Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ENGLISH
AS INSTRUMENT IN
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
EDITURA PRINTECH
Scientific consultants:
2
If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.
(English proverb)
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4
CONTENTS
PART 1
PRESENTATIONS.. 11
PART 2
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES .. 89
5
PART 3
JOB INTERVIEWS .. 107
Interview structures
Interview styles
Interview roles
Human resource managers view
Main areas investigated
The telephone interview
Tips for phone interviews
The videoconference interview
The virtual interview
The selection interview
Group interviews
Interview preparation checklist
Tips for the job interview
Interview questions for applicants
Difficult questions
Questions a candidate may ask
Salary negotiation
Best candidate profile
Qualities employers seek
Ways to enhance interview skills
Answers employers must hear
What to do if you do not hear
from the employer
The language of job interviews
Explain your PAR.s
(Problem, Action, Result)
Create a portfolio of your work
Facts to gather before interviewing
Handling illegal questions
Repair, maintain, extend a dialogue
Mistakes to avoid
PART 4
JOB APPLICATION DOCUMENTS . 155
Europass CV
Cover letter
Voluntary work and its importance
in finding the desired employment:
history, relevance, and impact.
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PART 5
BUSINESS WRITING 191
Paragraph writing
Formal and informal
Modals
Letter of inquiry
E-mails
Letters of application
Accepting a job offer
Declining a job offer
Accepting another job offer
Withdrawing from the job search
Rejection letters
Reference letters
Critical letters to coworkers
The memorandum
Marketing business plans
Frequent business abbreviations
PART 6
REFERENCES AND
ONLINE LEARNING SOURCES 251
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PART 1
PRESENTATIONS
General traits of business presentations
Stages of a perfect presentation
The speaker
The speech
Materials
The conference room
Rehearsal
Real obstacles
Handling questions
Slides management
Tips for presenters in
international conferences & congresses
The language of presentations
Topics for student presentations
Evaluation criteria
Commenting on information
displayed on graphs
Product and service presentation
Text markers
Presenting yourself and your company
Presenting support services
Presenting sustainable development
Training and clarifying instructions
Presenting safety measures
Presenting market organisation,
different players on the market
and trading on power markets
Financial reporting and control
Presenting legal issues
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10
GENERAL TRAITS OF BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS
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STAGES OF A PERFECT PRESENTATION
PREPARATION
study the audience
prepare the presentation
organise the technical support
check the conference room
rehearse
PURPOSE
to provide instructions
to describe tools, processes, situations or products
to explain or interpret the data in a report
to raise awareness about important issues
to convince audiences/clients/potential buyers
to influence decisions
(company policy, acquisition of goods,
implementation of modern/efficient solutions)
to facilitate team work
to maintain or enhance the level of interest
PERSONALITY
involvement
dynamism
personal attitude and point of view
capacity of relating to the others and
of opening new communication channels
contagious moods
REHEARSAL
1. Repeat the text in your mind and in a loud voice when you
are alone
2. Look in the mirror; if possible, record your presentation
(audio, video)
3. Try to get feed-back and guidance after the rehearsal (avoid
being interrupted)
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THE SPEECH
1. Write your own presentation
2. You are responsible for
Content (correct&updated information, effective, new,
original and modern perspectives)
Bibliography (rigorous and helpful)
Clarity (in demonstrations and descriptions)
Consequent attitudes the listeners manifest
3. Do not improvise and do not push your luck
=> show respect for your audience
4. Steps
I. Collect information connected with the topic (one box):
ideas, articles from newspaper and magazines, pictures,
quotations, anecdotes, objects, relevant statistics
II. Organise the material (several files, no more than 7)
Group the items of the collection according to themes
Select a key theme
Write the first draft
Eliminate redundant ideas
III. Possible final structures
A: objectives presentation objectives accomplished
B: narration: introduction story conclusion
C: problem solving: situation difficulties solutions
D: description: focusing attention importance of the
topic main message presentation of details and
mechanisms examples summary
5. Alternate activities
6. Avoid a too specialized or pompous language
7. Clear and coherent speech, suitable for note-taking
8. You may alternate
Formal/semi-formal speech,
Rigorous scientific presentations/captivating details,
Information and attitude.
9. The Summary
Reminds the main points.
Highlights the messages that the audience must
understand and remember.
Contains no new information.
10. The conclusion
Shows the logical outcomes of what has been said.
Often contains recommendations.
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MATERIALS
1. Relevant
2. Able to focus attention and to point to the purpose of the
presentation
3. Elegant in form
4. Visible / audible / sufficient in number for everybody
5. I see and I forget, I do and I remember
6. You may provide check lists for guiding the audience's
observation of the materials used / displayed
7. Allow enough time for each item
8. They are auxiliaries: do not make them protagonists
9. Always be prepared with an alternative in case something
should go wrong
10. Mention their source
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THE SPEAKER
1. Be elegant, effective and practical
2. Aim to know yourself better, be yourself and
courageously use your talents
Personal life experience, opinions and attitudes can
alter the message
Present things you know and you believe in; nothing
is more powerful than the truth
Ask for feedback and do not avoid team work
Do not imitate a model
Read a lot
Get constant moral support
3. Reflect upon your previous performance
and future intentions, trying to find ways of improvement
4. Do not recite your presentation; build it with the audience
5. Do not read word by word
It distracts everybody
It shows lack of: confidence, competence, preparation
It distorts your style
If you have to read, use a marker to highlight
the most important parts
6. Do not learn by heart. Focus on key words, images and
logical demonstrations, which could be written on cards
and kept at hand. Visualise a big comprehensive picture of
what you are going to say.
