UNIT2: CAREER AND CHOICES
If you would like to harness the power of nature to ensure the safety and stability of the environment and people’s food supply, you might be in interested in working in agriculture or natural resources. These jobs run the gamut from learning how to manage the earth’s resources to producing the food people eat.
The first career you can pursue in Agriculture and Natural Resources is Agricultural Food Science. As an agricultural food scientist, you would analyse methods of crop production and farming practices. The results of such studies can be used to heighten crop yield and food quality causing harm.
The third career in Agriculture and Natural Resources is Environmental Engineering. Environmental engineers draw the fields of chemistry, soil science, engineering, and biology to solve environmental problems such as pollution and the disposal of hazardous waste. Environmental engineering technicians implement the plans that environmental engineers devise.
The fourth career one can pursue in this filed is Environmental Science - The work of environmental scientists ranges across multiple scientific disciplines, including ecology, biology, chemistry, soil science, and geology. They study how earth’s ecosystems and non-living elements come together to impact the environment.
The fifth career is Farming or Ranching - With increasing demand for healthy food choices, you might be able to make a living as a farmer who grows or raises food, including beef, pork, poultry, or vegetables. You could also be a rancher, which involves raising livestock and maintaining the land and facilities where the animals are kept.
The sixth career in Agriculture and Natural Resources is Food Science and food technology. Food scientists draw on sciences such as biology and chemistry to conduct studies about the biochemistry and makeup of food. Food science technicians apply the knowledge gained by food scientists to develop new kinds of food, test food to make sure nutritional labels arecorrect, and ensure that food is free from bacterial contaminants.
The seventh career is Forestry - Foresters engage in a wide variety of duties that involve the conservation and management of forests. If you become a forester, you might do any of the following: harvest timber, enforce laws pertaining to forestry, or oversee activities that take place in forests such as hunting and recreation.
The eighth and ninth careers to pursue in Agriculture and Natural Resources are related to landscaping and grounds keeping. Landscaping careers include landscape architecture and landscape design. In both of these careers, you will deal with outdoor environments like gardens, highways, and parks. Groundskeepers are responsible for maintaining the outdoor environments designed by landscapers and keeping the areas clean and free of debris.
The tenth career in this field is Zoology. If you love animals, you might want to become a zoologist. The job involves studying animals and their behaviours, growth, and development. You’ll also study diseases that affect animals and analyse how different species of creatures interact with one another.
Comprehension questions
1. List ten careers that one can pursue in Agriculture and Natural Resources.
2. What can make you know that you may be good at working in agriculture or natural resources?
3. What is the duty of a conservation scientist?
4. What do you understand by “make good use of natural resources without causing harm”?
5.Which career can one pursue if they want to solve environmental problems such as pollution and the disposal of hazardous waste?
6. Compare the duties of a conservation scientist and the duties of a environmental scientist.
7. Differentiate a groundskeeper from a landscaper
1. Use a dictionary and thesaurus to look up the missing meanings of the words or phrases in the table below. Copy the table into your book and fill in the blank spaces.
2. Write a short composition describing a career of your choice and qualifications required in order to be successful in that career.
How far you want your career to progress will determine what qualifications you will need and the timeframe it will take for you to reach your goal. For instance, if you have a secondary school certificate in construction, but you see yourself as a Chief Engineer someday, you need to be prepared to learn new skills and improve your qualifications.
Even if you have some knowledge, however, you will need to be prepared to study further in order to have a successful career in engineering. If you take the non-graduate route into engineering, the entry point is on an apprenticeship scheme. Here you will work as an operator and be expected to study towards an engineering degree as part of your apprenticeship.
If you are a secondary school certificate holder, and want to an engineer, you must join university and enrol on a higher apprenticeship in order to qualify to undertake a bachelor’s degree in engineering. The graduate route will see you recognised as a member of one of the three main professional institutions; Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, or Institute of Electrical Engineers .
Professional qualifications are important in the industry and will increase your earning potential, improve your career prospects and will raise your professional credibility. There are different categories of employment in engineering. For example, in the United Kingdom, the Engineering Council recognises three main categories of employment, all of which have their own professional qualifications: Chartered Engineers, Incorporated Engineers and Engineering Technicians.
To become an engineering technician you need a National Certificate, Diploma or equivalent qualification, combined with initial professional development (IPD), which can be achieved through an advanced apprenticeship.
Incorporated engineers require an engineering related degree or for those without a degree, alternative routes can include a High National Diploma or Foundation Degree followed by structured professional training.
Regardless of sector, the most sought after positions are generally accredited to chartered status. To become a Chartered Engineer in the United Kingdom, graduates study a four-year Mechanical Engineering degree accredited by one of the major engineering institutes.
