# Employment Agency: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 15, Test 3, Listening Part 1

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 15, Test 3, Listening Part 1. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | furniture | And they design and make furniture. |
| 2 | meetings | Then they expect the person they appoint to attend meetings and take notes there. |
| 3 | diary | I also had to manage the diary. |
| 4 | detail | and then they mention that they want someone who is careful and takes care with details. |
| 5 | 1 year | In fact they're only asking for at least one year |
| 6 | deliveries | And also deliveries. |
| 7 | tidy | And tidy? |
| 8 | team | one of the things I enjoyed most was being part of a team. |
| 9 | heavy | So you're OK moving heavy things? |
| 10 | customer | And the final thing they mention is customer service |

## Why these answers are right

**1. furniture.** Sally says the first company, Home Solutions, designs and makes furniture. The note says a company that produces ___, and produces paraphrases makes, so the single word needed is furniture.

**2. meetings.** The appointed person is expected to attend meetings and take notes there. Attend matches go to in the notes, and the note already includes take notes, so the missing word is meetings.

**3. diary.** Joe mentions that in his last job he had to manage the diary, and Sally says the company wants that too. Management of ___ is a noun form of manage the, so the answer is diary.

The why and the trap for questions 4 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/employment-agency/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** Part 1.

**Announcer:** You will hear a woman who works at an employment agency talking to a man about jobs he could apply for.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 5.

**Announcer:** Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.

**Sally:** Good morning, thanks for coming in to see us here at the agency, Joe.

**Sally:** I'm one of the agency representatives, and my name's Sally Baker.

**Joe:** Hi, Sally.

**Joe:** I think we spoke on the phone, didn't we?

**Sally:** That's right, we did.

**Sally:** So, thank you for sending in your cv.

**Sally:** We've had quite a careful look at it, and I think we have two jobs that might be suitable for you.

**Joe:** OK.

**Sally:** The first one is in a company based in North London.

**Sally:** They're looking for an administrative assistant.

**Joe:** OK, what sort of company is it?

**Sally:** Uh. They're called Home Solutions.

**Sally:** And they design and make furniture.

**Joe:** Oh, I don't know much about that, but it sounds interesting.

**Sally:** Yes, well as I said, they want someone in their office, and looking at your past experience.

**Sally:** It does look as if you fit quite a few of the requirements.

**Sally:** So on your cv, it appears you've done some data entry.

**Joe:** Yes.

**Sally:** So that's one skill they want.

**Sally:** Then they expect the person they appoint to attend meetings and take notes there.

**Joe:** OK, I've done that before, yes.

**Sally:** And you'd need to be able to cope with general admin.

**Joe:** Filing, and keeping records and so on? That should be OK.

**Joe:** And in my last job, I also had to manage the diary.

**Sally:** Excellent.

**Sally:** That's something they want here too.

**Sally:** I'd suggest you add it to your cv.

**Sally:** I don't think you mentioned that, did you?

**Joe:** No.

**Sally:** So as far as the requirements go, they want good computer skills of course.

**Sally:** And they particularly mention spreadsheets.

**Joe:** That should be fine.

**Sally:** And interpersonal skills, which would be something they'd check with your references.

**Joe:** I think that should be OK, yes.

**Sally:** Hmm, and then they mention that they want someone who is careful and takes care with details.

**Sally:** Just looking at your cv, I'd say you're probably all right there.

**Joe:** I think so, yes.

**Joe:** Do they want any special experience?

**Sally:** I think they wanted some experience of teleconferencing.

**Joe:** Oh, I've got 3 years experience of that.

**Sally:** Uh huh, let's see.

**Sally:** Yes, good.

**Sally:** In fact they're only asking for at least one year, so that's great.

**Sally:** So is that something that might interest you?

**Joe:** It is, yes.

**Joe:** The only thing is you said they were in North London, so it would be quite a long commute for me.

**Sally:** OK.

**Announcer:** Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 6 to 10.

**Announcer:** Listen and answer questions 6 to 10.

**Sally:** So the second position might suit you better, as far as the location goes.

**Sally:** Uh. That's for a warehouse assistant, and that's in South London.

**Joe:** Yes, that would be a lot closer.

**Sally:** And you've worked in a warehouse before, haven't you?

**Joe:** Yes.

**Sally:** So, as far as the responsibilities for this position go, they want someone who can manage the stock, obviously.

**Sally:** And also deliveries.

**Joe:** That should be OK.

**Joe:** You've got to keep track of stuff, but I've always been quite good with numbers.

**Sally:** Good.

**Sally:** That's their first requirement, and they want someone who's computer literate, which we know you are.

**Joe:** Sure.

**Sally:** Uh. Then they mention organizational skills.

**Sally:** They want someone who's well organized.

**Joe:** Yes, uh, I think I am.

**Sally:** And tidy?

**Joe:** Yes, they go together really, don't they?

**Sally:** Sure.

**Sally:** Then the usual stuff, they want someone who can communicate well both orally and in writing.

**Joe:** OK, and for the last warehouse job I had, one of the things I enjoyed most was being part of a team.

**Joe:** I found that was really essential for the job.

**Sally:** Excellent.

**Sally:** Yes, they do mention that they want someone who's used to that, yes.

**Sally:** Now, when you were working in a warehouse last time, what sorts of items were you dealing with?

**Joe:** It was mostly bathroom and kitchen equipment, sinks and stoves and fridges.

**Sally:** So you're OK moving heavy things?

**Joe:** Sure.

**Joe:** I'm quite strong, and I've had the training.

**Sally:** Good.

**Sally:** Now, as far as experience goes, they mention they want someone with a license, and that you have experience of driving in London.

**Sally:** So you can cope with the traffic and so on.

**Joe:** Yes, no problem.

**Sally:** And you've got experience of warehouse work. And the final thing they mention is customer service, I think looking at your cv, you're OK there.

**Joe:** Right.

**Joe:** So what about pay?

**Joe:** Can you tell me a bit more about that please?

**Announcer:** That is the end of part 1.

**Announcer:** You now have one minute to check your answers to part 1.

[Practice Employment Agency](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/employment-agency)