Straightforward Business
7c The perfect employee
Reading
1 Work in small groups. Think about the jobs you do. What are the most
important qualities in your job?
2 Share your ideas with the class.
3 Read the article. Do you agree with the list of qualities? Why or
why not?
4 Read the article again. Summarize the main ideas by completing the
two sentences below.
Employers are looking for employees who are …
They don’t want people who …
What every
boss wants …
It’s half past 8 and you’ve
already been in the office for
an hour. You’ve checked your
emails and planned your work
for the day. You haven’t made
the coffee yet, but that’s next on
your list. You’re just waiting for
your boss to come in through
the door. You’ve already
tidied her desk and prepared
the papers and reports she
needs for this morning’s
meeting. You’ve even booked
her an appointment with the
hairdresser. But wait a minute
… don’t you think you’re trying
too hard? Is this really what
your boss is looking for in a
perfect employee?
Efficiency is obviously
important, and organization
skills too, but a good boss
is looking for more. In a
recent survey, employers
listed the following as the top
five qualities of the perfect
employee:
Intelligence: the ability to
understand things quickly is
essential in all jobs.
Independence: bosses like
independent employees who
can work well alone.
Imagination: the ability to
create new ideas and find new
solutions to problems is
highly-valued by all employers
in all sectors.
1 Straightforward Pre-intermediate Second edition © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012
Vocabulary: adjectives &
nouns (personality)
1 Match the adjectives 1–8 to their
example sentences a–h.
1 ambitious
2 emotional
3 imaginative
4 independent
5 intelligent
6 patient
7 skilled
8 sensitive
a
b
You can understand things quickly.
You want to be successful.
c
d
You don’t mind waiting.
You can understand other people’s
feelings.
e You have special abilities.
f You don’t need other people.
g You show strong feelings.
h You can create new ideas.
Sensitivity: the ability to
understand other people’s
feelings is very important
when working with clients or
as part of a team.
Patience: an important
quality when you need to
deal with a difficult situation
or an angry customer.
Negative qualities included
being too emotional or
ambitious. Sensitivity to other
people’s feelings is important,
but bosses generally felt
that employees should know
how to hide their emotions.
And ambition can also
cause problems when you’re
working in a team.
Glossary
abroad n in another country
phenomenon n a situation
prestigious adj to have a very good reputation
talented adj to be very good at something
financially secure adj feeling that you have enough money
youth unemployment n a situation in which young people do not have jobs
 Straightforward Business

The perfect employee 7c

2 Look at the article again and find the nouns to 2 Work in pairs. Practise the dialogue in exercise 1.
complete the table.
3 Look at the list below. Tick the things you’ve done
adjective noun today.
ambitious ambition • check email
emotional • talk to your boss
imaginative • have lunch
independent • make an important phone call
intelligent • attend a business meeting
patient • do some English homework
skilled
sensitive 4 Work in pairs. Ask your partner questions about
the things in the list in exercise 3 . Use the present
perfect.
3 Work in small groups. Look at the jobs in the box.
Which qualities do you think are most important for Have you … yet?
each job? Why? 5 Make sentences that are true for you using the
prompts, for each sentence, give some extra
a Hollywood film star information.
a police officer an office worker
a sales person 1 I haven’t finished my studies yet. I’m going to take
my final exams next year. / I’ve already finished my
studies. I finished them two years ago.
1 finish my studies
Grammar: present perfect with 2 find the perfect job
already & yet 3 meet the love of my life
4 buy my own home
We usually use already in positive sentences. We use 5 travel to lots of different countries
it to emphasize that something has happened before
now (perhaps earlier than expected).
It’s half past eight and you’ve already been in the Speaking
office for an hour.
1 Work in groups. Imagine the perfect boss. Describe
We use yet in negative sentences and questions. We him/her in eight sentences.
use it to talk or ask about something that has not
happened, but will probably happen soon. The perfect boss …
You haven’t made the coffee yet. has a lot of patience.
No, I haven’t done it yet. gives us a bonus every year.

2 Share your sentences with the class. Do you all agree?

See Language Reference page 74

1 Complete the dialogue with already and yet.

A: Have you copied those reports (1) ?
B: Yes, I have.
A: And the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting?
B: No, not (2) , I’m just waiting for you to
approve it.
A: But I’ve (3) approved it!
B: Yes, but there have been some last-minute changes.
Here you are.
A: Ah, OK. Let’s see. Has Bob seen it?
B: No, Bob hasn’t seen it (4) . I thought you’d like
to see it first.
A: OK, thanks. Oh, and could you book me an
appointment with my hairdresser?
B: I’ve (5) booked one – for 10.30.
A: You have? That’s great! What would I do without
you!

Straightforward Pre-intermediate Second edition © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012 2