ESL Work Reading

This ESL work reading exercise will help you learn the vocabulary that you might need when working or doing a job in a foreign country.

By doing the reading exercise on this page you will have a very good opportunity to learn the work vocabulary so that you are ready to use it in real life situations. Work through the reading passage and questions that follow it at a slow pace and try to understand as much as possible. By working now you will get many benefits in the future. 

If you need any help understanding the vocabulary used you can look at the ESL work vocabulary page for definitions of many employment vocabulary items.

Once you have finished the ESL work reading passage and have answered the questions you can click on the get score button to how many you got right and what the correct answers are. 

ESL Work Reading Comprehension Passage

What Fresh Graduates Should Know about Their First Jobs

For recent graduates, internships may become a stepping stone to full-time, paid employment. Before accepting an offer to work as an intern you should get some information about the company’s reputation of procuring their interns and decide accordingly. If they usually hire one intern but have tens of employees working day and night, it is better to look for other companies. The best place to have an internship position is an organization that gives you an opportunity to gain real work experience and develop your skills instead of using you as a cheap worker.

Another thing that should be considered is the size of the company. Sometimes bigger and more established organizations are better as they have a clear hierarchy and therefore it gives you a clear idea of your position and the job description and most importantly, it will be easier to get a mentor. Startups with only five employees are usually more flexible in terms of job responsibilities and therefore it makes it harder to define your position and get mentors.

After you choose a company, do a little research on the company including the people who work there. You can do a Google search and comb social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter   to dig deep about the company’s hiring managers and what they expect from a new employee.

Social media is also very useful to keep in touch with as many people as you can and build your network. Do not hesitate to maintain any personal connection you have because those connections could be the first ones who inform you about a new job opening or any vacant positions you can apply for. 

If you aim for a dream job, do not overlook an entry-level position just because it offers mediocre salary. Entry-level employees are more likely to be given room to grow and learn from their mistakes. They will also be able to figure out the job routines and get used to them when they actually get the position they have been dreaming about.

As your first few jobs might be very demanding yet less rewarding, remember to have fun and enjoy your life. Working overtime may not always be a good idea to accelerate your career, especially if you have to be more stressed than your seniors who earn bigger salaries. Setting the time for exercise and social life will make your life more balanced and stress free.

ESL Work Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension questions that go with the above reading passage.

1) What should a fresh graduate take into account when finding an internship?

    A) Company’s recruitment procedure.
    B) Company’s reputation of hiring interns.
    C) Company’s worker union.
    D) Internship salary.

2) Why is a more established organization a better place to work as an intern?

    A) It has flexible work hours.
    B) It offers higher salary.
    C) It has clear job descriptions.
    D) It offers full-time position.

3) What are the recommended media for doing research on the company?

    A) Google search, Facebook, LinkedIn
    B) Google search, Twitter, Yahoo
    C) Google search, Twitter, Gmail
    D) Google scholar, LinkedIn, Twitter

4) Why is networking important for recent graduates?

    A) To get information about job openings.
    B) To get information about job security.
    C) To keep in touch with an ex-employer.
    D) To maintain good relationship with fellow interns.

5) What is the advantage of taking an entry-level position?

    A) Getting mediocre salary.
    B) Getting promotion.
    C) Understanding company’s policy.
    D) Understanding job routines.

Score =

Correct answers:

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