Looking for a job Listen to three young people from Newcastle talking about their difficulties finding a job. Their story is an increasingly familiar one in the north-east region, where unemployment is generally several percent above the UK average. 1 How old are the people? 2 What qualifications do they have? 3 What’s their problem? Listen again. Who: 1 thinks that some of their job problems may be gender-related? 2 has had to move back home because they cannot afford their own accommodation? 3 came very close to being hired for a job? 4 considers the job centre a waste of time? 5 complains about a constant lack of funds? 6 complains about never receiving an acknowledgement of their applications? a Listening 14 3nj97f 16 Alan Sandra Neil b Are any of your friends unemployed? Have they ever had a job? Why do you think they lost it? What other causes of unemployment are there? Try to imagine how people feel when they have been unemployed for a long time. How do their lives change? Talk in pairs. How would you go about looking for a job? Where would you look/ask for information, help, etc.? Read the blog posts of two unemployed people in America. How do they feel? Speaking 15 a b c Writing 16 a Joe, 27 | Colorado How can you stay upbeat? Unemployment is an emotional roller coaster. One day (one hour even) I’m way up, and the next I’m way down. What triggers the peaks and valleys isn’t always obvious or logical. I used to be fairly eventempered – strange and goofy – but even-tempered. So the huge mood swings give me some concern. My sense is that the highs and lows will level out when I’m employed. My job prospects aren’t looking up in the new year, despite news of economic growth and mixed reports of job growth. I’m seeking work wherever I can find it, including temp and freelance positions. My unemployment insurance will run out shortly. My bills won’t. And, frankly, the ongoing unemployment is really wearing on me. Maryan, 23 | Maine They just don’t know what it’s like! There are so many people out there who believe they have all the answers and are ready to pass judgment on others. I get that all the time. If you haven’t experienced long-term unemployment, you can’t possibly understand what it’s like. And this economic downturn is so different from any we’ve experienced before. I read an article recently where a recruiter said that the people difficult to place used to be ex-offenders or the homeless, but now it’s the chemists and engineers! In other words, many people who are highly skilled, highly trained and educated are now finding themselves unemployed for extended periods of time. That’s shocking. Language skills Extras Explore 4 Work, work, work 53 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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