Welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast for today’s lesson on organizing your ideas.
Last week we looked at several ways to brainstorm ideas. But once you have a big list of ideas, what are you going to do with them? That’s what we’ll talk about today.
We’ll look at how to organize your ideas around your objective and put them into groups of related points.
Discussion Questions
1. What are the different situations in your work in which you have to persuade people?
2. How much time would you normally spend preparing for a one-hour presentation?
3. What techniques do you use to develop and organize your ideas?
In today’s lesson, were going to look at how to organize your ideas.
When it comes to ideas, you’ve probably got lots of them. And sure, they’re important to you. But are they important to others? Well, they could be, but only if they’re clear and organized. You’ve probably been frustrated when people run on at length about what they think using vague language. And you’ve probably tuned out when someone jumps around chaotically from idea to idea without tying it all together with a purpose. That just doesn’t work. And sometimes it’s not the best ideas that win, but the ones that are most clearly articulated.
Today we’ll look at a few different frameworks for generating ideas. In this case, we’re using a form of organization to actually get the ideas flowing.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you have any special ways of brainstorming ideas?
2. Think of someone who you think speaks well. How does he/she organize ideas?
3. Do you ever write out lists of advantages and disadvantages or pros and cons?
This is the second part of our Business English Pod lesson on internal job interview English.
Let’s think about the purpose of an interview for a second. For the company that’s hiring, the interview lets them find out more about the candidates. Who are they? How do they communicate? What can they contribute to the company? For the people applying for the position, it’s a chance to show their personality. They can build on what appears on their resume, emphasizing important accomplishments and abilities. All this may seem obvious, but the important thing to remember is that this is a competition.
Many people, one position. So part of your purpose is to show why you’re better than the other applicants. And when you’re applying within the company you already work for, you may have an advantage. You know more about the company, and they know more about you.
In an internal interview, you need to use this advantage properly. You’ll hear some of the same questions as other applicants, but you may be able to respond with better answers. In this lesson, we’ll learn some of these ways of responding. This will include techniques such outlining your strategic vision, showing loyalty, and showing leadership. It will also include disagreeing politely and talking about career goals.
In the dialog, we will rejoin Graham, Seth, and Michelle, who work in a software company called BitSoft. Seth and Michelle are interviewing Graham for a managerial position.
Listening Questions
1. What is the first suggestion Graham makes?
2. Why does Graham say he has stayed at BitSoft?
3. What does Graham say he eventually wants to become in his career?
You already have experience with interviews. You know the kinds of questions that are typically asked, and you’ve rehearsed your answers to those kinds of questions. But this is different. In an internal interview in English, chances are you’re talking with someone you already know. And you’re talking about experiences they already know about. They know you too. That can make it more comfortable in some ways. You don’t have to break the ice and you probably understand the company’s priorities. But it can be more uncomfortable in other ways. You might not have talked in this way with these people before. And you won’t be able to exaggerate anything.
For these reasons, you might need some different techniques. You need to use your knowledge of the company and your experience as an advantage. But at the same time, you have to watch your language and maintain a very high level of professionalism.
We’ll be looking at some of these techniques in today’s lesson. We’ll cover how to give an example of a positive change you’ve made, as well as how to accept responsibility for mistakes. We’ll also learn how we can differentiate ourselves from external candidates, identify problems and solutions, and show a commitment to professional development.
In the dialog, we’ll hear Graham interviewing for a managerial position with a software company. He’s being interviewed by Seth and Michelle. You’ll notice right away that it sounds a bit different than a standard interview at a new company. Seth and Michelle have firsthand knowledge of what Graham has done and how he works.
Listening Questions
1. What positive change did Graham make for the company?
2. How does Graham show he is committed to developing professionally?
3. What does Graham understand about the company that other candidates might not?
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?
