Fulfilment

Hi everyone!

Finding, choosing, or even stumbling upon a career path that turns out to be fulfilling is entirely different for each one of us. For some, it's a very natural thing: we have a vocation, a "calling" if you wish. And we still doubt very often. For others, it is the product of very careful reasoning and a journey of self-discovery. It is nothing less than a crisis, a turning point ("point" being quite an inaccurate term here, as it takes considerably longer than a moment). And the search for fulfilment can happen at any age, bringing with it different concerns about our finances or our family, relocation or housing.

Not easy, and yet, fascinating (at least to me, like everything that involves self-search). This is one video that I have found while reading and I want to share it with you... along with some questions, of course, and a wealth of interesting vocabulary, presented here in the form of lexical chunks (ready-to-use vocabulary, if you will).

You can use both the context and a dictionary for these. Check pronunciation. Apart from helping you identify the word...it's beautiful in many cases, particularly for unusual words.


to a greater or lesser extent
the quest for...
there are estimated to be..
we end up making no choice at all
fear is entirely normal
have a calling
a perilous position
puts us at the mercy of
catch a glimpse of
what we have to do is...
conundrum
unwittingly chosen
to surmise
non-irrevocable
to give it a go
feudalism (do check pronunciation to be able to catch this one!)


And some questions:

1. Where does "paralysis of choice" stem from?
2. Why is it important to park any concerns for money for some time?
3. What do you have to write down?
4. Why is it important to do something as well as thinking?


Language. Find examples of:

a) emphatic "do"
b) double negatives

I hope you like this one as much as I do, and I expect some comments and opinions in the comments section. Ask me any questions you may need, and don't forget to disable the CC (closed captions) on the video... Don't cheat!

Enjoy!

What do employers look for?

Hi everyone!

This video  is a short collection of interviews with HR managers who tell us about the qualities they look for in a candidate. I propose completing these sentences (listening for specific information).

I'm not going to make this one too difficult: I'll transcribe the sentences as they are uttered, with gaps. Do take a look at useful vocabulary before listening, as it helps comprehension more than you may think. Use the dictionary widget on your right.

traits
to make x out of y : to turn y into x. For example, "to make a drama out of the situation" means to turn the situation into a drama, that is, to exaggerate it. What is the use of this expression in the video and what does it mean?
to figure out a solution


Go for it!

As usual, any questions will be answered in the comments section, and key here. You're welcome!


1. I'm looking for proven track record; I'm looking for a proven ability to _________ and execute.

2. I'm always looking for people that are _________  learning and developing so that they can make a career out of this _________  a single job.

3. An aptitude to do any type of job, as employers aren't necessarily looking to lock somebody into _________ .

4. Traits to me are almost more important than skills. And you're looking for someone who can be a leader, that can be responsible, who can understand the task and get them _________ . But also someone who, who is obviously intelligent and hardworking and that is, those traits are more important than any _________  you can show me.

5. I'm looking for someone who is _________ , who has a desire to help others, someone who has an active _________  communication and complex thinking skills.

6. You have to be able to communicate well and work well with other people, because it's going to _________ all those problem-solving minds _________  to really be able to figure out the solution for the business.