7. Speak clearly and loudly;
use your voice (intonation, volume) to emphasise ideas
and to create a pleasant atmosphere
8. Your non-verbal communication should convey the same
message as your verbal communication
9. Avoid redundancy and useless talk
10. Study your audience in advance:
number probable questions
social category previous/next issues
cultural background previous/next speakers
interests reasons for
expectations attending the presentation
needs prejudices
time willingness to learn more
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11. Make sure there is harmony between you, the message and
your image (clothes, hair style, make-up, keys or money
"talking" in your pockets, etc.)
12. Do not forget to smile and use some jokes, if appropriate
(avoid them when the presentation is being translated in
another language).
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What to say if.
1. You want to invite questions and comments
That concludes the formal part of my talk. Thanks for
listening. Now I'd like to invite your comments.
So, now I'd be very interested to hear
your comments and opinions, and I think
we would all benefit from sharing experience.
Now we have fifteen minutes for
questions and discussion.
Right. Now, any questions or comments?
2. You understood the question but it is difficult
or impossible to answer
That's a difficult question to answer in a few words
It could be ...
In my experience ...
I would say ...
I don't think I'm the right person to answer that.
Perhaps our colleague can help ...
I don't have much experience in that field ...
3. You understood but the question is irrelevant
or impossible to answer in the time available
I'm afraid that's outside the scope of my talk/this
session. If I were you I'd discuss that with ...
I'll have to come to that later, perhaps during the
break as we're short of time.
4. You have not understood
Sorry, I'm not sure I've understood.
Could you repeat?
Are you asking if ... ?
Do you mean ... ?
I didn't catch (the last part of) your question.
If I have understood you correctly, you mean ... ? Is
that right?
5. You check whether your answer is sufficient
Does that answer your question?
Is that okay?
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TIPS FOR PRESENTERS
IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
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5. Remember that people have paid to attend the conference
and that they will complain to the organizers if they do not
find the event worthwhile. This will result in less support
and less opportunities for you to present your work in the
future. The success of the meeting depends on you.
6. You may wish to improve your presentation by encouraging
the audience to ask questions during your presentation. If
you decide to do so, please ask permission from the Session
Chairmen as sometimes this will not be possible as it may
disrupt the session schedule. You should be careful in such
cases not to be sidetracked or overrun the time allocated for
your paper.
7. Structure your presentation in a similar way to your written
paper. First introduce yourself and the presentation, then
move to the main body of the paper. This should start by
describing the problem to be addressed, followed by
explaining the methods you used and by the results you
obtained. Having done that, draw conclusions and describe
future work if relevant. Provide your audience with the clear
significance of your work, the new developments that you
have discovered and the main aspects of your research.
8. Practice your presentation in front of people who do not
necessarily understand your work so as to become more
explicit in your speech delivery.
9. Be sure that you keep to the schedule and always allow 3-5
minutes for questions and discussions. Timing is important
as you may be cut off by the Chairman before you have
presented your results and conclusions.
10. Your presentation will be greatly enhanced with the use of
good visual aids. Your aim is to make your presentation as
easy to follow as possible.
Try to use the landscape format where possible
because it is similar to the human vision.
Avoid vertical slides and transparencies.
Use colours wherever possible.
Insert your organization's name at the bottom of
each slide and maybe your own name.
The first slide has the title of your presentation,
your name and the conference title and date.
Do not use too many symbols and equations. The
audience can read them in the paper if necessary.
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Have between 3 - 5 points per slide. More than 5 is
too many and you should use a second slide.
Allow 2 - 3 minutes per slide and remember to
pause so the audience can read the whole slide.
Do not block part of the slide or transparency (i.e.
by standing in front of the projector or by design (if
you wish to present parts of it later on).
Remember that a picture/graph is very informative.
Check beforehand that your visual aids are of good
quality and that they can be read from a distance.
Turn the slide and overhead projectors off if they
are not being used for your presentation.
Use the pointer as much as possible and always
try to face the audience as much as possible.
11. Let the organizers know well in advance if you are planning
to use other visual aids such as video tapes or computer
display terminals. If they are notified in advance they may
be able to provide better facilities.
12. Inform the organizers well in advance if you need to screen
simultaneously or use special projection facilities. Do not
assume that they will be available as a matter of course or
that they can be found at short notice.
13. Make sure your visual aids and slides are coordinated with
the conference visual aids well before the session: in the
same sequence with the program, the personal stick or CD
can open in a compatible format, the document is already
copied on the (conference) laptop ready to be displayed.
