b) b) a) a) b) a)
Reading
A career change
D Find words in the article which mean:
1 to stop doing an activity (paragraph 1). give up 2 to achieve a dream (paragraph 1). realize an ambition 3 times when people do not usually work, for example the weekend or at night (paragraph 3). anti-social hours 4 to get better and better jobs in the same company (paragraph 3). work your way up through a company 5 to do extra work outside the office (paragraph 4). take work home
Cary L Cooper
Reading
A career change
A Before you read the article, discuss these questions.
1 Did you have a ‘dream job’ when you were a child?
2 What is the rat race? Is it a: a) game where people bet money on rats that race? b) very busy and competitive way of life?√ c) group of criminals driving fast cars? 3 To swap means ‘to exchange’: true or false? true
He’s a bus driver now but he used to be a bank manager.
2 How much did he earn? How much does he earn now?
He earned ￡ 30,000 per year before . Now he earns ￡ 11,000
He found no pleasure in work any more and did not want to progress any further in his banking career.
6 Why is Burgin’s new job less stressful than his old one?
Starting up
A Which of these situations are most stressful for you?
Starting up
B
What do you do to relax?
Starting up
C Rank these situations from 1 (most stressful) to 8
(least stressful). Then discuss your choices. • making a presentation to senior executives
• leading a formal meeting
• telephoning in English • writing a report with a tight deadline
B Listen to the first part of the interview and answer
Listening
examples of the stress which Prof. Cooper mentions. Dealing with stress 1 long hours √ 2 too much paperwork 3 not enough breaks during working hours 4 a difficult boss √ 5 transport problems going to and from work √ Cary L Cooper 6 lack of promotion opportunities for women
C Listen to the second part of the interview. Tick the
D Listen to the third part of the interview. Underline the
correct answer according to Prof. Cooper.
a bank manager or b) a bus driver?
a customer a timetable an account a garage a 9-to-5 job wages
a) b) a) b) a) b)
a shift a passenger a loan a salary a terminus an overdraft
1 Men/Women are more flexible. 2 Men/Women cope with pressure better. 3 Men/Women have more stress-related illnesses.
Listening
Dealing with stress
E In your opinion, which of the following apply more
3 What did he collect when he was a child?
Bus maps and timetables.
4 How long did he work in a bank?
Nearly 30 years.
5 ‘Banking was a career but in the end it became just a job,’ what does Burgin mean by this?
Listening
A What do you think are the main causes of stress at
work?
Dealing with stress
Cary L Cooper
the questions. 1 According to Prof. Cooper, what are the 2 major causes of stress at work? job insecurity - Firstly, increasing ___________________. - Secondly, working long hours is becoming common ______________________________. 2 Does Prof. Cooper think these are new problems? Do you agree? Why/why not?
to men or women. Why? Men/Women: 1 are better time managers. 2 are less worried about deadlines. 3 have more pressure outside work. 4 are less ambitious. 5 worry more about making mistakes. 6 pay more attention to detail. 7 are better at doing many things at the same time. 8 are more likely to become angry when stressed.
Reading
A career change
Nat West
National Westminster Bank Plc, or NatWest as it is commonly
known, is a commercial bank in the United Kingdom which has been part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc since 2000. It was established in 1968 by the merger of National Provincial Bank and Westminster Bank. Traditionally considered one of the Big Four banks, NatWest has a large network of 1,600 branches and 3,400 cash machines across England and Wales and offers 24-hour Actionline telephone and online banking services. Today it has more than 7.5 million personal customers and 850,000 small business accounts.
• negotiating a very valuable contract
• meeting important visitors from abroad for the first time • asking your boss for a pay rise • dealing with a customer who has a major complaint Can you think of any other stressful situations?
He doesn’t take work to do at home or think about work when he’s not working, unlike when he was at the bank