Career Officer:
Now, Sophie, have
you thought about what you want to do after school?
Sophie:
Yeah, I think I
want to go to university.
Career Officer:
I see, and why do
you want to go to university?
Sophie:
Well, basically
to have fun. I mean, my brother and his mates ... well, they just
seem to party all the time and have such a great time.
Career Officer:
Sophie, I don't
think that's quite the main purpose of a university. Remember it
is an institution of education!
Sophie:
Well, yeah, I mean,
I know you have to study a bit, but I don't intend to spend all
my time in the library!
Career Officer:
Mm ... Do you know
what you want to study?
Sophie:
Well, I'm good at
History, so I thought I might try that.
Career Officer:
And have you any
idea what sort of work you want to do after university?
Sophie:
Oh no! I mean, I
haven't thought that far ahead.
Career Officer:
Well, it might well
affect the type of degree you take. After all, History is a valid
course of academic study, but it doesn't prepare you for many careers.
Are you thinking of going into teaching?
Sophie:
Oh God, no! Certainly
not teaching - spend the rest of my life in school? No way!
Career Officer:
Right, what about
archives and museum work, are you interested in that line of work?
Sophie:
No, not really.
I mean, I want to be out there in the world, making money and meeting
lots of exciting people!
Career Officer:
Might I suggest
to you then, that History might not be quite the most suitable course
for you? There are other options that might lead you into the sort
of career that would suit you better.
Sophie:
Oh.
Career Officer:
So, I understand
you enjoy meeting people, is that right?
Sophie:
Yes, I suppose so.
Career Officer:
What about travelling,
do you enjoy that?
Sophie:
Oh yeah - hot sunny
places, golden beaches, blue sea, handsome ...
Career Officer:
Mmm ... I see. Well
how are you at languages?
Sophie:
Er, I'm okay at
French, but I dropped German last year. I just couldn't cope with
the grammar and all those compound nouns.
Career Officer:
What about tourism,
Sophie? Have you ever considered a career in tourism?
Sophie:
Well, I don't want
to sit in a travel agent's and sell tickets to people, but I suppose
I wouldn't mind being a courier, actually based in a resort. That
might be fun.
Career Officer:
Well, there are
several openings in tourism these days and there are also university
undergraduate courses that train one for them. Let's see now ...
ah yes ... Surrey University in Guildford. They do a fairly extensive
B.A. course in Tourism that combines two foreign languages, basic
Economics, Marketing and Management for the service industry. What
about that?
Sophie:
Mmm ... actually,
the marketing and management sound interesting. I'm not sure about
the two languages though.
Career Officer:
Well, if you get
French A Level, you could do that as the main language. Then you
could perhaps take another Latin language, like Spanish or Italian
for example, as your second language, which you can start as a beginner.
Sophie:
Oh, Spanish, yes
... that might be fun. Well, if I applied for such a course, which
A Levels would I need?
Career Officer:
Well, as I said,
French ... and maybe Economics and another arts subject, like History,
would be all right. How is your Economics?
Sophie:
Well, I suppose
if I studied harder I could do better in it.
Career Officer:
Right. Well, Sophie,
why don't you take this prospectus away with you, that's Surrey
University ... er ... I can also give you a few others containing
courses in Tourism. You can go off and read them and think about what
you want to do, and maybe we can talk again in a month or two. All
right?
Sophie:
Yes, thank you.
I'll have a look at them. Goodbye.
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