Welcome back to the Teacher Collective: Preparing for the Cambridge Advanced Exam!

And we’ve got another cracking vocab topic to help you ace Part 1 of the Cambridge speaking exam: talking about Jobs and Professions!

And remember our special offer! If you want to do the fast track crash course for preparing for a B2 or C1 exam, you can sign up and have a free trial class with one of our expert teachers. Just click the link and fill out the GET A FREE Trial CLASS form.

That’s right! And as always, in the show notes, you’ll find a list of all the target vocab we discuss today, with brief descriptions, and a link to a fantastic Quizlet to help you really learn these phrases. So, shall we dive in, Roger? Let’s talk jobs!

Let’s do it! And I’ll start by saying that the vast majority of people think an office job is best, but I couldn’t disagree more. I would hate to work a 9-5 job, you know, the typical office hours from nine in the morning to five in the evening.

Oh, here we go again! I love my routine! I’m happy with my desk job, a job where I’m sitting at a desk in an office all day. It’s organised, it’s calm… unlike a classroom! The only downside is you have to be careful it doesn’t become a dead-end job, you know, a job with no chance of promotion or advancement.

See! Exactly! As a teacher, I feel I have good career prospects …., which just means there are great opportunities for my future career. You can become a head of department, a headteacher… you can really climb the career ladder, meaning advance to higher and higher positions.

It’s ALSO worth bearing in mind that it’s easier to get a foot in the door in the admin world. You know, to get your first opportunity in a company. I started as an intern, I did an internship for six months, which is like a temporary, often unpaid, position to get experience. It was tough, I was working my fingers to the bone—I mean…working incredibly hard!—but it paid off. I didn’t want to be stuck in a rut, doing the same boring thing forever.

I get that. But the pressure! I hear about people in offices who are terrified they’ll get sacked or fired if they [chuckles]make a mistake. You know, lose their job because they did something wrong. Or worse, be laid off or made redundant, which is when you lose your job because the company no longer needs you. At least with teaching, your job is usually quite secure.

You say that!, but I know plenty of teachers who have their hands full all the time! They’re always saying they have a lot on their plate or they’re snowed under, which all just means they are incredibly busy with too much work to do. At least I can LEAVE my work at the office. AND I never talk shop, meaning talk about work, when I’m out with friends.

Really! Well, another point I’d like to add about teaching is the SATISFACTION! It’s not necessarily a well-paid job, it doesn’t have the highest salary, but you ARE making a difference. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters, isn’t it? It’s NOT Just being able to make a living, or make ends meet, you know… just earning enough money to live comfortably.

I suppose so. But let’s not forget the perks of the job in the corporate world! The little extra benefits like a company car or private healthcare. They really help you make a good first impression, you know, to make people have a good opinion of you from the first time they see you.

[Laughing] Okay!, okay!, you win on the perks! Let’s switch gears. In the exam, you might be asked a Part 1 question about this very topic. So, let’s do a quick roleplay. Laura, you be the examiner first.

Okay. I’ll ask you one, then you can ask me one. Ready? So, Roger… What would be your ideal job?

Uhm, that’s an interesting question. Well, as you know I love teaching, but… I think my ideal job would be something where I was my own boss, you know, to be self-employed or freelance. Maybe an up-and-coming photographer, someone who is likely to be successful soon. The most important thing is that I wouldn’t want to be between jobs for long. Being out of work or on the dole, you know, receiving government benefits because you’re unemployed, would be my worst nightmare.

Great answer! Okay, my turn to be the candidate.

Alright, Laura. So, what skills do you think are most important for a new job?

Emm, let me see. I think it’s important not to forget that practical skills are key, but so are soft skills. The ability to make a good first impression is vital. You need to show you are a team player and that you’re not afraid to work hard, even if you’re just doing an internship to get a foot in the door. When all’s said and done, I think a positive attitude is probably the most important skill of all.

Fantastic! See? It’s all about dropping in those natural phrases to show a wider range of vocabulary.

And that’s all the time we have for today! We really hope that was useful!

Absolutely! So, please, do yourselves a favour and check out the show notes! We’ve got that whole list of vocabulary for you, with definitions, and the transcript of this episode.

And don’t forget the Quizlet! Seriously, …. take five or ten minutes to do our vocabulary exercise. It REALLY IS the best way to make sure you remember these phrases under exam pressure.

A great tip is to practise answering that exam question using ChatGPT. Just talk to it and ask for feedback and error correction on your use of vocabulary. [animated] It’s a brilliant, free resource.

And of course, if you want feedback from a real, live, expert teacher, remember our special offer. Click the link in the show notes, send us a request by filling out the form, and get your free trial online lesson!

We’d love to meet you. Until next time on the Teacher Collective!