Woman: Good Morning, Action Recruitment Temps, Joanne speaking, how can I help you?
Man: Hello, I’d like to work as a temp this summer.
Woman: OK, can I take your name please?
Man: Yes, it’s Luke Roma.
Woman: And how old are you?
Man: I’m 21.
Woman: Are you in London at the moment?
Man: No, I’m actually calling from Italy, but I’ll be in London in July, which is the reason for my call, I’d like to temp while I am there.
Woman: OK, when exactly will you be arriving, and how long do you want to work for?
Man: I’ll be arriving on the 6th of July and hopefully staying until the end of September.
Woman: Will you have accommodation? As only our jobs in hotels provide this.
Man: Yes, I’ll be staying at my cousin’s.
Woman: OK, well we actually have a lot of vacancies for factory work in August, it’s not very interesting but it pays well. Are you interested in this kind of work?
Man: Absolutely.
Woman: OK; well, if you could e-mail me your CV and references and we can take it from there.
Man: OK; what’s your email address please?
Woman: It’s ART@temps.com.
Man: Thank you Joanne, I’ll send it to you straight away.
Woman: Thank you, and call back in 3 days time, and I’ll let you know exactly what work we have available. Have a nice day.

Woman: Dear Sir or Madam.
Man: When you write a formal letter in English and you don’t know the person’s name, (note this is often not given in a job advertisement) you should start it with Dear Sir or Madam. For example:
Woman: You can’t just write “Dear Sir”
Man: Why not? I don’t know the person’s name.
Woman: Well the person could be a woman. Do you know how many female mangers there are in England? You’ll offend them before they even read the letter, you have to write “Dear Sir or Madam”.
Woman: With reference to your advertisement in the……………
Man: If you are applying for a job, in your opening paragraph you must state where and when you saw the job advertised. For example:
Woman: Okay where did you see the job advertised?
Man: In the Guardian last Saturday.
Woman: So write, “with reference to your advertisement in “The Guardian” on Saturday the 21st of May, I would like to apply for the position of PR manager for Messina.”

Woman: I am currently employed as …………..
Man: In the second paragraph you should say what your current occupation is and why you want to change jobs.
Woman: Now write what you do now and why you are qualified for this position.
Man: How does this sound: “ I’m currently employed as an English professor, but, I have a background in International relations and a Phd in Tourism Management, so I’d welcome the challenge to promote the city in the best light possible”
Woman: Fantastic.
Woman: Yours Faithfully or Yours Sincerely?
Man: Even English people confuse how to finish a formal letter, if you know the person’s name, you write “yours sincerely,” if you don’t you write “yours faithfully.” The rule of thumb to remember is: if you write “S” for Sir at the start then you write the opposite “F” for faithfully at the end. Now listen:
Woman: You can’t write Dear Sir, and finish with Yours Sincerely.
Man: Why not?
Woman: Because you don’t know the person, you must write “Yours Faithfully.”
Man: Gosh this is so complicated.
Woman: Do you want the job or not? This is the first impression you give them and your chance to catch their eye and get an interview.

Woman: Now you will listen to a person perfecting his job application letter.

Woman: Have you finished that job application letter yet?
Man: I think so, this is the final copy.
Woman: Well read it to me then.
Man: Ok, here goes. Dear Sir,
Woman: Stop, I told you before “Dear Sir or Madam,”
Man: Dear Sir or Madam,
With reference to your advertisement in “The Times” on the 24th of June, I would like to apply for the position of International PR manager for Messina.
Woman: Very good, continue.
Man: I am currently employed as an English professor, however I have a background in International Relations and a Phd in Tourism Management. I would welcome the opportunity to promote Messina and its rich culture and history in the best light possible, in order to encourage more international tourism and improve the local economy.
Woman: Excellent, and how have you closed the letter?
Man: I have enclosed my CV for your perusal and look forward to meeting you for an interview at your earliest convenience. Thanking you in advance for your attention to my details. Yours Faithfully, Joe Brown.
Woman: Very Good, just one thing, you’ve typed the letter, In England they prefer the application letter to be in your own handwriting, as some companies analyse this.
Man: Anything to be different. Ok, give me a pen, and I’ll write it, I should just have enough time to catch the last post.

