IELTS Listening Practice Lesson: Job Application

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This listening practice lesson is based on IELTS Listening Section 1. The topic is a Job Application which is a very common topic in the listening test. Section 1 requires you to listen for specific information and is the easiest section in the listening test, which means you should aim to get at least 90% or, if possible, 100% right (for people aiming for a high band score).

This listening lesson focuses on two different types of IELTS listening questions i) form completion  ii) multiple choice. It is usual to get more than one type of question in one section of the listening test. In the real test, you will get 10 questions in section 1, but not all at the same time. IELTS usually break the questions into groups to make it easier. However, with my listening practice below, I’ve put them all together.

Instructions:

  1. Read through ALL questions from 1 to 10 so that you are prepared.
  2. Tip:
    1. Be ready for different accents
    2. The first question might be tough to answer but keep listening because the answer will be repeated again.
    3. Always keep calm, never panic and keep track of the questions
  3. Listen to the recording only once and note down your answers.
  4. Post your answers in the comments box at the bottom of the page.
  5. I’ll post the answers later this week with the transript.

Listening Section 1 Practice – Job Application

Questions 1- 3: Complete the notes below using no more than two words.

  1. Job Title Enquiry: (1) ……………
  2. Name: (2) ………………….
  3. Current Occupation: (3) ………………….

Questions 4-6: Choose the correct letter.

4. What work days will there be?

  • a) all week days plus one full weekend day
  • b) Monday to Friday only
  • c) all week days and half a day on weekends

5. How many hours will the job actually require in reality?

  • a) 40 hours
  • b) over 40 hours
  • c) 50 hours

6. What is the overall income per annum?

  • a) £2,000
  • b) £25,000
  • c) over £25,000

Questions 7-10: Complete the notes below using no more than two words and/or numbers.

7. Job Reference Number: ……………

8. First interview date: ………………..

9. HR contact: ……………….

10. Start date: ……………..

Audio Recording

.

ANSWERS & TRANSCRIPT

Click below to reveal the answers and the transcript. The transcript is provided by me so you can check your answers whilst listening to the recording and reading the transcript. It’s a great way to improve your listening skills and develop your English. You won’t be given the transcript in the real test.

ANSWERS
  1. SALES REP
    1. This was tricky when you first heard it, but the answer was repeated twice more in the recording which should have given you a chance to get this right. A sales rep means a sales representative of a company.
  2. RACHEL / RACHAEL JONES
    1. You need both first name and last name for a correct answer.
    2. IELTS will often spell out names, but Rachael is a common name and you can find a list of common names with pronunciation in the Vocabulary section of this website.
  3. RECEPTIONIST
  4. c / C
    1. “Well, from Monday to Friday it’s 9am to 5pm and you’ll also have to work either a morning or an afternoon, which is about four hours, on either Saturday or Sunday.”
  5. b / B
    1. “…while the job is advertised as the standard 40 hours per week, it’ll go beyond that because of the weekend work”
    2. This question is testing your ability to differentiate between advertised hours and actual hours. The real hours will be more than 40 because of weekend work.
  6. c /  C
    1. “… you’ll get a guaranteed income of £2,000 per month which works out more or less at about £25,000 each year, but as you’ll definitely be earning commission as well, you can add that on top …”
    2. This question is testing your ability to hear the difference between guaranteed income and overall income, which means everything together.
    3. It is very common in IELTS to be given one answer but then more information comes along which changes the answer. This is something to be ready for in IELTS listening.
  7. A76401
  8. 3rd AUGUST / AUGUST 3rd
    1. “,,,to the initial round of interviews which are being held on August 3rd.”
    2. The other dates mentioned were for second and third interviews. The applicant first had to get through the first interview on Aug 3rd in order to do the other interviews.
  9. Bob Castor
    1. You need both names spelled correctly.
  10. AUGUST 30th
    1. “…we hope to get the lucky candidate signed up by 30th August”
    2. The following dates were about induction and training which happens after a person joins the company.
    3. This means the official start date for the job is August 30th. A start date for a job is when you sign a contract and become part of the company.

