Hoang Thao – Bien Hoa Gifted High School

ADVANCED 89

You will hear an interview with a young woman talking about a job exchange. For questions 1-6, choose

the correct answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.

1. What was Jessica’s main motivation for going on the exchange programme?
A. to grow her skill set B. to experience a new role
C. to develop her position D. to fulfil a long-held ambition
2. When Jessica initially joined her new working environment she felt
A surprised by how easily she fit in. B. frustrated by how much she had to learn.
C determined to learn quickly and work hard. D. overwhelmed by the new working practices.
3. What did Jessica see as the main benefit of organising a promotional event?
A. It was a welcome change from her usual kind of work.
B. Most of the work was not office-based.
C. It helped her to build her leadership skills.
D. She witnessed first-hand how valuable her efforts were.
4. When asked about having housemates, Jessica reveals that
A. she feels spending time with them had a number of benefits.
B. it helped her get over her loneliness when she first arrived.
C. she has been lucky that they can help her in her field of work.
D. they are her source of Information about the local area.
5. In Jessica’s opinion, what has been the most satisfying aspect of her experience?
A. improving her language skills B. discovering her strengths
C. contributing to the solution of problems D. experiencing independence for the first time
6. Jessica believes that young people should
A. stop worrying about achieving success B. aim to be better than everyone else.
C. accept an invitation to spend time abroad. D. make the most of life’s opportunities.

Interviewer: My guest today is Jessica Fraser, a young professional who is currently taking part in a job
exchange. Jessica, it was very brave of you to come all this way to another country and take on
someone else’s job. What was your reason for doing it? Were you unhappy with your job at home?
Jessica: Not at all. I’m a marketing executive and I love it. I work closely with the sales and advertising
departments to analyse the market and devise and present ideas to promote our products. It’s very
interesting, but I’ve always been attracted by the idea of living abroad ever since I left university. I
just never got the chance until now. I’d actually put the idea of living overseas completely out of my
mind until the opportunity to swap jobs for a year with a colleague in the marketing department of
our London office arose. That’s when I realised that I still felt excited by the prospect of experiencing
living in a different culture!
Interviewer: So, has the experience been everything you’d hoped for?
Jessica: Oh yes, and more! Of course, at first I had to sort out a few issues relating to working in a new
country like getting paperwork, such as tax documents, an insurance number and a bank account, but
the company helped me with those. I also had to adjust to a different working environment and
working practices, for example, how reports were laid out and how the hierarchy worked in my new
office. But it was nothing I couldn’t handle and I was given a lot of guidance. Everyone in the office
was so helpful and gave me plenty of time to adjust. In fact, I was stunned by how accommodating
they all were. I wasn’t expecting that my colleagues would just accept me so easily. I guess I’m lucky
that I joined a great team.
Interviewer: So, what new skills do you feel you’ll be returning home with?
Jessica: Well ... before this year, I’ve never managed an event, but one of the first tasks I was given was to
coordinate a big promotional event to coincide with the company’s launch of a brand new health
product. I had to interact with people from many different departments, which really helped me to
understand how much my work was likely to impact the success or failure of the new product. I was
really snowed under, stuck in the office evenings and weekends over a couple of months, working a
lot of overtime, but it was incredibly fulfilling to see all our hard work pay off when the event was
 Hoang Thao – Bien Hoa Gifted High School
declared a success.
Interviewer: Did you find it hard to make friends when you first arrived?
Jessica: Actually, no. I was very lucky because the girl who took over my job and I also did a ‘home swap’
for the year. She lived with three other young professionals in a big shared house and I soon made
friends with them all, so I never had the chance to feel lonely. And I think that was a great help to
me. Even if I hadn’t done the home swap, it would have been a good idea for me to have found a
place to share. I don’t think I would’ve settled in as well had I been living on my own. And it was
great not only from a social point of view - there have been plenty of dinner parties and weekend
outings in the area so plenty of chances to wind down- but it has also given me a fantastic insight into
the British culture. I especially like that my housemates are all in very different fields of work, so
when I go home I can totally switch off from what is going on at the office.
Interviewer: So, if you had to choose one thing that you feel most satisfied with from the year so far, what
would it be?
Jessica: Ooh, that’s a difficult one! Let me think ... I was looking forward to experiencing a sense of total
independence that I’ve never had before, and this has been great, but what I’ve really appreciated is
finding out that I can lead people, and organise something well ... even get on with and work
alongside people I’ve never met before ... and doing it all in a foreign language, too! It was a real
psychological boost for me.
Interviewer: Finally, what advice would you give to other young people considering doing a similar
exchange, Jessica?
Jessica: Well, first of all, go for it! You might never get the chance again. And, like I said earlier, try to find
accommodation in a shared house. You could also try joining some clubs when you arrive. I think
loneliness would have had a negative impact on my experience. But most of all, appreciate every
moment while you’re there, put your heart and soul into it and learn everything you can. You don’t
have to be the best at something, you just have to try hard. I’ve loved the experience so much that
I’ve just accepted an invitation to give a talk at the school where my sister teaches back home, about
believing in yourself and living your dreams. It’s such a shame that so many people don’t seize the
day when new adventures come their way, simply because they’re afraid of taking the risk and
failing!
Interviewer: Well, thank you so much for coming on the show and being such an encouragement to our
young listeners.
Jessica: Thanks for having me.