14. Meet your session chairman at least 10 minutes before the
session starts.
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rest of the audience can hear them. As Chairman, the
questions should in theory be addressed to you.
4. Be prepared to suggest that discussions should be
continued during the breaks.
5. Remember that you are there to help the speaker and the
audience, not yourself. Therefore, if you ask a question,
aim it to stimulate the discussion as well as answer your
particular interest.
(www.worldses.org)
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SLIDES MANAGEMENT
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14. Never show a visual before you talk about it.
15. Remove the visual once you finished talking about it.
16. Switch off equipment not in use.
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THE LANGUAGE OF PRESENTATIONS
1. Greeting
Good morning/afternoon ladies and gentlemen.
(Ladies and) Gentlemen
2. Introductions
My name is ... and I'm here to/going to ...
I'd like to :..
I will talk to you about/tell you about/explain ...
First of all, can I say thank you for inviting me here today/
for coming/for your kind introduction.
3. Subject
I plan to say a few words about ...
I'm going to talk about ...
The subject of my talk is
The theme of my presentation is
I'd like to give you an overview of
4. Structure
I have divided my talk into (three) parts.
My talk will be in (three) parts.
I'm going to divide ...
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First ...
Second ...
Third
In the first part ...
Then in the second part ...
Finally ...
5. Timing
My talk will take about ten minutes.
The presentation will take about two hours ...
but there'll be a twenty minute break in the middle.
We'll stop for lunch at 12 o'clock.
6. Policy on questions/discussion
Please interrupt if you have any questions.
After my talk therell be time for a discussion
and any questions.
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Ending the introduction
So that concludes the introduction.
That's all for the introduction.
Beginning the main body
Now let's move to the first part of my talk, about ...
So, first ... To begin with ...
Listing
There are three things to consider. First ...
Second ... Third ...
There are 2 kinds of.... The first is ... The second is
We can see advantages and disadvantages.
First, advantages. One is ... Another is ... A third
advantage is ... Finally ...
On the other hand, the disadvantages: first, second
Linking: Ending parts within the main body
That completes / concludes ...
That's all (l want to say for now) on ...
Linking: Beginning a new part
Let's move to (the next part which is) ...
So now we come to ...
Now I want to describe ...
Sequencing
There are (seven) different stages to the process: First
/ then / next / after that / then (x) /after x there's y, last ...
There are two steps involved. The first step is ....
The second step is ...
There are four stages to the project. At the beginning,
later, then, finally ...
I'll describe the development of the idea.
First the background, then the present situation,
and then the prospects for the future
10. Referring to visual aids
As you can see from this chart/diagram, ...
If you look at this graph/picture, you can see ...
This map/slide illustrates/shows ...
11. Concluding
Transition from the last part of the body to the summary/
conclusion:
Right, that ends (the ..third part of) my talk.
That's all I want to say for now on ...
Beginning the summary and/or conclusion
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I'd like to end by emphasising the main points.
I'd like to finish with a summary of the main points/
some observations based on what I've said/ some
conclusions/ recommendations / a brief conclusion.
Concluding
There are two conclusions / recommendations.
What we need is ...
I think we have to ...
I think we have seen that we should ...
Finally/In conclusion I'd like to say that ..,
I'd like to end/finish I by saying .../with a brief
summary of ...
12. Questions and Answers
So, if you have any questions, I'll do my best to
answer them.
So, if there aren't any more questions, I'll end there.
Thank you very much for listening.
"EXCUSES" FOR
UNSUCCESSFUL PRESENTATIONS
1. The audience
was not interested
criticized my opinions
wouldn't listen to my speech, demanding diagrams,
examples, samples or pictures
2. The board of directions never liked me anyway
3. The time was too short
4. I had no chance to prepare the presentation properly
5. Nobody wanted to know the whole truth
6. There should have been a microphone, a projector, a screen
7. What can one expect from a presentation scheduled right
after lunch?
TIPS
=> EXPRESS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND TURN NEGATIVE
CIRCUMSTANCES INTO ADVANTAGES
=> FOCUS ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR WORK
=> SHOW A HIGH SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY
(IT IS YOUR FAULT IF PEOPLE DO NOT PAY ATTENTION)
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TOPICS FOR STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
1. Environment protection
Greenhouse effect
Acid rain
Wildlife extinction
Selective collection and recycling
Deforestation
Pollution
Ecology
2. Sustainable development
3. Energy shortage and alternative approaches
4. Depletion of fossil fuels and solutions to the problem
5. Saving energy
6. Renewable sources of energy
7. Quality standards impact upon consumers and production
8. Impact of product design on consumers habits & purchases
9. Famous technological
Achievements
Disasters
Accidental discoveries
10. Famous
Engineers
Scientists
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Investors
Economists
Entrepreneurs
Managers
Agricultural approaches to various land types
11. Famous financial achievements and disasters
12. Accessing funds for business
Banking products
Loans and collaterals
EU funds for structural development
14. Company organisation
15. Corporate culture
16. Corporate leadership
17. Leadership in engineering and research
18. Management throughout history
19. Technological revolutions and wonders (the Ancient times,
the Middle Ages, the modern epoch.)
