ATHS-RAK

Reading Comprehension

G10

How to Make a Good First Impression at Work

Read the passage, and then answer the questions below: 1. The first impression you make at a company is often a lasting impression so make sure you impress your colleagues from day one. Follow this career advice to endear you to your colleagues, fit into the workplace culture and build a good rapport with your managers. 2. Make sure you have allocated enough time to travel to your new office to make sure you are not late on your first day or during your first week. This has to take into account factors like peak hour traffic, parking availability and transport delays. It is preferable to arrive early but arriving more than ten minutes early can be just as bad as arriving late. Establish a good attendance record from the start and try not to take any days off, come in early and arrive late and dont take extended lunch breaks. 3. Smile at your colleagues and make small talk at the photocopier or in the kitchen to try and bond with your team and find common ground. They may live in the same neighbourhood as you, watch the same television shows or follow the same football team. It is important however not to over share about your personal life and its best to wait a few weeks until you add them to your Facebook account or share intimate details about your private life. 4. While retaining your individuality is important, it is also important to fit into the corporate culture. Take note of whether people in your department at your level are dressed casually or in corporate dress and mirror their style of dressing for the few months. Once you have proven yourself as an employee and established your capabilities, you can start to test the waters and experiment with different forms of dressing. 5. Make sure you keep personal emails or phones to a minimum and only check your Facebook, Twitter or personal email account during lunch time. Some companies do not allow their employees to look at certain websites like Facebook or send personal emails through the corporate email system so check
Yasmeen Shakoor Page 1

ATHS-RAK

Reading Comprehension

G10

your Internet policy before you start surfing the web or sending email jokes to everyone in your team. Put your mobile phone on silent and only check your messages during your breaks. 6. Make sure you bring your positive attitude in the morning along with your briefcase and work documents. Work is not the platform to air your gripes about public transport, the ageing photocopying machine or difficult filing system. Be courteous and polite to everyone that you meet regardless of whether they are the receptionist or the head of the company. Try to avoid gossiping and talking about your colleagues. Its also important to volunteer for projects or tasks, show enthusiasm and show your team spirit. 7. Every organization has a specific workplace culture. When you work for an organization for a period of time, you will start to get a feel for what is and isnt appropriate etiquette within your own specific corporate environment. This will ultimately determine your success or failure within a company. Questions 1-5: Skim the paragraphs numbered 2-6 in the passage and match each paragraph with its heading. (Note paragraphs 1 and 7 are not included): 1. ___________Paragraph 2 2. ___________Paragraph 3
3. ___________Paragraph 4

A- Make small talk B- Keep work and play separate C- Be on time D- Blend in with the crowd E- Be positive

4. ___________Paragraph 5 5. ___________Paragraph 6 Questions 6-12: Circle the correct answer:

6. Why is first impression important at work? a- It helps people notice specific things about others. b- It is often a lasting impression.

Yasmeen Shakoor

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ATHS-RAK

Reading Comprehension

G10

7. When can you check your personal emails or phones while at work? a- During lunch time. b- All day long. 8. The noun colleague in the paragraph numbered 1 means: a- co-worker b- boss 9. The adjective courteous in the paragraph numbered 6 means: a- showing good manners b- rude 10. The noun organization in the paragraph numbered 7 means: a- system b- background 11. You can send email jokes to your team members. a- TRUE b- FALSE 12. It is important to show that you are a team player. a- TRUE b- FALSE

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ATHS-RAK Questions 13-15:

Reading Comprehension

G10

Answer the following questions: 13. What happens when you make small talk with your colleagues?

14. Mention three factors you should consider in order not to be late on your first few days at work. a. __________________________________ b. __________________________________ c. __________________________________ 15. How can you fit into the corporate culture?

________________________________________________________________________________________

Yasmeen Shakoor

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