If you are unsure what avenue is right for you, seek out potential work experience opportunities. Approach employers directly and volunteer for an unpaid work placement. This will give you an insight into the industry and if you prove your value to the organization, you could end up with a job offer. Adapted from
https://www.monster.co.uk/career-advice/article/what- ;qualifications-are-important-in-engineering
Comprehension questions
1. Can a secondary school certificate holder work as engineer? Explain.
2. What post can the non-graduate person occupy in a company?
3. State three main categories of employment recognised by Engineering Council.
4. What do you understand by “Regardless of sector, the most sought after positions are generally accredited to chartered status”?
5. Which advice is given to people who are not sure of what avenue is right for them?
2. Write a short composition explaining qualifications required for a primary school teacher.
The old days of finding a job right out of school and sticking with it until retirement are certainly in the past. In these modern times, people have become more adept at locating new job opportunities. But some of the more traditional tactics have started to fade in popularity. People are no longer looking primarily at the newspaper want-ads to find their dream jobs.
Job seekers are becoming more creative and utilizing new strategies in moving their careers forward. Those strategies include: networking, referrals, job boards and career websites, company websites, cold calling and temping or internships.
Networking can be done both in person and online. It is said that the majority of job vacancies are never advertised, often referred to as the “hidden job market.” To land these jobs, seekers will need to find a way to get a foot in the door. Networking can go a long way in locating job opportunities; even if no one you know directly has knowledge of a job opening, there’s a chance they know someone who does.
Referrals also come from individuals you know, however, this method may get you an invitation to apply for a position without actually searching for a new job. Some employers offer incentives to their employees for referring a successful candidate to their company – a win-win situation for everyone. You get a new job, and your contact gets a finder’s fee for attracting a top-notch employee.
Job Boards and Career Websites help many people to find jobs. Job boards were traditionally just that – boards posting vacancies and employment opportunities. Though some of these boards may still exist in a literal sense, many job boards have moved toward a virtual format. You can also use job search engines on the internet or the vast number of career-related websites that post job openings, such as umurimo.com, jobinrwanda.com or Rwanda recruitment portal.
Company Websites can also help you find a job. If you already have your dream employer in mind, why not go directly to the career section of their website? If you watch for openings on their site, there’s a chance you’ll find just the opportunity that you’ve been waiting for. Create a list of employers that you’d like to work for and visit their websites often. If you’re really set on working for a specific company it may take some time to find just the opportunity that fits your skill set. But if you’ve got the luxury of time, this might be the optimal method for finding your dream job.
Cold Calling is another method you can use to find a job if even if it is not always well received. If you don’t see any job listings posted for a company you’re particularly interested in, you might consider making a cold call. You can use the telephone or email to contact individuals within an organization by finding their contact details on the company website or by inquiring with a receptionist.
As for Temping or Internships, you should know that sometimes temporary employment or internships can lead to permanent positions. If you’re without work, finding a temporary position with a great company is a great way to get a foot in the door, or provide you with useful business contacts to call upon in the future.
In the modern job market, finding the very best job opportunities often requires a combination of methods. Always keep in mind that there are a variety of methods available for finding job opportunities, all with their own strengths and weaknesses, so don’t be shy to experiment with a variety of techniques.
https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0711/9-different-ways-to-find-a-new-job.aspx
Comprehension questions
1. What are the six strategies to find new job mentioned in the passage.
2. Mention two ways through which networking can be done.
3. Is it worth asking someone about job if he or she has no direct knowledge of a job opening? Explain
4. What do you understand by “many job boards have moved toward a virtual format”?
5. Discuss advantages and disadvantages of “Cold Calling” as a technique of finding a job.
6. Explain how temping or internship can help a person to find a job.
Text: A day in the life of an interpreter
Being an interpreter is a demanding job: it takes years of experience, skill, discipline and hard work. What’s more, professional interpreters often deal with difficult or emotional situations and have to maintain professionalism whilst consecutively thinking and speaking in different languages.
One of Manchester based interpreters, Carmen, who has been interpreting for almost 10 years, was asked what it is like to work as an interpreter. Her principle languages are English and Romanian and she holds a Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI). She answered the following questions.
Journalist: What is it like to be a professional interpreter? Carmen: I really do love my job, including its challenges! Through the course of what I do, I’m lucky to meet some very interesting people and it doesn’t feel like going to work. For me it feels as if I’m meeting someone new, someone vulnerable who, through working with brilliant, multidisciplinary support teams, I’m helping to get the right outcome and enabling them to live a better life.