20. Smart homes
21. Smart communication
22. The impact of computers on business engineering
23. Strategies/policies on national & regional development in
the EU, the UK, the USA, etc.
24. Research management & engineering support in discovery
explorations and expeditions
25. The ideal manager and his/her professional qualities
26. The labour market and its current trends
27. Manipulation in advertising
28. The impact of mass media on daily life
29. Management of technological progress
29. Communication management
30. Organisational structures in companies & human resource
management
31. Tips for successful presentations, negotiations, interviews
32. Business correspondence: letters, e-mails, phone dialogues
33. Advice on writing reports, business plans, memos,
proposals, orders, etc
34. Production lines
35. Franchising
36. Outline the chronological development
of a successful and famous company
37. Remarkable Romanian engineers and entrepreneurs
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38. Intercultural communication in
multi-cultural work-teams/work-stations
39. Migrating work force
40. Strategies for cultivating clients
41. Multinationals and public relations
42. Wholesales and retailers
43. Investment strategies
44. Quality and productivity
45. Quality maximisation strategies for Romanian products
46. Strategies for highlighting competitive advantages
47. Strategies for dealing with the competition
on the same market sector
48. The impact of EU standards
on the local industry/on the Romanian industry
49. SMEs solutions for the economic crisis?
50. Industrial espionage
52. Data bases security
53. For and against consumerism
54. Using statistics for planning your business
55. Globalisation
56. Economic Engineering in Agriculture & Rural Development
57. Accounting and Agro-tourism
58. Executive management
59. Implementing company organisation charts
60. Executive management organization chart
61. Functions of executive management
62. Position titles and job descriptions
63. Communication in business meetings
64. Hotel services and facilities
65. Hotel & Room types, facilities, services and rates
66. Hotel departments
A front office
B guest services/ uniformed services
C housekeeping
D engineering and maintenance
E security and safety
67. Human resources
68. Sales and marketing
69. Accounting
70. Meals, food and beverage
71. Travel agents
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72. Working in a travel Agency: daily activities
73. Presenting the travel agency and its services
74. Organising travel formalities and selling tour packages
75. Advertising travel products and services - tour brochures
76. Dealing with difficult customers and handling complaints
77. Tour Guides
78. Geographical outline of Romania
79. Sightseeing and describing tourist attractions
80. Job requirements
81. The concept of Rural Tourism
82. Basic knowledge
83. Business, commercial and managerial correspondence
84. Hotel-quality assessment: process and terminology
85. Abbreviations / American versus British
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EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR PRESENTATIONS
PREPARATION
1. research
2. content selection (concepts to include, length and depth,
technical details, number of key ideas), and structure,
(sequence, repetition, summarising)
3. Clear development, sequential description of processes,
chronological order of events, i.e. background ~ present ~
future.
4. organisation and text markers use
for discourse structure and highlighting facts
5. amount of details (relevant, not numerous)
6. clarity of message
7. global appearance and slide design
8. language accuracy (grammar, spelling, formal lexis)
9. wide range of vocabulary, suitable for topic and audience
10. rehearsal
11. adjusting to the anticipated audience
expectations
technical knowledge
size
questions, discussion, comments,
sharing experience/best practice
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PUBLIC PERFORMANCE
1. speakers competence
(knowledge and presentation technique)
2. delivery: style (formal/informal), enthusiasm, confidence
3. commanding attention
4. leading into the topic
5. logical flow of ideas
6. points supported by examples
7. effective ending
8. voice control and volume modulation, speed,
tone, variety in intonation, pauses, clear pronunciation
9. fluent speech: simple, clear, adequate sentence length, use
of structure signals
10. non-verbal communication: posture, gestures self-confi-
dence, and use of hands to point to relevant data, eye-
contact, facial expression, movement in front of the public
VISUAL AIDS
type/design/clarity
relevance
audio /video input
script or notes
size/seating
equipment (does it work?)
sound quality
visibility
Impact
Organisation
Clarity
Audience awareness
Audience involvement
Relationship between questions
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Move around the topic with ease
Predict idea development and audience reactions
Effective time management
Summary of information in diagram(s)
Report the main features in graphs
with support of specific data.
A wide range of grammar and vocabulary.
Complex sentences and a wide range of functions
Relevant comparisons
No over-generalizations
Relevant connections in the text
Listen, read and write simultaneously, if necessary
Dealing with various types of questions and
the relationships between them
Concentration skills, focus on listening, not just hearing
Fluent, clear, and accurate speech
Relevant and appropriate answers
Functional re-organisation during the speech, if needed
Convincing development of the argument
Correct word and sentence stress and sentence rhythm.
