[00:07.99]READING
[00:09.22]FOOTALL: A GOOD CAREER CHOICE?
[00:12.15]Little David was football crazy.
[00:14.71]He spent all his spare time kicking a ball in the school playground or on the streets near his east London home.
[00:21.81]Like millions of boys and an increasing number of girls,
[00:25.23]he dreamt of being a professional football player.
[00:28.47]He was a Manchester United supporter and he wanted to wear the red shirt and score goal at the famous Old Trafford Stadium in front of thousands of cheering fans.
[00:38.82]While he was still a schoolboy,
[00:41.06]he attended training sessions with a London club,
[00:44.43]and then at the age of sixteen,
[00:46.18]he was invited to join Manchester United as a trainee.
[00:50.13]David’s career took off almost immediately when he was part of the Manchester United’s Youth Team that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992,
[00:59.77]and he was chosen to play for the Red devils’ senior team in the same year.
[01:04.34]It was the beginning of an extraordinary career.
[01:07.27]Now David is England’s most famous mid-filed player and a world superstar.
[01:12.23]Every time he plays football he is watched by thousands of adoring Becks fans all over the world.
[01:18.13]David Beckham accomplished his aim,
[01:20.46]but what about all the other children with the same dream?
[01:23.51]How can they achieve their ambition?
[01:25.86]Football is different from most careers because employers do not advertise that they have a vacant job in the newspapers or on the Internet.
[01:34.12]There are no application forms or interviews.
[01:36.57]Instead the employers-the football clubs-find player with the right abilities and offer them employment.
[01:44.20]The clubs look for young footballer with particular qualities and,
[01:48.23]most importantly, talent.
[01:50.26]Professional footballers have to be very, very good,
[01:53.71]and to play for a leading club they must be outstanding.
[01:57.58]Top players must have excellent ball control and understand how to use the space on the pitch,
[02:03.32]but it is not just what they do with their feet that counts.
[02:06.54]Club manager also want every footballer to have good team spirit,
[02:11.24]a strong character, mental strength and a positive attitude.
[02:15.18]Many countries have set up programmers to encourage and develop young footballers,
[02:19.60]and this is where the clubs go to assess athletes and find stars of the future.
[02:24.54]China has special football schools where children acquire ball skills as well as a formal education.
[02:30.99]In the UK the clubs send scouts around the country to discover talented boys and girls.
[02:37.02]These scouts watch hundreds of matches played by school teams in villages, towns and cities.
[02:43.08]When they spot young people with talent,
[02:45.22]they invite them to train with the club.
[02:47.47]If the players are under sixteen,
[02:49.22]they still go to school but take part in club training sessions in evenings and play in the junior team at weekends.
[02:56.77]Those that are good enough then become youth trainees at age of sixteen and join the club as a paid member of staff.
[03:05.03]During this time they receive football instruction and play for the youth team,
[03:09.78]but it is not an easy life.
[03:11.82]There is a lot of competition for places on the team.
[03:15.29]The salary is low and the job includes cleaning the changing rooms,
[03:20.75]toilets and senior colleagues’ boot.
[03:23.10]The trainees also to go college one day a week where they study other characteristics of the football industry such as pitch maintenance and office administration.
[03:33.24]After two years, only a few trainees are good enough to go on the next stage.
[03:38.17]Theses lucky ones are offered a contract with a club and their life as a professional footballer begins.
[03:45.02]From this point on the success of their career and how much they earn depends on their performance and how many matches their team wins.
[03:53.33]Perhaps, like Becks, one or two become great stars
[03:57.17]However, football is such a fiercely competitive occupation,
[04:01.89]that many players are not successful and have to the profession to find other careers.
[04:08.06]When David Beckham was child,
[04:09.89]he dreamt of playing for Manchester United.
[04:12.92]He achieved his ambition and made the red Number 7 shirt famous throughout the world.
[04:11.92]Now he is famous for his haircuts and lifestyle as well as for scoring goals.
[04:17.25]David’s story has a happy ending,
[04:19.52]but most children with the same wish will never have the opportunity to wear their favourite team’s shirt.
[04:26.15]Many of them will only play as amateur footballers in their spare time.
[04:30.31]Unfortunately dreams do not often come true.
[04:35.04]INTEGRATING SKILLS
[04:39.40]Reading
[04:40.50]WHY DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE GOOD AT THIS JOB?
[04:43.34]Most application forms for jobs or further education include a section that asks you to write a paragraph or more about yourself.
[04:52.02]This could be in a general way, which is often called a personal statement,
[04:56.87]or as a response to a specific question .
[04:59.62]The types of question you might be asked are :
[05:02.78]l Why do you think you would be good at this job?
[05:05.73]l What are your career goals?
[05:07.40]l What personal characteristics do you have that show you will be successful in this profession?
[05:13.36]l Explain why you have applied.
[05:15.19]This is chance to persuade an employer or educator what a great addition to their company,
[05:21.25]organization, college of university you would be.
[05:24.90]Form your answer they will decide whether they are interested in you .
[05:28.95]so it is important to make a good impression.
[05:31.72]We asked some employers for some tips on how to create a positive effect.
[05:36.68]Here’s what they said:The most important thing is to do your research.
[05:41.36]You need to convince the reader that you understand what the company or organization does,
[05:47.60]and what the job or course will involve.
[05:50.24]Then show that you have the ability to be successful by giving evidence of how your interests,
[05:56.62]qualifications or experience prove that you have the necessary skills.
[06:01.58]Be hones, but don’t hold back and be modest
[06:05.24]If you are good at something it’s OK to say so.
[06:08.29]Don’t send an application form with mistakes,
[06:11.40]even if you have corrected them.
[06:13.75]The form should be clear and easy to read.
[06:16.99]Avoid being to general;
[06:19.66]your personal statement should be interesting and original.
[06:23.26]For example, an applicant for a job as a tour guide who says “I like meeting people and traveling” isn’t giving the employer any fresh ideas or appealing information
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