Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 428, Getting a Dream Job.
This is English as a Second Language podcast number 428.
© transcript Emily Beynon.
That contains all of the vocabulary definitions, sample sentences, additional definitions, cultural notes, comprehension checks and a complete transcript of everything we say on this episode.
This episode is called Getting a Dream Job, Getting a Great Job.
It's a dialogue between Tandia and Hank, who are looking for a good job, and while talking about it, use a lot of vocabulary we would use to describe someone's job.
Let's get started.
Do you want these want ads after I'm finished with them?
No, I'm not going to find my dream job in the classifieds.
I'm going to have to get more creative with my job search.
I want a job that's rewarding and fast-paced. and with good growth potential.
But all I see are dead-end jobs.
I know what you mean.
I'm looking for something that's challenging, but also with flexible work hours.
All of my friends have great jobs.
Why can't I land one of them?
Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we need a better game plan.
What do you have in mind?
I'm not sure but we need to get noticed.
Why don't you take out a billboard?
That should get you noticed.
I was joking.
I'm not.
That's an inspired idea.
Now what should we put on the billboard?
You're crazy.
Tandia starts by asking Hank, do you want these want ads after I'm finished with them?
The want ads are advertisements, announcements by a company that is looking for a new employee.
These usually appear in the newspapers, the want ads.
Hank says, no, I'm not going to find my dream job in the classifieds.
A dream job would be a perfect job, an ideal job, a great job.
The classifieds refers to a section of the newspaper where there are very many small advertisements that usually without any pictures or colors, usually at the back of the newspaper.
It's a place where, if you are going to buy something or sell your car, you can put a little advertisement, a little announcement.
This is where the want ads are found in the classifieds or the classified section of the newspaper.
Hank says, I'm going to have to get more creative with my job search.
A job search is the process of looking for a new job.
Going through and looking at want ads, applying for the job, interviewing for the job all of these are part of the job search process.
Tandia says, what are you looking for?
Hank replies, I want a job that's rewarding and fast-paced.
Something that is rewarding gives you a lot of pleasure, makes you feel happy or pleased.
Fast-paced means rapid, quick.
Very fast.
People who live in New York City have very fast-paced lives.
Everyone walks quickly, moves quickly, talks quickly, eats quickly.
You get the idea.
Very fast-paced.
Hank says he wants a job that's rewarding and fast-paced. and with good growth potential.
Growth potential means opportunities to move into a better, more interesting job.
I'm looking for growth potential.
I'm looking for something that I can start at one job but then get a better job, usually in the same company.
Hank says that all he sees in the want ads are dead end jobs.
Dead end means without any opportunities for growth potential, without any opportunities to move into a more interesting, higher paying job.
If someone says I have a dead end job, they mean dead.
They can't go any higher in the company, and it's not a very good job, usually.
Tandia says, Something is challenging if it is difficult, but it's interesting and enjoyable.
Tandia also wants a job with flexible work hours.
Flexible means that you can change them easily.
Flexible work hours would be being able to work a different schedule depending on your preferences, depending on what else you had to do that day.
The schedule, that is, can change.
That would be a flexible work schedule or flexible work hours.
Tandia says, Why can't I land one of them?
To land something means to get something, to get a job, to get a certain project, to make a certain deal or agreement.
If you are a salesperson, you might say, I landed a big contract today.
This company is going to buy a lot from us.
I got it.
Land has several different meanings in English, however.
Take a look at the learning guide for some additional explanations.
Hank says instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we need a better game plan.
To feel sorry for yourself first means to feel unhappy and sad about the situation you are in.
We might say to pity yourself.
You don't want to feel sorry for yourself, spend all day saying, oh, my poor life.
Instead, you want to get a better game plan.
A game plan is a strategy, a plan for doing something.
Tandia says, what do you have in mind?
What is your idea?
Hank says, I'm not sure, but we need to get noticed.
To get noticed means to get other people's attention, to become well-known people.
This actually has a couple of different meanings in English to get noticed.
You can, of course, find those additional explanations in the learning guide for this episode.
Tandia says, Why don't you take out a billboard?
That should get you noticed.
A billboard is a very large sign that you usually see on the side of a road that has some advertising on it.
We have billboards here in Los Angeles on almost every street, advertisements, big signs.
Sunset Boulevard, which is a famous street here in Los Angeles, is known for its big billboards, advertising movies and musicians and so forth.
Tandia is joking.
She doesn't really think they should buy or take out a billboard and put an advertisement on it.
Hank says, however, hey, that's really thinking out of the box.
Hank thinks that Tandia is being serious.
To think out of the box or to think outside of the box means to think creatively, to think of new interesting, perhaps unusual ideas.
Tandia says, I was joking.
I wasn't serious.
Hank says, I'm not.
I'm not joking.
That's an inspired idea.
An inspired idea is one that is exciting and interesting, one that has very good qualities.
Finally, Hank says, now what should we put on the billboard?
And Tandia says, you're crazy.
She doesn't think this is a serious idea at all.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
Do you want these want ads after I'm finished with them?
No, I'm not going to find my dream job in the classifieds.
I'm going to have to get more creative with my job search.
What are you looking for?
I want a job that's rewarding and fast-paced and with good growth potential, but all I see are dead-end jobs.
I know what you mean.
I'm looking for something that's challenging but also with flexible work hours.
All of my friends have great jobs.
Why can't I land one of them?
Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we need a better game plan.
What do you have in mind?
I'm not sure, but we need to get noticed.
Why don't you take out a billboard?
That should get you noticed.
Hey, that's really thinking out of the box.
I was joking.
I'm not.
That's an inspired idea.
Now, what should we put on the billboard?
You're crazy.
Our inspired script today was written by Dr. Lucy Say.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thanks for listening.
Come back and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr Lucy Say, hosted by Dr Jeff McQuillan.
This podcast is copyright 2008.