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associate: associate sth with;
balance: (hang) in the balance, strike a balance, upset
/alter/redress the balance, balance between,
on balance, off balance
basis: basis for, on a daily/temporary basis, on the
basis of/that
belief: express belief(s), belief in/that, contrary to po-
pular belief, beyond belief, in the belief that, popular/
widely held/widespread/firm/strong/growing belief
conclusion: bring sth. to a conclusion, come to/arrive
at /reach a conclusion, jump/leap to conclusions, in
conclusion, conclusion of, logical conclusion
3. PHRASAL VERBS
come (a)round (to) = change opinion or decision be-
cause someone has persuaded you to agree with them
come up with = think of something: an idea or a plan
figure out = be able to understand something or solve
a problem; understand what someone is like and why
they behave in the way they do
make out = see, hear or understand someone or
some-thing with difficulty; suggest, imply
piece together = learn the truth about sth. by consi-
dering all the separate bits of information you have
read up (on / about) = get information on a particular
subject by reading a lot about it
think over = consider a problem or decision carefully
think through = consider the facts about something
in an organised and thorough way
36
COMMENTING ON INFORMATION
DISPLAYED ON GRAPHS
37
Sales peaked/peaked out ...
Sales stood at.
Sales levelled out / flattened out
Sales bottomed out
Sales rose slowly/steadily/quickly/suddenly/gradually
Sales fell/dropped/slumped/decreased/plunged
This was due to ...
This was the result of...
This caused
This led to
6. Interpreting an exhibit
This seems to suggests that
In my opinion it means that ...
This implies that ...
It is quite clear that ...
7. Presenting opinions
My view is that ...
I think that ...
My opinion is that ...
8. Making recommendations
I think we should
I feel we ought to
I suggest that we
I recommend that .
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Describing the content of an exhibit:
(Brian Howe, Portfolio Case Studies for Business English, Longman, 1990)
Describing trends:
39
Note the following ways to say numbers (cf. Anthony Cosgrove
English at Work, Cambridge University Press, 2011):
Currencies:
$6.50 six dollars fifty 6.15 six pounds fifteen
Decimals: note that a decimal point is written as a 'dot',
not a comma like in some languages.
6.5 six point five
0.25 nought/zero point two five (NOT point twenty five)
Large numbers: a comma can be used to separate
thousands from hundreds. Notice the use of 'and' in
British English.
6,200 six thousand two hundred (in BrE and AmE)
6,280 six thousand two hundred and eighty (in BrE, but
AmE has no 'and' here), 2m two million. (NOT millions),
25m two point five/two and a half million
Use the verbs: to double, to triple, to halve.
Use the nouns: a rise, growth an improvement, a fall, a
drop, a peak, a recovery, a half, a doubling.
Manufacturing industry orders in January rose 11. 1%
from the same period a year earlier, compared with
forecasts of an 11.2% rise. (Wall Street Journal website)
Note the following prepositions:
Sales increased from $5.4m to $5.8m. (start and finish
figures). Sales increased by $O.4m. (difference between
start and finish figures). There was an increase in sales
of $O.4m. (after a noun or noun phrase). There was a 3%
increase in sales. (before the thing that is changing). The
share of U.S. capital spending devoted to information
technology has more than tripled since 1960, from 10% to
35%. Fields such as biotechnology are booming.
(Business Week website)
We'll raise/lower/cut/maintain his salary. (with an object)
Inflation will rise/fall/grow/go up. (without an object)
We'll increase/decrease/improve/recover our market
share. (with an object) AND Our market share will
increase/decrease/improve/recover. (without an object)
Speed Amount Lexis: quickly/quick rapid change, signi-
ficantly/significant, gradually/gradual constant, regular
change sharply/sharp,steadily/steady slow, step-by-step
change, slightly/ slight. Examples: Sales grew steadily.
There was a steady growth in sales. So far, 6.25 billion
40
USD has poured into Romania over the last decade/with
last year's figures showing a slight increase according to
the latest Trade Registry data. (Bucharest Business Week
website)
41
Units and Abbreviations (cf. Yates, Fitzpatrick, Technical English, Longman, 1990)
42
43
Women Women Men Men Men Children
Clothes Shoes Suits Shirts Shoes Sizes
Sizes Sizes
UK USA France Italy UK USA Europe UK USA Europe UK USA Europe UK USA Europe age c age c
m m
44
PRODUCT AND SERVICE PRESENTATION
45
46
TEXT MARKERS
47
As I see it/things
Personally I think
I would rather/sooner focus on
They had better/should/ought to
Listing advantages
One advantage of
Another advantage of
One other advantage of
An argument in favour of
A further advantage of
The main advantage of
The greatest advantage
The first advantage of
Listing disadvantages
One disadvantage of
Another disadvantage of
One other disadvantage of
A further disadvantage of
The main disadvantage of
The greatest disadvantage of
The first disadvantage of
An argument against
Listing points
Firstly
First of all
In the first place
Secondly
Thirdly
Finally
Giving examples
For example
For instance
Such as
Like
In particular
Especially
A good example is.
48
Take ..., for example.
. is a case in point.
'In places such as ...