Man: That’s the man who interviewed me.

Man: I know a lot of people who work in America.

Man: A pilot is somebody who flies planes.
Woman: We use “which” in a relative clause when we are talking about things. For example:

Man: IBM is a company which makes a lot of money.

Man: The Concorde is a plane which flies very fast.
Man: I work for a company which makes computers.
Woman: Instead of “who” or “which” we can sometimes use “that”: For example:

Man: Do you know anyone who speaks Italian? Or Do you know anyone that speaks Italian?

Man: I work in a company which makes engines. Or I work in a company that makes engines.

Woman: We use “whose ”, (spelt W-H-O-S-E) in a relative clause when we are talking about possession. It replaces his, her and their. For example:

Man: I met a man whose wife used to work with you.

Man: That’s the man whose son is in prison for creative accounting.
Man: This school is only for students whose first language is not English.

Woman: Now let’s listen to these words in the dialogue: pay attention to how they are used.
A good way to improve your English is to take a job during the summer. Listen to this dialogue:
Woman: I really want to work in England this summer. Do you know anyone who could help me?
Man: Well I know a woman who has her own pub, are you interested in bar work?
Woman: I think it would be a good way to learn English, but, I don’t have any experience.
Man: Being a bar maid in England isn’t a job which requires a lot of experience, you are normally ok after the first day of training.
Woman: What’s a bar maid?
Man: A bar maid is a woman who works behind a bar and serves drinks.
Woman: What would I have to do?
Man: Well, it’s a job that requires a lot of patience, as they serve drinks, but they often have to listen to customers who can be quite difficult.
Woman: Would this lady be able to help me with accommodation?
Man: Yes, it’s a pub that has live-in bar staff.
Woman: How do you know her?
Man: Well she has a brother whose daughter used to go to school with me.
Woman: It’s a small world.
Man: You see, it’s not what you know it’s who you know, now would you like me to call her?

Woman: A CV.
Man: In British English CV is a contraction of Curriculum Vitae. In American English they call it a résumé. In Great Britain, a CV should be a maximum of 2 pages and for an American company, they prefer it to be on 1 page.
Listen to this short conversation:
Man: Have you finished your CV yet?
Woman: No, it’s too long.
Man: How many pages is it?
Woman: Four.
Man: Let me see. That’s far too much, you must reduce it to 1 page for an American résumé.
Woman: I know, can you help me?

Woman: Personal Details and Personal Profile.
Man: Personal details is the first part of a CV and includes your name, date of birth, nationality, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address. It is often followed by a personal profile which is a brief description of your personality and the kind of work you like or want. For example:
Man: Look you’ve put far too much information in your personal details.
Woman: What should I put?
Man: Your name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, date of birth and nationality.
Woman: Oh, and for my personal profile?
Man: Well, it depends which job you are applying for. Usually no more than 3 lines, something like “I’m a dynamic person who welcomes new challenges and wishes to develop my skills further.”
Woman: Education in Reverse Order.
Man: When you write your education details on a CV, they should start with your first achievements, for example your high school diploma, and then be followed by your most recent achievements, for example, your degree and any other professional qualifications.
Man: You have to change your education details.
Woman: Why?
Man: There’s too much detail, they’re over 2 pages long. They are not interested in every subject you studied at university, just what your degree and thesis was, when, where, and how long it took you to achieve it.
Woman: Oh, I see.
Man: Also, you’ve written them the wrong way round, you should start with your high school diploma, then university, then any other qualifications.
Woman: Gosh. Can you help me change this?
Woman: Career History or Career Profile.
Man: This is the history of your work experience, starting with your current job. It should include where you worked, when you worked there and a brief description of your responsibilities and achievements.
Woman: I don’t have much work experience, I’ve only done some voluntary work while I was at university and my current job which is only as a secretary.
Man: Don’t worry, voluntary work counts. Now write down when you started working in your current job, put the title, then include your actual responsibilities.
Woman: Aah, but, I do a lot more than what a secretary normally does.
Man: Then include it in your CV. That’s the whole point it’s a black and white photo of you. Someone will read it for 2 minutes and say yes or no.

