Speaking SVIP

a. Liam: I don't know. Just thinking about waiting and the unknown makes me anxious.

b. Chloe: Me too, Liam. What if we can't find work in our professional field?

c. Liam: I'm really worried about finding a good job after we graduate next year.

a. Maya: I really need a proper long holiday when this semester is finally over.

b. Maya: We deserve it. Our heads are full from so many books and projects.

c. Omar: Yes! I need to do absolutely nothing for at least two whole weeks, just rest.

a. Mia: Yes, I am. I worry about what our old classmates will think of me.

b. Leo: Are you worried about what happens if you don't find a job right away?

c. Leo: We should try to remember that our value is not based on our speed.

a. Sam: We must quickly learn about AI and data if we want to be competitive.

b. Sam: Everyone says we need to have these new "digital skills" immediately.

c. Emily: I know, and my course didn't really prepare us for all of that new technology.

a. Ben: I think we need to be flexible and not expect one job for life.

b. Alex: That is a scary idea. It feels like we have zero security anymore.

c. Alex: How do you even start to look for a stable career path in this climate?

a. Chris: I really want to try applying for that project, but I feel too nervous.

b. Chris: You're right. I need to stop overthinking and just take the chance.

c. Sarah: Just apply! Even trying new things helps you feel more confident later.

a. Alex: I don't know if my creative writing is good enough to share online yet.

b. Daniel: Ask a friend for feedback. Constructive criticism helps you grow a lot.

c. Alex: Okay, maybe I will share a small piece to see what they think of my work.

a. Chloe: Not yet! I just learned the old one, and now we have to start again.

b. Liam: Have you learned how to use that new software the university wants us to use?

c. Liam: It's difficult to keep up when things change every few months.

a. Alex: We should just focus on one new skill at a time to feel better.

b. Daniel: I agree, Alex. It makes me feel overwhelmed and a little stressed out every day.

c. Alex: The speed of new technology is sometimes too much for me to handle.

a. Chloe: I know, but sitting in an office all day feels like giving up my freedom.

b. Chloe: That's a good compromise! I need to search for that kind of flexible work.

c. Chloe: I just want to travel the world next year instead of starting a serious career.

d. David: Traveling sounds amazing, but you still need a steady income to support that life.

e. David: Why not find a practical job that allows you to work remotely while traveling?

a. Sara: I found a job in my dream field, but the salary is very, very low right now.

b. Omar: It might be smarter to choose the higher-paying one and save up for a while.

c. Sara: Maybe not easily. My parents say I should choose a job with better pay instead.

d. Omar: That is a difficult choice. Can you afford your basic expenses with that wage?

e. Sara: I guess practicality has to win this time, even though it's hard.

a. Chloe: I need to remember that; the decision doesn't truly trap me there forever.

b. David: Why? Is it the money, or are you scared about the new responsibility?

c. David: No job is forever, Chloe. You can always look for something else later.

d. Chloe: Both. I worry I will hate the job and then it will be too late to quit properly.

e. Chloe: I finally got a good job offer, but I'm afraid to accept and sign the contract.

a. Ben: Mine too! They think only those jobs will make me successful and financially secure.

b. Alex: But I really want to work in art history, which they don't think is a "real" job.

c. Alex: You're right. I have to show them that my job choice is important for my happiness.

d. Alex: My parents are always talking about how I must become a doctor or a lawyer someday.

e. Ben: You need to gently explain your passion and your different long-term goals to them.

a. Leo: That's a good tip. I also get nervous and speak too fast when I am stressed.

b. Maria: You could join a student debate club to practice speaking under pressure more often.

c. Leo: I need to improve my speaking skills so I can talk more clearly in meetings.

d. Leo: That sounds scary, but I know practice will really help my confidence.

e. Maria: Try to prepare three key points before the meeting, and speak slowly and clearly.

a. Alex: Do you think employers value our high theoretical knowledge more than hands-on work?

b. Alex: My parents told me to always focus on having the best possible academic results first.

c. Alex: You're right. I need to spend time building real-world skills outside of the classroom.

d. Maria: I think the practical skills you learn from doing are more useful for your first job.