Expressing cause
Because (of)
As
49
Since
Owing to the fact that
Due to the fact that
On the grounds that
In view of
For this/that reason
Seeing that
Now that
Given that
For
In that
Inasmuch as
Expressing effect
Therefore
So
Consequently
As a result/consequence
Hence
Thus
The + comparative, the + comparative
Expressing purpose
So that + may, might, can, could, shall, should, will, would
So as to, In order to
In case
With the purpose of
With the intention of
50
Make general statements
As a rule
Generally
As a general rule
In general
By and large
On the whole
Globally
Generally speaking
It is generally perceived
It is felt that
Emphasizing a point
Possessive + own
Compounds with ever + modal
Echoing phrases with so
Little does she appreciate
So + adjective + that
Such+ noun + that
Indeed
Naturally
Clearly
Obviously
Of course
Needless to say
Certainly
Surely
Sheer
Pure
Complete
Thorough
Absolute
Strongly
51
Major
Utter
Explicit
Total
Perfect
The very thing
Entire
Outright
Positive
True
Genuine
Indeed
Not at all
Not in the slightest
Not the least bit
Nothing left at all
None left whatsoever
The
Do
By no means
By all means
Even
Define reality
It is a fact
Actually
The fact is that
As a matter of fact
The fact of the matter is that
In practice
Indeed
After all
In fact
In effect
52
Still, it is argued that
There are people who think that
Contrary to what most people believe
As opposed to the above ideas
Certain members expressed disapproval
On the one handon the other hand
Negative addition
Neither nor
It is not , and neither/nor is
It is not , and the other is not, either.
53
Irrespective of the fact
Whereas
Whilst
In any case
Anyway
Instead
For one thing and for another
Give alternatives
Or
Either , or
On the one hand , on the other hand
Alternatively
Another solution/perspective would be
Whether or (not)
Similarities
Similarly
Likewise
In the same way
Identically
Exception
Apart from
Except for
But
With the exception of
Clarify
It means
That is to say
Let me be more clear
The bottom line is
Rephrase
In other words
To put it another way
Namely
Lets go to the point
54
Express condition
On (the) condition that
Provided that
Providing (that)
Only if
If only (+ regret)
As long as
In the event of/that
Under the circumstances
Under no circumstance/condition
In case
If
If so
Otherwise
Or else
Unless = if not
Assuming that
Suppose
Supposing that
So long as
Indicating consequences
Consequently
Then
So
In which case
Insofar as
So that
As a result
As a consequence
Comparing
As as
Just as as
Not quite as as
More than
Less than
Twice as as
55
Concluding
Lastly
All in all
Finally
Therefore
To sum up
On balance
In conclusion
On the whole
All things considered
For the above mentioned reasons
Taking everything into account
Taking it all into consideration
Summarize
In short
Briefly
To put it brief(ly)
I would like to conclude stating that
Some final observations
Lets make a summary of the previous points
Asking/inviting questions
I invite you to ask questions, make comments
and share experience
I would be very interested in hearing your questions
If you have any questions please feel free to interrupt
I would be glad to take any questions at the
end of my presentation
Context approximations
Almost
About
Approximately
Largely
Altogether
Next to
In the vicinity of
Neighbouring
Out of all proportion
Few/little (insufficient) BUT (quite)a few/little(enough)
56
Somewhat
Tremendously
Enormously
Really
As a rule
Regularly
Even
Mainly
Mostly
Too
Nearly
Virtually
Vaguely
Hardly ever
Extremely
Define time
When
Whenever
Before
Until
Till
After
Since
Last
While
Whenever
As soon as
As
During
By the time
Sooner or later
Ever
Never
Just
Already
In the foreseeable future
Next
Now
Currently
For the time being
57
Every
Always
Often
Seldom / rarely
Sometimes
Usually
Then
Subsequently
Eventually
At no time
Long-term
In the long run
In perspective
Once in a while
Once
The moment that
Immediately
Straight away
Directly
From time to time
Twice a week
Every now and then
Accidentally
It will last/take
Day in, day out
Day after day
Time and time again
Over and over again
Hardly when
Barely when
Scarcely when
No sooner than
At the same time
Meanwhile
Afterwards
Earlier
On time
In time
Daily
Quarterly
Hourly
58
Later
Previously
Beforehand
Defining space
Where
Wherever
There
Here
Over here/there
On the premises
The venue is
On location
Estate/building
Space/land/property
Defining position
On
Under
Opposite
Across
Inside
Upside down
Reversed
Beneath
Through
Beyond
Outside
At the corner
In the corner
In front of
Relatives
Who
Whom
Whose
That
Whoever
Which
Whichever
59
Reference
Regarding
Concerning
Referring to
With respect to
With regard to
With reference to
About
Proportions
per cent
High/low percentage of
The majority of
The minority of
A significant number of
Relevant amount/sum
Meaningful quantity
Over one third
Half
Two quarters
Three fifths
One in 8 people
Four out of six
Share
To double
To triple
Threefold
Twofold
60
Surprisingly
Carelessly
Unbelievably
Undoubtedly
Wisely
Trends
Raise
Lower/cut
Maintain
Remain stable
Plummet
Fall
Grow
Go up
Go down
Increase
Decrease
Boom
Improve
Recover
Drop
Peak
Large modification
Sudden alteration
Small change
Sharp
Slight
Quick/rapid
Regular
Constant
Steady
Gradual
Slow
Step by step
Stay the same
Be flat
Hit a low
Remain high
Reach a peak
Be/stand at
61
Decline
Fluctuate
Level off
Drop/fall back
Generalisations
On the whole, ...