Woman: Interests.
Man: This is where you write what you are interested in outside of work, so an employer can have an idea of what type of person you are.
Woman: What about my interests section is that too long?
Man: Mmm. Just a little bit, it should just be a few sentences on what you do in your free time. You’ve written almost a page, nobody is going to read that.
Woman: OK, well what should I cut?
Man: Keep it simple, just include your hobbies, such as water sports, photography etc. You don’t need to write in such detail, it should just outline the kind of person you are outside of work.

Woman: References.
Man: References can be personal or for work. Hence, they vouch for your character or your working ability. Ideally you should have one from your current occupation. Note, it is common practice in Britain and America to write at the bottom of a CV “References available on request.” So you do not put referee contact details forward until they are requested. Also, in America and many British companies it is illegal to give a bad reference.
Woman: OK, I’ve changed everything, now are my references OK?
Man: It’s too much information, you don’t need it, just write “References available on request.” This is standard practice and if they call you for an interview, or you are asked to fill in an application form, then you give the contact details of your references.
Woman: Aah, what would I do without you?

Man: Now let’s listen to some information on how to write the perfect CV, adapted from the BBC.co.uk.

Writing the perfect CV

A well-written CV is the key to the job of your dreams! Here are a few tips on how to write the perfect CV…

1. Don’t make it too complicated. Here is a basic format:
• Personal data - name, date and place of birth, nationality, contact details.
• Education – in reverse, chronological order.
• Career history - starting with your current job, and going backwards
• over the past 10 years - with brief descriptions of your responsibilities and achievements.
• Interests.
• References.
2. Make sure your CV is printed on good quality A4 size paper.
3. Never attach extra documents - save them for the interview.
4. Re-read your CV, and then ask a friend or family member to read it as well.
5. Make sure there are no spelling errors or coffee stains!
6. ...and last but not least: stick to the truth!

Man: Currently
Woman: This adverb means at the present time. Listen to this example:
Man: Hi, how are you? Are you still working at the travel agency?
Woman: No, I did a writing course, and I’m currently writing a book on life in Sicily now.
Man: Wow, I bet that’s interesting.
Man: Actual
Woman: Actual is an adjective that is used to describe something real, or something that happened. For example:
Man: How did the interview go?
Woman: Well the actual interview went well I think, but, then afterwards we did some psychological tests and I’m not sure how I did in them.
Man: Don’t worry.
Man: Actually
Woman: This adverb means really, or in fact. In English actually does not mean “at the present time” we use “currently” or “at the moment” for this.
Actually is often used in conversation to get somebody’s attention or to correct them politely. Listen to this short conversation
Man: I can’t believe I actually got the job.
Woman: Actually I knew last week, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Congratulations!

Woman: Imagine you have a job interview for an international company, it is important that you make a good impression in the first two minutes. Now listen for the words you have just learned in the following job interview.

Man: Good Morning Ms Wilson, please take a seat.
Woman: Thank you.
Man: Can you tell me why you’d like to apply for the position of IT Manager?
Woman: Well I’ve been working in my current job as an IT technician for 3 years now, and I feel I am ready for more responsibility.
Man: Why do you want to work for JKB?
Woman: Actually I’ve always wanted to work for JKB, I did a case study on your company while I was at university and I think they are very dynamic and forward thinking.
Man: What are your current responsibilities?
Woman: Well my actual position is as an IT technician, but, I’ve been team leader for 2 years developing different software programmes and packages for a variety of companies.
Man: What project are you working on at the moment?
Woman: Well I’m currently developing a software package for a language school that allows the students to speak into the computer, and the computer automatically corrects their English and produces a report of what skills they have to improve.
Man: Very interesting. Why do you want to leave your current job?
Woman: I’ve enjoyed working for TGP, but I feel ready for a change and I would like to develop my skills further.
Man: Thank you and when would you be available to start?
Woman: I have to give one month’s notice, so after the 1st of September.
Man: Thank you very much for your time Ms. Wilson. Now if you go through to the secretary she will direct you to the second part of the interview.
Woman: Thank you sir, and I look forward to meeting you again.