Szóbeli tételek 3. - Job, daily routine

3. A MUNKA VILÁGA, NAPI TEVÉKENYSÉG
In fact, I need some time till I regain my senses in the morning. Being a heavy sleeper, it is very difficult for me to get up. I always set the alarm clock and wake up between 6 and quarter past 6 on weekdays. However, if I go to work in the afternoon I can get up later. I never have coffee, but I like drinking milk or cocoa, which I make myself. When I get up I go to the bathroom to wash. I wash my face, neck, ears and hands in cold running water and dry myself with a towel. Sometimes I take a shower or have a bath. Then I clean my teeth, don’t comb as I have short hair and I begin to get dressed. I am always in a hurry in the mornings so I don’t have time to prepare my breakfast therefore I make it in the previous evening. Anyway, I am never hungry in the morning.
As a rule, my father gets up earlier than me and by the time I awake he has prepared some sandwiches only for himself as he knows I don’t eat. Sometimes I turn on the radio to listen to the news broadcast and the weather forecast. However, when I go to work in the morning, five of us travel together by car and the radio is on. I used to go to work by my bike at my previous workplace.
I have to clock in when I arrive and clock out when I leave my company. I work flexitime, in two shifts, normally 8 hours and 20 minutes. But we do some overtime every weekday, when I work in the morning. It enables me to leave work an hour earlier anytime. I have been working as a measuring technician at Continental since the end of the last year. I’m satisfied with my job, because I draw a higher salary than before and there are comfortable surroundings there. My boss is all right in every respect, I can’t say anything against him. My colleagues are very kind and helpful. I get on well with them. The salary and the conditions are good and my firm treats me well.
When I get to the office I first open the post and read the letters I have got from my clients. I spend most of my time measuring. Any pieces of the headsensors such as cables, connectors, labels or the sensor itself must be checked. I measure their dimensions such as horizontal, vertical dimensions or positions, diameters, angles or in fact I should find any mistake on them. I apply different test methods and procedures and use some test equipment. There are two projectors, two microscopes, coordinate measuring machine, optical machine, a lot of callipers, dial gauges, measuring rooler and plug ganges, which are available for me to measure. When I have finished I have to write a test report for the order. The dimensions, which are out of the tolerance, must be marked. To be the report approved or rejected must be written at the bottom of the last side and of course it must be signed. Sometimes my boss asks me to water the flowers and air the office.
I have my breakfast at about 8 o’clock, which is usually some sandwiches. I always have lunch with my colleagues at quarter to noon. In my opinion there are fine meals in the restaurant where we have lunch. If I work in the afternoon I have lunch with my dad at my grandmother. As a general rule I finish work at 4 in the afternoon. We talk a lot on the way home and get home at around 5. When I arrive I spend about half an hour hanging around without doing anything particular. I sometimes surf on the net then I start studying for the next English lesson. Unfortunately, we usually don’t have supper with each other. My father likes having it meanwhile watching TV. My mother prefers eating in the kitchen. And I like having the dinner in my room. After supper I help my mother to clear the table and wash up. Then I go to take a warm bath and go back in front of my pc. Until I fall asleep, I watch TV a bit.
I have had several jobs since I left school. My first job was at the local hospital where I worked as an administrator. I had to install and repair some PCs. The atmosphere wasn’t good and I was underpaid. I could say I was fed up with it. Then my second job came, which was rewarding and my starting salary was higher than before. I’ve been working for about 3 years there. I was fond of my colleguaes and my job, too. I adored working there. However, money talks. I would have liked to change my job therefore I applied for some companies. In fact, I was not motivated only because of the money. I wanted to find such a firm where I can earn more money and train new vocational things. Fortunately, I didn’t have to be unemployed as I could find a new, my present job relatively fast.
It seems to be fashionable for people to change their jobs. Some people have to work too much, some too little, others get bored with their jobs or fed up with their colleagues because of backbiting. People always want more money and higher positions. If I want to change my job, I must look at the advertisements in the newspapers, magazines or nowadays on the Internet. You must write your curriculum vitae or profile. I agree with my future boss on my starting salary, the office hours and the lunch break, the amount of paid holiday I would be entitled to. He also shows me round the office and tells me what my responsibilities would be. As the job and the conditions appeal to me I accept that I would be on probation for the three months. Of course, you should be adequately paid for your work so that you don’t have to work on the side.
To work    Good points, bad points
in factory    - to get on well with boss and colleagues
for a company, firm, subsidiary    - good chance of promotion
in agriculture    - no backbiting
in heavy, light industry    - to have kind and helpful mates
to run a private practice    - to draw a high salary
to be a guest-worker abroad    - to work in pleasant and healthy surroundings
to do casual work    - to lick one’s boots
to do moonlightning    - to do a lot of overtime
    - to be underpaid; high number of accidents
       - no responsibility; no freedom
Jobs can be grouped in several ways as, e.g. manual and non-manual jobs. The workers doing manual work often referred to as blue-collar workers. The ones doing mainly brainwork are called white-collar workers. Some jobs need university qualifications, and these are professions; others don’t and these are skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled. Skilled people are those who have learnt a trade such as pastry-cook, turner, joiner, plumber, shop assistant, car mechanic, railwayman, tailor, barber. Unskilled jobs, such as the job of factory hand, do not require special training.
Other occupations are the followings:
- Professions
Design/electrical engineer, psychiatrist, solicitor/barrister/lawyer, judge, physician(doctor), vet, interpreter, (chartered) accountant, clerk, model, social worker, university professor, teacher, architect, surgeon, computer programmer
- Trades and other occupations
caretaker, cashier, dustman, coach, chimney sweep, hotel receptionist, cook, coal miner, house painter, air pilot, postman, travel agent, technician, salesman, baby sitter, shoemaker, librarian, speech-therapist, glazier, …
I am afraid I don’t really know exact figures about how many unemployed inhabitants are there in Hungary. All I know is that at the moment unemployement is still rising. The unemployed may feel guilty about being out of work even if it is not their fault. They feel they are useless and a burden on a state. They join the dole queue and receive just enough money not to starve. In my opinion some people don’t want to work, because they can get enough aid from their councils; others haven’t got a suitable trade and some firms claim much more than they should. You should have 3-5 years training in your trade and you should speak two languages fluently although they don’t want to get you enough salary.
People begin to save when there is enough money for all that is needed in the family. Most people save for a flat, a plot of land, a week-end cottage or for holidays abroad. There are some who save for a car or put money aside to purchase durable consumer goods or new funiture. Naturally, many people save without any definitive end, just for the sake of the safety. Others can’t afford to put any money aside because of their income and it is just about enough to keep body and soul together.
    The retirement age in Hungary is 60 for woman and 62 for men, but these age limits are going to be changed in the near future. There are some occupations from which people can get pensioned off at an earlier age if they have been in employment for at least 30 years. As far as I know a few such jobs are that of a miner, a policeman, a fireman and the soldier.
    It seems to me that in today’s Hungary wage-earners earn more than salary-earners, especially if they work in private industry. For example the starting salary wages of a skilled worker with three years’ training are higher than the commencing salary of a teacher or a doctor with eight or nine years’ training. I would recommend my son to set up his own business or to tell the truth, more you learn, more you earn at a joint-venture. If my daughter didn’t want to go to university, I would recommend her to become a hairdresser or a beautician. Both are good jobs for getting tips.