e. Maria: But the experience proves you can actually apply your knowledge effectively in the workplace.

a. Anna: I agree. It means we have so many more job opportunities than our parents did.

b. David: It's amazing that with remote work, you can work for a foreign company without moving.

c. Anna: That sounds perfect! Think of the money he saves on rent and travel costs.

d. David: My cousin works for a company in Canada, but he lives and works right here at home.

e. David: Exactly. We don't need to be near a big city to start a good career anymore.

a. Leo: That's smart. Maybe we should take a class in something more specialized and unique.

b. Leo: Me too. It makes me question if my degree will still be useful in ten years' time.

c. Maria: I worry that machines will take over many of the simple jobs that exist right now.

d. Maria: We need to focus on skills that machines cannot easily replace, like creativity.

e. Maria: Yes, we must adapt to the new technology trends to stay employable.

a. Ben: We have to look at it as a necessary investment in our future careers.

b. Ben: Finding a job seems impossible because every company wants three years of experience already.

c. Ben: Maybe taking unpaid internships is the only way to open the door to proper jobs later on.

d. Emily: It's unfair, but a good internship could show us what the industry really needs.

e. Emily: I see that too. How can we get experience if no one gives us a chance to start working?

Fill in the blanks to complete the conversation.

A. Yes, I realized too late that I really prefer environmental projects over financial analysis tasks.

B. Look for smaller organizations that might be more willing to teach new employees.

C. Just frame your economics degree as a valuable unique foundation for a practical field like design.

D. Maybe I should look for entry-level jobs that value general skills and offer internal training.

E. I should try to highlight my understanding of business and market feasibility.

__________

Liam: My economics degree feels almost useless now that I want to work in sustainable design full-time.

Chloe: That's a very common problem. Did you discover your true passion after you had already started studying?

Liam: (1)

Chloe: It's frustrating when your college choice doesn't open the doors to your dream job quickly.

Liam: The design studios are looking for people with technical knowledge and specialized software skills.

Chloe: You still have good analytical skills that could be useful for planning green business models.

Liam: That's a good point! (2)

Chloe: And you can always start taking specialized evening classes or short practical courses right now.

Liam: I worry that the new classes will take too long and delay my entrance into the job market again.

Chloe: Think of the classes as essential job training that will make you more competitive immediately.

Liam: (3)

Chloe: That's smart. (4)

Liam: I need to find a way to pivot my focus without throwing away all the time I spent in school.

Chloe: (5)

Liam: You are right. I must show them how my finance background adds value to their sustainable projects.

Chloe: Exactly. It's about how you present your background to fit the new professional goal.

Fill in the blanks to complete the conversation.

A. Helping other people could potentially help me find a new important direction and meaning.

B. It is suddenly very quiet after so much time spent studying hard.

C. My parents keep asking me every day about finding a proper job, but I can't even decide what I truly want to do.

D. Maybe we could try looking into volunteering for a specific cause that we both deeply believe in supporting.

E. I genuinely don't have that daily routine or a clear sense of purpose to work towards anymore.

F. We can start the important process of consciously building our new identities together, Chloe.

________

Chloe: I feel really strange and a bit empty now that my university studies are completely finished.

David: I totally understand that feeling. (1)

Chloe: For four long years, my entire life revolved around being a "student" with a clear final goal.

David: Now that essential title is gone, and we really don't know what is coming next in our adult lives.

Chloe: Exactly! (2)

David: It truly feels like we lost a significant part of who we thought we were for such a long period of time.

Chloe: I feel kind of lost, and honestly a little bit useless without a big academic assignment or final project.

David: I think this confused feeling is very common for many people after they finish a long period of formal education.

Chloe: (3)

David: Please don't put too much overwhelming pressure on yourself to know all the difficult answers immediately right now.

Chloe: I seriously need to find something new and meaningful that successfully gives me that sense of importance again.

David: (4)

Chloe: That's actually a really good idea. (5)

David: It will also introduce us to many new people outside of the narrow academic world we knew so well before now.

Chloe: So, let's actively search for a great volunteering opportunity this week to create a new purpose for ourselves quickly.

David: I'm absolutely in. (6)