What do people want from a job?
As part of my business degree, I have looked at a number of surveys to research what people want from a job. I have discovered that the majority of survey respondents want to do something where they can use their skills. Most people value fair pay and job security, although the latter is, in (1)___________, quite rare in the modern world with the pace of technological change. Perhaps surprisingly, a large number of people are not interested in opportunities to (2)___________ within their organisation.
With job security becoming so rare, people are increasingly looking for career security instead. If their employer goes out of business or (3)___________ arises, they are able to get a similar job in a different sector, having built up a CV which shows both the hard and soft skills (4)___________ to the available jobs.
What is interesting about the most recent surveys is that they show far fewer gender differences than in the past, with men and women seeking very similar things in terms of job satisfaction. However, women often put (5)___________ on with their boss high on their list of priorities.
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Correct Answer: B
Why this is correct: reality is correct because 'in reality' is a fixed phrase meaning 'actually' or 'in fact'. It fits the point that job security sounds nice but is truly quite rare now.
Tips: Memory trick: 'in reality' pulls back the curtain to show the real truth. Reality equals what is actually true.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: turn gives 'in turn', which means 'one after another' or 'as a result'. That is a different idea from 'actually'.
- C: order gives 'in order', meaning 'tidy' or 'working properly'. It does not mean 'in fact', so it does not fit.
Key Vocabulary:
- in reality = actually = in fact
- in turn = one after another
Correct Answer: C
Why this is correct: advance means 'move up' or 'make progress'. It works on its own without an object, so 'advance within their organisation' means moving to a higher position.
Tips: Memory trick: an army advances forward by itself. 'Advance' moves on its own, so it fits 'advance within the company'.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B: raise needs an object - you raise something. This is a Structural Trap - 'to raise within' has nothing to raise, so it breaks.
- A: promote also needs an object - you promote someone. This is a Structural Trap - the usual form is 'be promoted', not 'to promote within'.
Key Vocabulary:
- advance = move up = progress
- promote (needs an object: promote someone)
Correct Answer: C
Why this is correct: redundancy means 'losing your job because it is no longer needed'. It matches 'employer goes out of business', so 'redundancy arises' fits the fear of losing work.
Tips: Memory trick: redundant means 'not needed any more'. Redundancy is when the job itself is no longer needed.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: dismissal means 'being fired', usually for doing something wrong. This is a Thematic Trap - it is about job loss too, but the cause is fault, not the job disappearing.
- B: retirement means 'stopping work because of age'. This is a Thematic Trap - it ends a job, but by choice, not as a threat to career security.
Key Vocabulary:
- redundancy = job cut because it is no longer needed
- dismissal = being fired for a reason
Correct Answer: B
Why this is correct: relevant means 'connected to' or 'useful for' something, and it pairs with 'to'. 'Skills relevant to the available jobs' means skills that match those jobs.
Tips: Memory trick: 'relevant' and 'to' travel together, like 'relevant to the topic'. If it links, it is relevant.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: required means 'needed', but it takes 'for' or 'by', not 'to'. This is a Structural Trap - 'required to the jobs' uses the wrong preposition.
- C: significant means 'important'. This is a Thematic Trap - the sentence wants skills that match the jobs, not skills that are important to them.
Key Vocabulary:
- relevant to = connected to = matching
- required for / by (not 'to')
Correct Answer: B
Why this is correct: getting is right because 'get on with someone' is an idiom meaning 'have a good relationship'. 'Getting on with their boss' means having a friendly working bond.
Tips: Memory trick: 'How do you get on with your boss?' Learn 'get on with' as one unit for good relationships.
Why the other options are wrong:
- C: taking does not fit - 'taking on with' is not an English phrase, so the grammar of the idiom breaks. This is a Structural Trap.
- A: working gives 'working on with', which is not correct English. This is a Structural Trap - only 'getting on with' means having a good bond.
Key Vocabulary:
- get on with someone = have a good relationship
- idiom = a set phrase with a special meaning
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