Essentially, my job is to facilitate communication between the non-English speaker and the relevant professionals. On a daily basis I see how important my role is and because of that, I get great job satisfaction. Don’t get me wrong, the role of an interpreter is an impartial one, I never offer my own opinion or advice. I interpret for the various qualified professionals who are working with the person or family in question.
Journalist: What are the biggest challenges in interpreting?
Carmen: I once worked on a case with a Romanian family whose children were taken into foster care. This was simply due to their non-English speaking mother not understanding the standards of care here in the UK. Different cultures have different ways of doing things. The children and their mother were distressed and working alongside social services, I saw them a number of times. Ultimately, the children were settled in with their new foster care and we helped to educate the mother. Happily, and thanks to the work of the great social services team, Mum gained a solid understanding of what she needed to do and the children were returned to her.
It felt very rewarding to play a role in bringing this family back together in happier circumstances.
Journalist: What skills and qualifications are needed to be an interpreter?
Carmen: Obviously, it’s important to be a good listener, and be alert at all times during the appointment. If you miss the slightest word or sentence, it could have a detrimental impact. You’ll often have to deal with stressful or
emotional situations, and you need to be able to cope in these circumstances, and demonstrate patience and compassion.
The level of qualification depends on your language pair – the level that most companies usually require vary from Community Interpreting Level 3 to DPSI level.
Comprehension questions
1. What makes interpretation very demanding?
2. Describe the experience of the interviewee?
3. Does interpretation work profession bore Carmen? Explain.
4. What makes Carmen get great job satisfaction?
5. Does Carmen give her own view while interpreting?
6. Which qualification is needed to be an interpreter by most companies?
2. Write a 200 word composition “A day in the life of a secondary school student.
2.5. Language structure: The Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous
2.5.1. Present prefect tense
This tense connects the past with the present: completed or unchanging actions or events. It cannot be used to make a reference to a particular point or period (like last week, in January, at 2.am, etc.) It is used for:
Completed actions or events at some time before now(no partic- ular time given)
Actions or events in periods of time not yet finished
Achievements
Actions with ever, and never referring to any time up to now
Unchanging situations in periods of time up to now
Series of completed actions up to now
Future actions after some conjunctions: after, before, as soon as, until, for, since, this week/month/year, etc.
Generally, The present perfect tense is used when talking about:
a) actions which took place in the past, but whose time is not precise or mentioned.
e.g. Have you been to Kigali?
b) experience.
e.g. Have you ever travelled by plane?
→ Yes, I have. No, I haven’t.
→ No, but I’m planning to.
c) news.
e.g. Our country has sent an Ambassador to DRC.
2.5.2. The use of since and for with the present perfect tense
a) Since
Examples:
1. The population of DRC has increased since 1970.
2. Rwanda has been independent since 1962. (this means that Rwanda became independent in 1962 and that it is still independent).
3. His Excellence the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul KAGAME, has ruled the country since 2000.
4. You have been students here since January 2011.
b) For
• We are in 2019, thus, Rwanda has been independent for 57 years.
• You have been students here for one month.
• Our English teacher has taught us English for one month.
• Generally, when making the present perfect tense, we take the subject the auxiliary verb have/has + the past participle of the main verb.
• We use the present perfect tense with since to indicate the beginning of a period of time.
• We use the present perfect tense with for to indicate the duration of a period of time.
The use of just, almost, already and yet
Question: Have you written the other letter?
Different answers may be given:
• Yes, I have already written it.
• Yes, I have just written it.
• I have almost written it.
• No. I haven’t written it yet.
• No. I haven’t yet written it.
• I am still writing it.
2.5.3. The uses of the present perfect continuous
The present perfect continuous talks about an action which started before now and is still continuing. The main concern is the time the action started.
The following format can be used: Subject + auxiliary verb (have) + been +verb (ing)
Example: We have been studying to become lawyers.
They have been doing this job for three years now.
Note:
Since and for help to know the time interval an action has taken.
Compare: Gahizi has been teaching since 2000. (Begun teaching this year up to now)
Gahizi has been teaching for fifteen years. (Has spent these years teaching)
When is the present perfect continuous used?
The present perfect continuous is used to talk about;
a. An action which began in the near past and is still continuing. It does not matter how long the near past is. E.g. He has been working as a doctor for a very long time. (He still works as a doctor)
b. The time interval and length of an action up to present using since and for.
Examples:.
• She has been lecturing since she finished her university.
• We have been waiting for the new manager for five months.
c. Drawing conclusions.
Examples:
His eyes are red. It is clear he has been crying after that difficult job interview.
Look at his hands. He must have been cultivating for his entire life.