Please note that answers can be written using small or lower case letters. If you are taking the paper based test, writing in capitals for listening and reading answers will help the person marking to read your answer clearly.

These practice lessons are not about getting it all right. It’s about learning and developing. Make a note of which answers you got wrong and why you think you got them wrong. This way, you will improve next time.

All listening exercises on ieltsliz.com have been written by myself to help you prepare for your IELTS test.   

Liz 

TRANSCRIPT
  • B: Hello, XDM Sales, how can I help you?
  • A: Hi, I’m calling to apply for the job that you advertised this morning for a sales rep.
  • B: Certainly. First, I’ll need to take some details. Could you give me your full name?
  • A: Yes, it’s Rachel Jones.
  • B: Thank you. Are you working at the moment?
  • A: Yes, I’m working as a receptionist for a large multinational company.
  • B: And you’re interested to change your position? It’s quite a change to go from working as a receptionist to a sales rep.
  • A: I’m ready for a change. I want to do something more challenging. I feel my work as a receptionist has given me a lot of insight into customers and how to approach them. So, I think I’ll be well suited to work as a sales rep. Although, I would like to know a bit more about the position if that’s ok.
  • B: Of course. What would you like to know?
  • A: Could you tell me more about how many days and hours a week it involves.
  • B: Well, from Monday to Friday it’s 9am to 5pm and you’ll also have to work either a morning or an afternoon, which is about four hours, on either Saturday or Sunday. I know it isn’t ideal to have to give up part of your weekend, but it won’t be every weekend and you can apply for the occasional weekend off.  As for hours, while the job is advertised as the standard 40 hours per week, it’ll go beyond that because of the weekend work. Luckily, it isn’t likely to be as many as 50 hours per week.
  • A: OK. That sounds fine. How about the salary?
  • B: Well, you’ll get a guaranteed income of £2,000 per month which works out more or less at about £25,000 each year, but as you’ll definitely be earning commission as well, you can add that on top to make a nice bit extra over the course of the year.
  • A: That’s not bad, but I guess it depends how much commission I’ll earn. Still, I’d like to apply. Could you let me know the application procedure?
  • B: Yes, of course. You’ll find an application form to download on our website. Put both the job title and reference number: A76401 on the form. Then fill it in and email it to the applications department. Applications will be collected over the next five days. We’ll let you know if you’ve made it through to the initial round of interviews which are being held on August 3rd. For applicants making it through the first round, there will be two more sets of interviews on August 10th and August 21st. After that the final selection is made. If you don’t hear back from us regarding your application, please get in touch in case your application has ended up in spam or been misplaced.
  • A: Who should I call in that situation?
  • B: Call the senior HR manager, Bob Castor (that’s C A S T O R ), you’ll find his contact details on our website. He’ll let you know if you’re through to the interview round or not.
  • A: Great. Can you let me know when the job is due to start and whether there will be an induction or not?
  • B: Of course. As I said, the first set of interviews will be in early August and we hope to get the lucky candidate signed up by 30th August.  Once the sales rep officially becomes part of the team, there will be an induction period from August 30th to September 7th during which time the new sales rep will learn more about the company, products and sales procedures. After that, the new sales rep will shadow one of our more successful reps for 10 days to pick up extra tips.
  • A: That all sounds very exciting. I’ll get my application off today. Thanks.
  • B: Not at all. Best of luck with your application. Bye.

.

