Career Guidance and Practical Training – B2 English Listening Exercise

9 portfolio 10 historical figure 11 sketchbook 12 velvet

13 patience 14 collar 15 ballgown

16 budget 17 production management 18 television network

Leo: Hi everyone, my name is Leo, and I’m here to share my rather eye-opening experience of a career guidance and practical training course I did last month. For a long time, I’ve been fascinated by the theatre and film industry. I initially thought costume design would be incredibly glamorous. I signed up for an intensive four-week practical course because I knew that to even get an interview at a drama school, I would need to present a comprehensive portfolio to the admissions tutors, rather than just a written resume.

On the very first day, our tutor didn’t take us to the sewing machines as I had hoped. Instead, she sat us down with pencils and paper. We were expecting to design outfits for modern actors, but she told us our initial assignment was to sketch a historical figure from the 18th century, ensuring every detail of their attire was accurate.

I quickly learned that the most vital item for a designer isn’t what you might expect. I had spent a fortune on a high-tech sewing machine before the course started, but our instructor insisted that a plain sketchbook was actually the only tool we couldn’t live without. We were told to carry it everywhere to capture sudden bursts of inspiration.

Then came the fabric sourcing, which was my first real hurdle. We were sent to a massive warehouse to find materials for our main project. I was desperately looking for some heavy silk for my design. I couldn’t find any in the right shade, so I ended up buying some dark green velvet instead, which was surprisingly cheap but notoriously difficult to sew.

As we moved into the construction phase of the garments, I came to a harsh realization. I had always considered myself a creative person with a good eye for colour. However, I quickly discovered that bringing a design to life demands an extraordinary level of patience, a virtue I must admit I completely lack. Sitting for hours unpicking wrong stitches drove me entirely mad!

The garments we were making were quite complex. I was working on a tailored jacket, and the sleeves were surprisingly easy to attach. The real nightmare, however, was constructing the collar, which had to stand up stiffly at the back. I think I remade it four times before it looked even slightly acceptable.

It was also intimidating looking around the studio. While I was struggling with my crooked jacket, the girl at the desk next to me had seamlessly put together a stunning ballgown with layers of intricate lace. It made me realise that some people just have a natural talent for the physical crafting of clothes.

But the course wasn’t a total disaster for me. Part of our assessment involved planning the financial side of a theatre production. While the others groaned about doing the maths, I found that calculating the budget was an absolute breeze for me. I actually enjoyed negotiating prices with fabric suppliers and tracking our expenses on a spreadsheet.

During my final appraisal, my tutor was very honest. She praised my organisational skills but noted my frustration with the sewing process. She suggested that rather than forcing myself to be a designer, I ought to seriously consider a career in production management, where my financial skills and understanding of the creative process would be highly valued.

This advice was a lightbulb moment for me. I’ve completely shifted my focus now. Rather than applying to drama schools for design, I’ve just submitted an application for a trainee position at a local television network, hoping to learn the ropes of organising and funding their drama departments. It just goes to show that practical training can sometimes guide your career in a completely unexpected direction!

9 local politics 10 community noticeboard 11 background research 12 eye contact

13 voice recorder 14 opening paragraph 15 privacy laws

16 writing speed 17 factual accuracy 18 feature article

Liam: Hi everyone. My name is Liam, and I’m currently a journalism undergraduate. I’m here today to talk about the foundation certificate I’ve just completed, which is a mandatory part of our course focusing on news reporting and interviewing techniques.

When I first enrolled on the certificate programme, I imagined our initial assignments would be quite light—perhaps reviewing a film, or maybe covering a weekend sports match. However, the instructors threw us right in at the deep end, and we were immediately sent out to report on local politics. It was a steep learning curve but an incredibly valuable one.

Our first major task was finding a genuine news story. Initially, I assumed that scrolling through social media would be the most efficient way to find breaking news. But our tutor quickly corrected that misconception. She insisted that we go out and check the community noticeboard in the town centre instead. It sounds old-fashioned, but it led me to a fantastic story about a proposed housing development.

Once you have a story, you need to interview people. During the interviewing techniques module, we learned how to prepare. You might think that writing down a long list of questions is the immediate priority. Actually, doing thorough background research is the very first step you must take before you even think about approaching a subject.

I remember being terribly nervous before my first face-to-face interview with a local councillor. I tried taking a walk and doing deep breathing exercises beforehand, but what really calmed my nerves during the conversation was maintaining strong eye contact with him. It made the exchange feel like a natural conversation rather than an interrogation.

Regarding the technical side of things, I had initially planned to simply use my smartphone to capture the audio during my interviews. However, the university provided each of us with a digital voice recorder. I was amazed at the difference it made; it produced much clearer audio, especially in noisy outdoor environments.

After gathering all the quotes, it was time to write the actual news report. I’ve always enjoyed creative writing, so I was quite proud of my descriptive vocabulary. But my tutor crossed most of it out! She told me to focus my efforts entirely on the opening paragraph, as that is what truly grabs the reader’s attention and delivers the core facts.

Of course, journalism isn’t just about writing; it’s about rules and ethics. A significant portion of the certificate involves understanding media law. We spent a whole week looking at copyright issues, which was interesting, though the most complex lecture, and the one I had to study hardest for, was definitely the one on privacy laws.

Another practical skill we had to tackle was shorthand. Many people think it’s a dying art in the digital age, but it’s essential for court reporting. I thought it would take months just to master the special alphabet, but achieving the required writing speed was actually the real hurdle for me. It takes daily practice!

Throughout the course, getting constructive feedback was crucial. When I handed in my first major assignment, I fully expected my tutor to criticize my grammar or sentence structure. Surprisingly, it was the factual accuracy of my piece that received the most rigorous checking. You simply cannot afford to get names or dates wrong in this profession.

Finally, to pass the foundation certificate, we had to submit a comprehensive portfolio of our work. It couldn’t just be a random collection of short news briefs; it specifically had to include a feature article to demonstrate our versatility and depth as writers. I’m thrilled to say I passed, and I feel much more prepared for a career in journalism now.