7. Choosing a career (volba povolání)
Now I am in my last year of grammar school, so I have to study a lot. In May (just now) I am taking my school-leaving exam. This exam is oral and very (not very) difficult. I have (had) between 20 – 30 topics to study for each subject and then at the finals I picked one of them. I have a quarter of an hour to get prepared and another quarter of an hour to talk and answer the teacher’s questions. I hope I will pass the exam.
It is difficult to make plans for life now – at the age of nineteen. Some of my schoolmates are going to try to study at the university (and so I am?). Another possibility is to try to get a job and begin to make money. Or – I could spend some time by travelling doing different jobs. Many young people do this. They see some interesting countries, learn the language, meet many interesting people….. When they get back, they usually settle down, get married and have children.
Nowadays young people face quite a big problem finding a good job. It is not usually difficult to find a job, but if you want to work in your field and take advantage of your school- knowledge, then it is difficult. In different times different jobs are “in”. Some times ago there were so few doctors and lawyers that everybody wanted to be one. Now it isn’t quite easy to find a job as a lawyer because there are lots of them and you have to be really good to catch on. If young people cannot find a job, they have to go and register at the job centre and they have to wait till a suitable job appears. It is a good idea to take up a PC or a driving course as it sounds more interesting to your possible employer.
If I saw an interesting advertisement, I would prepare a CV with all the relevant information (personal details, information on my education, the courses taken, the languages spoken, skills like PC or driving licence, hobbies and interests, …..). The first impression always counts. For a job interview men should wear a suit and a tie, and women a suit or a formal dress. You should look confident (sebejistě).
Some people like being on their own and running their own businesses. They may sleep till late in the morning, they may take a holiday whenever they want and are not harassed by a boss. But at the same time they have to be very responsible (zodpovědní) and organized (disciplinovaní), they must solve problems when they come and start to work whenever it is necessary. So very often they work much longer and have no holiday. On the other hand, employed people don’t have to worry if they are ill, they can go on holiday as planned and they know exactly what their working hours are. Some people like to have fixed working hours. I think it’s good because you can plan your day and week and if you have some hobbies you know that you can do them. On the other hand, working flexi-time is good because you feel free and your day is not monotonous. There are days when you feel very well. You work hard and do a lot of work, then there are days when you would rather go shopping or to the swimming pool.
In my opinion it is always better to try different jobs before you decide definitely on what you would like to do for the rest of your life. We are probably different from the Japanese who usually spend their work life with one company. An ideal combination is of course as follows: a job that I love and that brings me a lot of money. But that is rarely the case.
