Unit 1
Video Scripts
MC=Mr. Clay; YF=Yi Fei; T=Tom
MC: Come in, ah, I’ve been expecting you.
YF: Hi, Mr. Clay.
MC: Hello.
T: Thanks for seeing us.
MC: No problem. So you are here to ask for some advice on career planning, right? T: That’s right.
MC: OK. Now the purpose of career planning is to map out how you want to progress your career. So, tell me, what’re your career goals?
miss a feiT: That’s easy. I’m int erested in marketing, so I want to become a CMO.
YF: And I want to become a data scientist.
MC: Right. Oh, those are certainly very admirable ambitions, but how do you know that those positions are right for you?
T: Umm, I’m not sure I understand.
MC: Right. Have either of you done a self-analysis?
YF: You mean reflecting on our personal strengths and weaknesses?
MC: That’s certainly one aspect, but not all by any means. Thinking of our strengths and weaknesses, as you said, is a very good starting point. But it is also vital
that we are brutally honest with ourselves about our personalities.
YF: How can we do that?
MC: Well, it can be good to talk to other people who know you to see if they have the same ideas about you. For example, Yi Fei, you may say that you have a
lot of confidence, but others ...
T: May see this as arrogance?
MC: Exactly.
YF: Oh, I see.
T: Why are these things important when we’re planning our career path?
MC: Thinking about what knowledge, skills, experiences, and personal characteristics we have can help us to see if we’re a good fit for any particular
job. Also, it’s very important that we know our real interests and workplace
preferences. Once you have finished your self-analysis, then there are three
steps to take. The first step is to identify career goals and jobs that you think
suit you based on your self-analysis.
T: Oh, so we shouldn’t decide what job we want until after we do the self-analysis? MC: You shouldn’t make your career options too narrow at this stag e, as you may want to give yourself sever
al possibilities. Actually, a career aptitude test might
well throw up some unexpected options for you to consider.
YF: Wow! I hadn’t thought of that.
MC: The second step is to learn about your preferred career options. Collect information such as industry trend reports or job descriptions. You can also
interview someone who works in the occupation that interests you.
YF: Then we can eliminate the jobs that don’t appeal to us and decide on the best fit!
MC: Absolutely. The third and final step is to write your career plan as a guide to reaching your ultimate career goal. You can break it down into long-term and
short-term goals, and then come up with an action plan.
YF: I see.
T: That’s very helpful. Thank you ve ry much!
Audio Scripts
A=Alice; ML=Mr. Li
A: Mr. Li, thank you for accepting the interview. You are the founder of YourDream, one of the most popular online travel companies. Was that always
your plan?
ML: Actually, yes. I had a plan from the moment I left university that I would have my own travel company within 15 years.
A: That’s impressive! So, how did you get started?
ML: The first thing I knew I needed to do was work out what I was lacking. So, I did my research and found that I lacked experience in the travel industry and
needed a good network of contacts, management skills, and customer relations
skills.
A: That’s a lot to gain! How did you go about getting all of those?
ML: Well, I decided the best way for me would be to join a successful travel company and learn as much as I could on the job.
A: Did that strategy prove successful?
ML: It did! I found a job in a large travel company. There I had access to a lot of in-
house management training, and I was always inclined to take advantage of
opportunities to learn something new.
A: What kinds of opportunities do you mean?
ML: Well, I took part in several notable projects, which enabled me to build my network in the travel industry. I also took the initiative whenever I came across
problems.
A: What kinds of problems did you face?
ML: To give an example, once, many customers were stranded by a typhoon, and I was tasked with finding a hotel where they could wait out the storm.
A: I suppose that taught you a valuable lesson about how to manage customers in
a crisis.
ML: Exactly! But also, as well as that particular skill, I learned more general skills.
While working at the company, I chose to enroll on an online MBA program.
This prepared me well for starting my own company.
A: I see. Finally, I’d like to ask: What advice would you like to give to those who want to start their own business?
ML: Aim high, be persistent, and never stop learning. Above all else, learn to cooperate and you’ll go far.