The value of ‘likes’ and ‘tags’ grew exponentially when Facebook filed its S-1 papers last month. Facebook will launch an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in May, paving the way for 27-year old founder Mark Zuckerberg, his staff, and even a graffiti artist to become exceptionally wealthy.
This month’s Business English News lesson features lots of great vocabulary for talking about company valuations, growth and social networks. Use the links below to access the free transcript and quizzes for this lesson.
Review key language and techniques from our recent series on language for job interviews (BEP 204 and BEP 205).
This challenge has 10 questions. For each correct answer you receive 10 points. For each wrong answer you loose 5 points. Your total score at the end of the quiz is the amount of time you have to play the hoops game and get as many balls as possible into the net (eg. 55 points quiz score = 55 seconds of game time).
This is the second of a two-part Business English Pod lesson on job interviews for when you’re changing jobs or switching careers.
You can’t do the same thing for your entire life. That’s why you’ve chosen to make a change, to take your skills and experience and apply them to something new. But this comes with a challenge. How can you convince an interviewer that you’ve got what it takes to make the switch?
This is especially true for those of us who are more “mature.” There’s an old saying: “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Well, your task in the interview is to show why this saying is wrong. And you need to demonstrate why an “old dog” brings a lot more to the table than a younger dog.
In today’s lesson, we’ll rejoin Patrick, an accountant who’s interviewing for a position with an advisory firm. Frank and Nina are conducting the interview. We’ll hear Patrick demonstrate some key interview skills; he’s going to answer hypothetical questions, highlight transferable skills, and demonstrate research. He’s also going to make polite suggestions and ask good questions.
Listening Questions
1. Why does Patrick talk about his work developing junior accountants? 2. What is Patrick’s suggestion about training and development? 3. What does Patrick want to know about the position?
This is the first of a two-part Business English Pod lesson on English job interviews for when you’re changing jobs or making a career shift.
You’ve racked up a lot of work experience and you’re proud of your special accomplishments. And you know enough to have clear opinions about how things should be done. But it’s time for a bit of a change. Maybe you’re switching careers altogether, or maybe you’re just looking to change roles. Regardless, you’re going to have to explain your accomplishments and express your opinions carefully in order to a make a good impression.
In an interview, it’s not just about what you say, it’s about how you say it. You will be asked some difficult questions, and you may only have one shot at it. The stakes are high, and the competition may be great. You need to sell yourself and demonstrate why you are the right choice for the position.
In this lesson, we’ll hear Nina and Frank interviewing Patrick. Patrick is a seasoned accountant looking for a career shift. He’s applying for a job with one of the major accounting advisory firms. Patrick is going to highlight his unique experience, politely criticize his former employer, admit challenges, and talk about past conflict. These are all tough things to do well, but Patrick handles them wisely.
Listening Questions
1. Why is Patrick talking about changes to a company’s internal controls? 2. How does Patrick describe financial meetings with executives? 3. How does Patrick say he dealt with the executives?
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on doing business at a trade show.
If you can connect with the right people at a large event like a trade show, you can get a lot of great sales leads and maybe even close some deals. Making these connections is all about your attitude and the way you communicate.
But trade shows come with challenges. One of these difficulties is focusing your time on those good prospects. This means that you need to be able to identify a bad prospect and to make your conversation with him brief. Doing this requires a combination of common sense, a focus on business, and some tact.
Today we will learn how to disengage from a bad prospect. But first, we’ll hear how to engage in small talk, show interest, and get people to talk as these are all essential steps in determining if a prospect is worth pursuing.
We’ll rejoin Kevin, who works for a packaging company called D-Pack. He is talking with Mick, who represents ElectroHome Cleaning. Kevin is going to both begin and end a conversation with Mick, who turns out to be not such a great prospect.
Listening Questions
1. Why does Kevin ask Mick about ‘product demos’? 2. What does Mick say about cleaning products? 3. How does Kevin bring the conversation to a close?
