BEST IELTS General Reading Test 118

Table of Contents

GENERAL READING TEST 118 – PASSAGE – 2

GENERAL READING TEST – 118

READING PASSAGE – 2

Basic Advice for an Interview

1. Don’t Be Late

I know this advice may sound trivial and something that you already know, but it still happens. You can never predict what might make you late. It could be just public transport problems, but most of the time arriving late is because you didn’t plan properly. Running late not only suggests poor time management skills, but shows a lack of respect for the company. Arriving late is an excellent way to give your interviewer a bad first impression and we all know how important first impressions are. Plan your journey as well as possible, even by checking the public transport website the night before if you have to. Jump on the Internet and figure out exactly where your interview is and make note of a couple of reference points so that you don’t get flustered if you get lost. Budget your time so that you make it to the interview at least ten to fifteen minutes early. While it’s good to arrive early, don’t get there 3 hours early or you’ll come across as nervous and well, a bit weird.

2. Ask Questions

A lot of candidates tend to think that an interview is the process of being asked questions. This is far from the truth. Interviews ought to be a discussion, so you should be ready with your own questions too. A good interviewer will usually allow for enough time to let you ask as many questions as you want at the end of the discussion. Therefore, prepare questions on the topics you’re interested in. Ask questions about the company and their products. You don’t want to show a complete lack of knowledge of what the company does; you want to show an interest. Hiring managers will assume that you have investigated their organisation’s website, so expand the scope of your research efforts. Try to understand what the organisation’s goals are in the short, medium and long term and how the projects you’ll work on will contribute.

3. Don’t Bad-Mouth Previous Employers

Some people apply for a new job because they’re searching for a new challenge, or because they want a higher salary, and others because their employer sucks. Regardless of what your reason is (but in particular if it’s the latter), don’t ever say bad things about your current or previous employers in an interview. The interviewer will be listening to your answers and thinking about what it would be like to work with you. You may come across as a complainer and the interviewer may even wonder what will happen once you’ll leave their company.

4. Be Enthusiastic

The job market is highly competitive and for every good position, there are usually a large number of candidates. If you’ve done well enough to make it to the interview, don’t give the impression that you’re bored with the interview, or the company. Smile and show you’re enjoying everything. Employers want to hire people who are passionate about their job and interested in their company.

Questions 15 – 21

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.

Basic Advice for an Interview

Being late for an interview shows bad planning, bad (15)………… , a lack of respect, and it gives a bad first impression. Plan your journey – use the Internet and make some notes. Try to be 10 – 15 mins early, but don’t come too early!

An interview should be a (16)…………….. , so prepare lots of questions on the company and its (17)…………. . Do more than just research the interviewing company’s website. Know what the different (18)…………… of the company are and how you’ll be a part of them.

Whatever your reasons for wanting a new job are, don’t criticise your previous employer – you don’t want to be seen as a (19)…………… .

Because getting a good job is a very (20)……….. process, it’s important to (21)…………and show you’re passionate about the job and the company.

Working Overtime – Official Advice for Employees

Employers don’t have to pay workers for overtime. However, employees’ average pay for the total hours worked mustn’t fall below the National Minimum Wage. An employee’s employment contract should usually include details of any overtime pay rates and how they’re worked out.

Employees only have to work overtime if their contract says so. If it’s not in the contract, an employee can agree to work longer, but this agreement must be in writing and signed by the employee. Unless an employee’s contract guarantees them overtime, their employer can stop them from working it. However, their employer can’t discriminate against anyone, e.g. by stopping some employees from working overtime while letting others do so.

Unless it says differently in a part-time worker’s employment contract, their employer will usually only pay overtime if they work:

– longer hours than set out in the employment contract

– more than the normal working hours of full-time staff and full-time staff would get extra pay for working these hours

– unsocial hours (eg late at night), for which full-time staff would get more pay

Normally, most workers do not have to work on average more than forty-eight hours per week unless they agree. Even if they do agree, they have the right to opt out at any time by giving notice. The average working week is calculated by taking the average over a seventeen week reference period. Workers who wish to opt out must give notice in writing of at least seven days. A longer period of notice may be agreed by the employer, but it can be no longer than three months.

Young people (sixteen and seventeen year olds) cannot work more than forty hours per week and they cannot opt out.