新編大學英語第二冊unit3 Text C: Which Career Is the Right One for You
UNIT 3 AFTER-CLASS READING 2; New College English (II)
Which Career Is the Right One for You?
1 When you are trying to plan your career, try out a variety of jobs, work in many different settings, volunteer for different tasks.
2 There are six basic categories of occupations. The six types of jobs, as developed by Professor John L. Holland, a psychology professor from Johns Hopkins University, are described here in some detail. Recognize that when I talk about the characteristics of people in the jobs, no one person has all of these characteristics. I am talking about trends, but they are strong trends.
Type A Realistic Jobs
3 These are mainly skilled trades or technical jobs, usually involving work with tools or machines, frequently called "blue-collar" positions.
4 People who are attracted to realistic jobs are usually robust, practical, physically strong and frequently competitive in outlook. They usually have good physical coordination, but sometimes they have trouble expressing themselves in words or in talking with others. They prefer to deal with things rather than with ideas or with people. They enjoy creating things with their hands. They have good motor coordination, but they are frequently uncomfortable in social settings, and lack verbal and interpersonal skills. They usually see themselves as mechanically and athletically inclined and are stable, natural and persistent. They prefer concrete to abstract problems. Realistic people tend to see the world in simple, tangible and traditional terms. Possessions are important to them, and they usually put their recreational money into cars, boats, motorcycles, or other machinery.
5 Realistic people describe themselves in interviews as "conforming, frank, genuine, normal, persistent, practical, stable, thrifty, materialistic, and shy".
6 In general, in realistic jobs, life is not complicated by intricate problems between people or organizations, nor by troublesome choices between conflicting philosophies.
Type B Conventional Jobs
7 These are usually office jobs where people work with organizations, files and regular schedules.
8 Conventional occupations include bookkeeper, statistician, bank teller, secretary, financial analyst, office manager, computer operator, bank cashier and accountant. Conventional jobs usually require a fair amount of writing, but it is usually the writing of business letters and regular reports.
9 People who enjoy conventional jobs describe themselves as "conforming, conscientious, efficient, obedient, orderly, persistent, practical and calm".
10 They like life to be orderly and to go according to plan. They like to know what is expected of them, and they enjoy carrying out their assignments.
Type C Investigative Jobs
11 These are scientific and laboratory jobs, jobs where people investigate how the world is put together.
12 The tasks involved in investigative jobs are scientific or laboratory in nature, and usually involve trying to solve some puzzles, whether the puzzle is a large, mysterious problem such as how the universe came into being, or a more normal, daily problem such as figuring out the composition of a sample of blood taken from a patient in a clinic.
13 Investigative workers are usually found in research laboratories or clinical settings, but they also work in a wide range of other places highway departments where they study issues such as traffic control and composition of highway materials; in advertising agencies where they work on market surveys; in food-producing companies where they work on nutritional aspects of food; in military settings where they work on new weapons or new military strategies; in financial departments where they work on questions of economic strategy and money flow in general, in any place where problems are being attacked in a systematic, scientific way.
14 They describe themselves as "analytical, curious, independent and reserved". They especially dislike repetitive activities and sales activities. They are very curious.
Type D Artistic Jobs
15 These are creative jobs where people work with words or music or art.
16 The tasks involved in artistic occupations usually involve working with words, music or other art forms. Decorating rooms, designing homes, or doing portrait photography are other examples of artistic activities.
17 Artistic jobs are found in settings such as art museums, art galleries, music departments, interior decorating offices, music stores, theater groups, photographic studios, radio and television studios and any place where artistic skills are used and or taught.
18 People who enjoy working in artistic jobs describe themselves as "complicated, disorderly, emotional, idealistic, imaginative, impractical, impulsive, independent, introspective, intuitive, nonconforming and original". They like to work in free environments that allow them to express themselves in a wide variety of media writing, music, drawing, photography in general, any art form.
Type E Social Jobs
19 These are jobs where people work with people healing them, teaching them, helping them.
20 The tasks involved in social jobs are those concerned with working with other people, teaching them, or training them, or curing them, or leading them, or organizing them, or enlightening them. Social tasks include explaining things to others, entertaining other people, planning the teaching of other people, helping other people solve their difficulties, organizing and conducting charities, and straightening out differences between people.
21 People who enjoy working in social jobs describe themselves as "cooperative, friendly, generous, helpful, idealistic, responsible, social, tactful and understanding". They like to work in groups, especially small groups that are working on problems common to individuals in the group.
Type F Jobs of Leadership
22 These are jobs where people persuade other people to do something sales jobs, political jobs, merchandising jobs.
23 Also included are many business executive jobs, making speeches, running for an elected office, heading a fund-raising campaign and many other jobs of leadership.
24 Other examples of jobs of leadership include public relations directors, stock and bond brokers, buyers, hostesses, retailers, fashion merchandisers and industrial consultants.
25 People who enjoy working in jobs of leadership describe themselves as "adventuresome, ambitious, argumentative, domineering, energetic, impulsive, optimistic, self-confident, sociable and talkative".