Generally speaking, ...
By and large, .
I feel sure that .
Giving opinions
I think/feel/ believe ....
In my opinion ...
It seems to me that ...
As I see it ...
For me, .
I do not think ...
I have mixed feelings about it.
I doubt whether .:
I'm certain that ...
I'm in two minds about it.
I'm afraid I have no idea. '.
Agreeing
I completely agree with you.
That's absolutely right.
I don't agree with you / that .
I see what you're saying, but.
My thoughts entirely ...
62
PRESENTING YOURSELF
AND YOUR COMPANY
63
e. We are concerned with manufacturing in our two factories.
f. When a job becomes vacant or a new post is created, we take
care of recruitment and selection.
g. We work with a large team of national representatives whose
job is to get orders from customers and then ensure that
the orders are delivered.
h. My department has a wide range of responsibilities from
running the post room to organising office furniture.
i. We find out what customers want, set the prices and
organise promotion campaigns.
j. I ensure that all products are manufactured to the highest
possible standard.
64
1. Our main business is energy supply and services.
We work
2. There are over 6,000 employees in the company.
The company.
3. There are three main divisions in the company.
The company is divided .
4. I'm responsible for developing business with small
and medium-sized enterprises
I am in charge
5. I joined the company three years ago.
I have been
6. Part of my job is to research new technologies.
My job involves
7. ABC Energy was originally a distribution company.
ABC Energy started life..
8. Our current objective is to develop energy services.
At the moment we ..
9. I hope I'm not telling you things you know already.
Forgive me.
10. Can I give you any other specific information?
Is there anything.
Match the expressions from the conversation 1-8
with expressions that have the same meaning a-h.
65
66
PRESENTATIONS FOR SUPPORT SERVICES
67
Resistance may also come from trade union leaders, who
will be suspicious that this is the first step to the outsourcing
of support functions.
So it is better for everyone if the transition to more
centralised support functions is done gradually. Bear in mind
that not all centralisation is helpful: you do not have to go all
the way down this route if it does not suit your companys
situation.
68
PRESENTATIONS
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
69
a) How are energy companies' responsibilities for sustainable
development different from those of other companies?
b) In what ways are they the same?
Sustainable development
Energy companies have a particular role to play in this field, as
they rely, more than many other businesses, on the world's de-
clining natural resources. So, the first priorities for an energy
company in its sustainable development policy are:
combating climate change
conserving resources and promoting energy efficiency.
Linked closely to these aims are two other goals:
innovating to find technologies that will improve our
environment
working with environmental charities around the
world.
There are also the more general targets of sustainable develop-
ment to consider. For any company, they involve taking care of
the interests of all the stakeholders. In the case of employees,
it means:
offering job security, a safe working environment and
career opportunities
promoting equal opportunity and diversity.
In the case of shareholders, the local community and sup-
pliers, it means:
ensuring strong company performance, growth and
job creation
fair treatment of suppliers
70
sustainable development, energy efficiency, job security,
company performance, equal opportunities, local community.
Discuss:
1. What are the benefits of green facades on buildings?
2. What kinds of vehicles have used natural gas up to now?
How will they evolve?
3. Who are the main partners in a sustainable project?
4. What can students do to get information and act on it?
Complete these phrases. Put one word in each space.
1. We are looking out for interesting projects to . involved .
2. We were so .. that we agreed .. almost immediately.
3. We .. a small subsidiary to develop this technology.
4. Initially its funds came from us, but soon it will be
5. Its ideas have been . .. across the region.
Choose the correct tense to complete these sentences.
1. We have been working / worked with them since 2006.
2. We have published / published our first sustainable develop-
ment report 4 years ago.
3. The first climate change targets have been set / were set at
the Kyoto Conference.
4. So far we have had / had little interest from business
customers in our green tariff.
5. We have been launching / launched our energy-saving
initiative in 2007
6. For the last 5 years we have been developing / developed
more efficient wind turbines.
7. We have always been committed / were always committed to
social responsibility.
8. Last year we have invested /invested 1.4 million in
community projects.
What sustainable development projects is your company
involved in?
What is the purpose of these projects?
71
72
PRESENTATIONS
FOR TRAINING AND CLARIFYING INSTRUCTIONS
73
During a training course you will sometimes need to ask for
help or clarification. These statements are all ways of doing
this, but they are too direct. Change them to make them sound
more polite, using the words given in brackets.