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Filed Under: IELTS Listening Tagged With: ,

Comments

  1. Zhaf says
    February 1, 2024 at

    1. Sales rep
    2. Rachel Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. c
    5, b
    6. c
    7. a76401
    8. 3rd Agt
    9. Bob Castor
    10. 30th Agt

    Reply
  2. Maggie Tran says
    January 27, 2024 at

    1. Sales Rep
    2. Rachel Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. c
    5. c
    6. c
    7. 876401
    8. Aug 3rd
    9. Bob Castor
    10. Aug 30th

    Reply
  3. Graciela says
    December 11, 2023 at

    Very useful! Thank you very much

    Reply
  4. Benkoussas.tark says
    November 27, 2023 at

    1-sales rep
    2-Richard Jones
    3-Receptionist
    4- B
    5-A
    6-B
    7- A76401
    8- 3 r d August
    9- Bob Castor
    10- 30 t h August

    Reply
  5. Akuneto Chiamaka Victoria says
    November 25, 2023 at

    1. Sales Rep.
    2. Rachael Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. C
    5. 50 hours
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8. August 3rd
    9. CASTAR
    10. 30th of August

    Reply
  6. JUSTIN DEBORAH says
    November 24, 2023 at

    1. XDM SALES
    2.RACHAEL JONES
    3. RECEPTIONIST
    4. C
    5. B
    6. C
    7. A74601
    8. 3RD AUGUST
    9. BOB CASTOR
    10. 30TH AUGUST.

    Reply
  7. Oyewunmi mojisola says
    November 23, 2023 at

    1, sales representatives
    2, Jones
    3, Receptionist
    4, C
    5, B
    6, C
    7, A76401
    8, August 3rd
    9, Bob castor
    10, August 30th

    Reply
  8. Gold Adams says
    November 23, 2023 at

    1. Sales Rep
    2. Rachel Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. C
    5. B
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8. 10th Aug
    9. Bob Castor
    10. 30th Aug

    Reply
  9. Precious says
    November 23, 2023 at

    1. Sales Representative
    2. Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. b
    5. a
    6. c
    7. 876401
    8. August 30
    9. Bob Castar
    10. 30th August

    Reply
  10. Gideon says
    November 23, 2023 at

    1. Sales Rep
    2. Richard Johns
    3. Receptionist
    4. C
    5.C
    6.C
    7. A76401
    8. August 3rd
    9. Bob Castor
    10. August 30th

    Reply
  11. Phil says
    November 23, 2023 at

    1 Representative
    2 Richard Jones
    3 Receptionist
    4 b
    5 c
    6c
    7 876401
    8 August 3rd
    9 Bob Castor
    10 August 30th

    Reply
  12. Elizabeth Garidzanayi says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1. Sales wrap
    2.Richel Jones
    3.Receptionist
    4.C
    5.B
    6.C
    7.A76401
    8.August 3rd
    9.Bob Caster
    10 .10/09

    Reply
  13. Gloria says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1. Sales Rep
    2. Rachael Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. C
    5. B
    6. C
    7. A764o1
    8. August 3rd
    9. Bob Castor
    10. August 30th

    Reply
  14. Akufuna saboi says
    November 22, 2023 at

    sale rep
    Rachel Jones
    receptionist
    c
    b
    c
    A76401
    10th August
    Castor
    30th augus

    Reply
  15. Linnet says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1.Sales Rep
    2.Raicheal John
    3.Receptionist
    4.c
    5.b
    6.c
    7.A76401
    8.August 3rd
    9.Castor
    10.30th August

    Reply
  16. Tofail Ahmmed says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1.Sales rep
    2.Richard johns
    3. Receptionist
    4.b
    5.b
    6.c
    7.A76401
    8.August 3rd
    9.Bob castor
    10. 30th August

    Reply
  17. Shafiq says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1. SALES REP
    2. RICHARD JONES
    3. RECEPTIONIST
    4. C
    5. C
    6. B
    7. A76401
    8. AUGUST 3RD
    9. BOB CASTOR
    10. 30TH AUGUST

    Reply
  18. Ogochukwu Nwodo says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1. Sales rep
    2. Racheal Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. C
    5. C
    6. C
    7. A7764A2
    8. Aug 3
    9. Bob Caster
    10. 30th August

