IN EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS
Laid-back – IT’S GREAT IF YOUR FRIEND IS LAID-BACK, BUT NOT AN EMPLOYEE
Reliable – VERY IMPORTANT QUALITY
Easy-going – IF IT’S NOT LAID-BACK, AND SIMPLY MEANS THAT YOU GET ON WITH OTHER PEOPLE…
Committed – VERY IMPORTANT FOR A COMPANY
Focused – VERY AMBITIOUS. BE CAREFUL S/HE DOESN’T TAKE YOUR JOB!
Capable/Efficient – ALWAYS NECESSARY
Quick-tempered – ARGUMENTS AT WORK? NOT GOOD!
Absent-minded – YOU NEED A GOOD SECRETARY TO SORT EVERYTHING OUT
Demanding – GOOD IN A BOSS, BUT IN AN EMPLOYEE?
5) Again, it’s a question of opinion….
Flamboyant POP-ROCK STAR
Flexible FARM HAND
Creative WRITER/POP-ROCK STAR
Patient UNDERTAKER/NURSERY NURSE/ACCOUNTANT
Hard-working FARM HAND
Serious SOLDIER/UNDERTAKER/ACCOUNTANT
Sensible SOLDIER/ACCOUNTANT
Sensitive WRITER/NURSERY NURSE
Methodical SOLDIER/ACCOUNTANT
Warm-hearted NURSERY NURSE
Thick-skinned FOOTBALL MANAGER/UNDERTAKER
Brave SOLDIER
Self-disciplined WRITER/SOLDIER
Charismatic FOOTBALL MANAGER/POP-ROCK STAR
Formal SOLDIER/UNDERTAKER/ACCOUNTANT
Articulate WRITER
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