Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 254
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – PASSAGE – 2
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST
READING PASSAGE – 2
Writing a personal CV that will attract employers
You are unique. No-one has the same behavioural make-up that you have. Likewise, everyone’s career history is also unique. Why is it then that a great many CVs are mostly descriptions of past jobs or standard CV templates and give away very little about the individual behind the CV? It’s almost as if the majority of job seekers are afraid to let their own personality shine through.
Perhaps in a corporate world where everyone feels they have to have the same professional image — dress in dark, formal suits, for example — the same is subconsciously felt to be true for CV writing. But there’s a difficulty here: you want your CV to stand out and yet at the same time are afraid of saying anything that might make you stand out? The problem with the above thinking is painfully clear.
Your CV will be dull, and likely to be swiftly passed over by an employer. Surely it is much better to be brave? To define your personal brand, as marketers might say. This isn’t about making unsupportable statements: it’s about choosing words that describe the qualities that drive your success. In short, what makes you good at your job.
IELTS General Reading Test
Writing about oneself can sometimes be difficult. It involves the ability to see yourself from different people’s viewpoints. Working with a professional CV writer is one way to achieve that and to present your character positively within a CV. Asking a colleague that you trust is also a good way to find out
how others see your strengths.
Try not to use classic recruitment clichés. Everyone says they have great. ‘communication’ or ‘organisational’ skills. This gets ignored by recruiters. So, instead think carefully about who you are and what you bring and then. try to describe yourself. In that way you give recruiters something original to engage With, something that grabs their attention.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 15-20
Complete the sentences below. Choose ONLY ONE WORD from the passage.
15. Many job applicants do not dare to reveal in a CV what their real ……………. is.
16. If applicants do not include what makes them distinctive their CVs are likely to appear …………. to the reader.
17. Applicants need to find ways to define the …………… that make them do well in their work.
18. It can be helpful for applicants to try to base a consideration of themselves on the ………. of others.
19. Requesting the input of a dependable ……………….. can help an applicant work out their own good points.
20. It is best to avoid the …………… used by many applicants when describing themselves in a CV.
IELTS General Reading Test
Read the text below and answer Questions 21-27.
The value of being organised at work
Being organised is one of the most effective skills a businessperson can acquire because when were organised. we think more clearly. We’re in tune With our targets and know how to reach them. Here are my top tips to bring order to your business life:
Organise your workspace
Don’t underestimate time lost or stress caused from an inefficient working
environment. To restore order:
Cut down documents and stationery to the bare essentials. Be ruthless and remove anything that doesn’t directly serve a function in your day-to-day activity. One or two carefully selected photos to make your desk feel like home are fine, but avoid too many.
IELTS General Reading Test
Create locations where you will keep all your work materials to make retrieval easy. Do this logically based on where you tend to use the items; for example, store spare copy paper near the printer. Move outside your immediate reach anything you use infrequently. Always return items once you have used them so they’ll be where you expect them next time.
Frustration ensues when you’re searching for a client proposal, but it’s buried among random papers. Eliminate desktop chaos by using trays, magazine files, or whatever you fancy and add clear labels such as ‘In’, ‘Out’, ‘For Action’, ‘Current Projects’ or other relevant categories.
Be brutally honest about What you must keep. Studies suggest that 80% of what we file is never accessed again. Ask: do | know of a tax or legal requirement for retaining it? Why would this be important to me in future? Avoid ‘miscellaneous’ as a category — you Won’t remember What’s in there.
Effective planning
Plan your work; work your plan. Time spent planning saves untold hours in execution. Implementing regular planning strategies will sharpen your focus, thereby keeping you on track with your work. Start planning today for tomorrow. Near the close of each work day, implement a 10- to 15-minute routine to wrap up loose ends and prioritise key tasks.
A good plan for tomorrow allows you to clear your head and enjoy your evening. Once a week, ring-fence a 60-to 90-minute appointment with yourself for larger scale planning. Use the time to do research or any of the thinking that normally takes aback seat.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 21-27
Complete the notes below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage.
How to become more organised at work
Maintaining order in the work area involves
– keeping the minimum amount of necessary (21) ……………… and paperwork
– restricting the number of personal (22) ………….. on the work surface
– deciding on sensible (23) ……………… for things that are needed regularly or hardly ever
– placing containers on the desk identified by (24) ……………… to organise on going paperwork
– storing documents if there is an official (25) ……………… to do so
Planning ahead is important because
– in general it will improve the employee’s (26) ……………… on work
– thinking about the next day’s work ensure important (27) ……………. are given due attention
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
IELTS General Reading Test
Answers
15. Personality
16. Dull
17. Qualities
18. Viewpoints
19. Colleague
20. Cliché (s)
21. Stationery
22. Photos
23. Locations
24. Labels
25. Requirement
26. Focus
27. Tasks
IELTS General Reading Test