    Reply
  19. Su says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1.Sale
    2.Richard Jons
    3.Recwotionist
    5.b
    6.c7.c
    8.A76401
    9.August 3rd
    10.30th August

    Reply
  20. Esther says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1. Sales Rep
    2.Racheal Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. B
    5. B
    6. B
    7. A76401
    8. 3rd August
    9. Bob Castor
    10. 30th August

    Reply
  21. Zeez says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1. SALES REP
    2. RACHAEL JONES
    3. RECEPTIONIST
    4. C
    5. B
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8. 3rd AUGUST
    9. BOB CASTOR
    10. 30th AUGUST

    Reply
  22. Anuradha Welagedara says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1. salesrep
    2. sweetie John
    3. receptionist
    4. c
    5. b
    6. c
    7. A76401
    8. 3rd August
    9. Bob Caster
    10. 7 th September

    Reply
  23. Otufu Adonibuma says
    November 22, 2023 at

    1. Sales Rep
    2.Racheal Jones
    3.Receptionist
    4. c
    5. b
    6. c
    7. A76401
    8. August 3rd
    9. Bob Castor
    10. 30th August

    Reply
  24. Lloyd says
    November 21, 2023 at

    Sales Rep
    Richard Johns
    Receptionist
    C
    B
    C
    A76401
    August 3rd
    Bob…? I Didn’t get this
    30th August

    Reply
  25. nkechinyere says
    November 21, 2023 at

    Nkechinyere

    1.Sales Rep.
    2.Jones
    3Receptionist
    4.A
    5A
    6.B
    7.A76401
    8.Next 5days
    9Bob Castor
    10.30th August

    Reply
  26. Olawumi says
    November 21, 2023 at

    Ola says
    1 Sales Rep
    2. Tricia Janes
    3. Receptionist
    4. c
    5 c
    6. b
    7. A76401
    8. August 10
    9. Bob Castar
    10. 30th August

    Reply
  27. SADIA says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. SALES WRAP
    2. RICHARD JHONS
    3.RECEPTIONIST
    4.B
    5.B
    6.B
    7.A76401
    8.AUGUST 23RD
    9.BOB CASTOR
    10.1ST OF AUGUST

    Reply
  28. Praise Okpara says
    November 21, 2023 at

    sales wrap
    Rachael Jones
    receptionist
    C
    B
    C
    A76401
    August 3rd
    Bob Caster
    August 30th.

    Reply
    • oluwafunmilayo megbowon says
      November 21, 2023 at

      1. Sales Rep
      2. Richelle Jonnes
      3. Receptionist
      4. C
      5. C
      6. B
      7) A76401
      8) 3rd August
      9) BOB CASTOR
      10) 30th August

      Reply
      • Manilyn says
        November 22, 2023 at

        1.sales representative
        2.Rachel Jones
        3. Receptionist
        4.c
        5.c
        6. c
        7. A76401
        8. 3rd of August
        9. Bob Caster
        10. 30th of August

        Reply
  29. Laserian Ifeanyi says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1-Sales Rep
    2-Rachael Jones
    3-Receptionist
    4-C
    5-C
    6-C
    7-A76401
    8-August 3rd
    9-Bob Castor
    10-30th August

    Reply
  30. Azuka Uzuegbunam says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. SALES REP
    2. RACHAEL JONES
    3.RECEPTIONIST
    4. C
    5. B
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8. AUGUST 3RD
    9. CASTOR
    10. 30TH AUGUST

    Reply
  31. Alimzhan Yakhiyarov says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. Sales rep
    2. Rachel Johns
    3. Receptionist
    4. b
    5. b
    6. c
    7.A76401
    8.10August
    9. Bob Castor
    10.8th September

    Reply
  32. Fidel says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1.SALES REP.
    2.RACHAEL JONES
    3.RECEPTIONIST
    4. A
    5. A
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8.AUGUST 3RD
    9.CASTAR
    10.30TH OF AUGUST

    Reply
  33. Deji says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. SALES REP
    2. RICHARD JONES
    3. RECEPTIONIST
    4. C
    5. B
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8. 03 AUGUST
    9. BOB CASTOR
    10. 30 AUGUST

    Reply
  34. Priyanka says
    November 21, 2023 at

    Sales rep
    Richelle John’s
    Receptionist
    C
    B
    C
    A764O1
    August 3rd
    Bob Castor
    30August

    Reply
  35. Adaranijo blessing says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. SALES REP
    2. JONES
    3. RECEPTIONIST
    4.B
    5.A
    6.C
    7. A46401
    8. AUGUST 3RD
    9. WEBSITE
    10.SEPTEMBER 7TH

    Reply
  36. Jennifer says
    November 21, 2023 at

    Answers:
    1. Sales’ Representative
    2. Sean John
    3.Receptionist
    4. c)
    5. b)
    6. c)
    7. 876401
    8. the third August
    9. Mr. Bob Castor
    10. 30 August

    Reply
  37. Rahachan says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. sales Rep
    2. Richel johns
    3.Receptionist
    4. b
    5. c
    6. b
    7. A76401
    8. August 3rd
    9.Senor HR manager Bob Costor
    10. 30th of August

    Reply
  38. Paula says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. Sales Rep.
    2. Trishia Johns
    3. Receptionist
    4. b
    5. b
    6. a
    7.876401
    8. August the 3rd
    9. Senior HR Manager : Bob Castor
    10. August the 30th -September the 7th.

    Many thanks!

    Reply
  39. Patience Ikejiaku says
    November 21, 2023 at

    Immense thanks Liz.
    Here are my answers:
    1. Sales rep
    2. Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. c
    5. b
    6. b
    7. A76401
    8. August 3rd
    9. Bob Castor
    10. 30th August

    Reply
  40. Abdul Fatawu Yakubu says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. SALES REP
    2. RICHLY JONES
    3. RECEPTIONIST
    4. C
    5. B
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8. AUGUST 03
    9. BOB CASTOR
    10. 30TH AUGUST

    Reply
  41. Malika Dissanayake says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1 sales rep
    2 Sweechle John
    3 receptionist
    4 b
    5 c
    6 c
    7 A76401
    8 10th August
    9 CASTOR
    10 30 th August

    Reply
  42. Lawal Dare Tosin says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1: Job titile – Sales Representative
    2: Applicant name- Jones
    3: Current occupation- Receptionist
    4: Expected work days – Monday/Friday 9am – 5pm
    5: Work hours- 50hrs
    6: Income/annum- £25,000
    7: Reference number- A76401
    8: First interview date- August 10th
    9: HR contact- Bob Castaor
    10: Start date: September 17th

    Reply
  43. Charity says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. sales rep 2. Racheal Jones 3. Receptionist 4.c 5.b 6.c 7.A76401 8.August 3 9. Bob Castar 10.August 30

    Reply
  44. Rosemary Tenkorang says
    November 21, 2023 at

    SALES REP
    RICHEL JONES
    RECEPTIONIST
    B
    A
    B
    A76401
    AUGUST 3rd
    BOB CASTOR
    30th AUGUST

    Reply
  45. Veralyn says
    November 21, 2023 at

    hi Lizzy
    thanks for the great work
    please I need your help in IELTS general of which I will be writing it soon
    please which materials can you send for me to prepare well for the test?

    Reply
  46. Ali Husnain says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. Sales Representative
    2. Ritchell Johns
    3. Receptionist in a Multi-national Company
    4. All weekdays and half a day on weekends
    5. over 40 hours
    6. Over 2500
    7. A76401
    8. August 10
    9. Bob Castor
    10. 30th of August

    Reply
  47. Ekwealor,Uzoamaka Agnes says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1 Sales Rep
    2 Richel Jones
    3 Receptionist
    4 C
    5 C
    6 C
    7 A76401
    8 August 3rd
    9 Bob Castor
    10 August 30th

    Reply
  48. Ekwealor,Uzoamaka Agnes says
    November 21, 2023 at

    This is very interesting

    Reply
  49. Farzana says
    November 21, 2023 at

    This is really effective and helpful.thank you

    Reply
  50. ifeoluwa says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. Sales Representative
    2. Richard Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. A
    5. C
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8. 3 (rd) August
    9. Bob Caster
    10. 30 (th) August

    Reply
  51. Peace says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. Sales rep
    2. Rachel Jones
    3. Receptionist
    4. C
    5. B
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8. August 3rd
    9. Bob Castor
    10. August 30th

    Reply
  52. JOHNSON GODLEADS says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1) HDM SALES
    2) RITA JONES
    3) RECEPTIONIST
    4) C
    5) C
    6) C
    7) A76401
    8) AUGUST 10TH
    9) WEBSITE
    10) AUGUST 10TH

    Reply
    • JUSTIN DEBORAH says
      November 24, 2023 at

      1. XDM SALES
      2.RACHAEL JONES
      3. RECEPTIONIST
      4. C
      5. B
      6. C
      7. A74601
      8. 3RD AUGUST
      9. BOB CASTOR
      10. 30TH AUGUST.

      Reply
  53. Bob says
    November 21, 2023 at

    I like your Northern Irish accent 🙂

    Reply
  54. Md Rabiul says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. sales
    2. Jony
    3. Receptionist
    4. Monday to Friday only
    5. 40 hours
    6. Over $25,000
    7. A7641

    Reply
  55. Yusuf says
    November 21, 2023 at

    Thank you for the lesson. My answers are below.
    1. SALES REP
    2. RACHEL JONES
    3. RECEPTIONIST
    4. C
    5. B
    6.C
    7. A76401
    8. AUGUST 3rd
    9. BARB CASTOR
    10. 30 of AUGUST

    Reply
  56. Livina says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1)sales Rep
    2) Richard Johns
    3) Receptionist
    4)c
    5)c
    6)a
    7)A76401
    8) August 3
    9)Castar
    10)30th August

    Reply
    • Jamal Uddin says
      November 22, 2023 at

      1. Sales Representative
      2. Richard Jones
      3.Receptionist
      4. B
      5.C
      6.C
      7.A76401
      8.3rd August
      9.Bob Castor
      10.August 30

      Reply
  57. fred ssemata says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. sales representative
    2. Johns charito
    3. Receptionist
    4. C
    5. C
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8. 10th August
    9. Bob Castor
    10. 30th August

    Reply
  58. Mobola says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1. SALES REP
    2. RACHEL JONES
    3. RECEPTIONIST
    4. C
    5. B
    6. C
    7. A76401
    8. AUGUST 3RD
    9. BOB CASTOR
    10. 30TH AUGUST

    Reply
  59. RUHMA says
    November 21, 2023 at

    1 sales rep
    2 janes
    3 receptionist
    4 c
    5 b
    5 c
    7 A76410
    8 10 august
    9 bob castor
    10 3 august.. (confused)

    Reply
    • mojishola says
      November 21, 2023 at

      1.sales rep
      2.Richard jones
      3.Receptionist
      4.B
      5.B
      6.C
      7.A76401
      8.3rd August
      9.castor
      10.30th August.

      Reply
    • Lancinet Sanoh says
      December 1, 2023 at

      3, C, B, 1,3,6,2,1,4,b,,1, 5,4,,5,3, 6, 3,6,2,C, 3,5,6, C,5,4, 6,4, 1,C, 5,6,4,5,4,6,4, 1, B, 4, 4, 6, this is very interesting ,This is really effective and helpful. Thank you , 5,6,4, I like your Northern Irish accent ,4,6, 5, 5, 6, 4

      Reply

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