1. I didn't hear you.
.(repeat)
2. I m lost.
.(confused)
3. I don't understand what you said.
.(follow / you)
4. This is too theoretical for me.
(give me a practical example)
5. Explain that again.
.(go through, time)
6. Tell us why we, need to do it this way
.(the reasoning / behind)
7. What do you mean, better?
.understand/mean/by)
8. You've given us too much information
.. (take in / at once)
74
PRESENTATIONS
FOR ENSURING SAFETY
75
Complete the sentences. Use these words: prevented, followed,
assessed, encouraged, taken, provided.
1. First, all safety risks must be properly
2. Precautions can then be . to control these risks.
3. Regular training in safety procedures must be ... for all staff.
4. Staff must be monitored to check that safety procedures are
constantly being
5. Good practice can be . by a system of rewards.
6. Bad practice can be by strict supervision and control.
76
Read the account of an accident on a gas network. What
caused the gas leak? Where did the explosion take place?
Following a gas explosion on the sixth floor of the Hotel Plaza,
Titas Transmission and Distribution Ltd. will conduct a full
survey of the citys gas pipe network. Engineers were repairing
a gas pipeline leakage close to the hotel when the accident
happened. They found that an electrical cable had been laid
too close to the pipe. Over a period of time sparks from the
cable had eroded the pipe. They shut down the gas supply in
order to carry out repairs, but it seems that gas had already
leaked into an enclosed room higher up in the building and
that some other spark triggered the explosion. Luckily, there
were no casualties.
77
78
PRESENTING
THE DIFFERENT PLAYERS AND
THE ORGANISATION OF THE MARKET
Describe the way a business sector has changed over the last
20 years. Use the words: state, capital, regulated, entrants,
historical, subcontractors, and competitors.
79
What are your views on the EU policy in your field?
Are these statements true (T) or false (F)? Explain.
1. There is now a single market in Europe.
2. The amount people pay for similar products and services is
very different from one European country to another.
3. You have to separate integrated companies before you can
have real competition
4. Business giants agree unbundling will benefit consumers.
5. Companies from outside the EU could benefit if member
states are forced to unbundle.
80
Imagine you are an industry analyst talking about trends in
your business sector. What will happen about these things?
a. big mergers and acquisitions
b. smaller scale acquisitions
c. spin-offs
What other predictions can you make for the structure of this
industry? What role does the government play in your busi-
ness sector? Is it an important role or just a minor one?
Use the table to create sentences with the derived words; note
that syllable stress changes between the verb and the noun.
Activity
Verb Person / Type of company
to explore An EP company
to produce production
to trade a trader
to wholesale wholesale
to retail a retailer
to store storage
to supply a supplier
to subcontract a subcontractor
to regulate regulation
to consume a consumer
81
Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as
the first.
1. The equipment is old-fashioned, but it works well.
Although
2. It costs lot of money. Nevertheless, I think it is worthwhile.
In spite of
3. Although it is an expensive form of energy now, the costs
will come down.
, but .. .
4. There were technical difficulties, but the project went ahead.
Despite
(Paul Dummett, Energy English, Summertown Publishing,
Heinle Cengage Learning, 2010)
Discussion:
What business opportunities can you see for services
companies in todays world, where sustainability and
environmental protection are increasingly important?
How do you think your line of business was affected by
the financial crisis of 2008?
Why does a company go bankrupt?
What are the objectives of trading in your line of work?
Why do you think traders are paid so much money? Are
they paid according to their qualifications, their ability,
the demands of the job, or the profits they make for the
company?
82
PRESENTING
FINANCIAL REPORTING AND CONTROL
83
Write the opposite of these financial terms. Use these words:
1. variable costs 5. current .
2. income 6. profit .
3. assets. 7. creditor .
4. gross . 8. profitable
84
PRESENTING LEGAL ISSUES
85
shall be majority Swiss-owned. The Swiss distribution compa-
nies must transfer ownership of the network to Swissgrid with-
in five years. The act also 6 stipulates that a new regulatory
body be established. The regulator will 7 ensure compliance
with the provisions of the act and 8 enforce them if necessary.
The regulator will no longer issue tariffs, but will arbitrate, in
any disputes between competitors. The new law also promotes
renewable energy. 9 Under the act, independent generators will
10 be entitled to remuneration at cost for feeding renewable
energy into the system.
Complete the steps in the law passage process, from the initial
law writing to its changing or cancelling. Use these words:
passed, amended, applied, drafted.
The law is 1..
The law is debated.
The law is 2 .
The law comes into force
The law is 3
The law is challenged in the courts.
The law is 4 0R repealed
What laws affecting the energy industry have been passed in
your country in recent years? What were the main aims of the
laws? How have they influenced your line of business?
Use the third conditional form of the verbs in brackets.
1. If they(consult) people in the industry first, they(draft)
the law very differently
2. If the government (not be) in such a hurry, they
(debate) the law properly.
3. If they .(think) more carefully about the consequences for
companies, the law (not be passed).
4 If the law(not be passed), we(not have to) increase prices
5.We.(support) it if the government(accept) our amendment
(Paul Dummett, Energy English, Summertown Publishing, Heinle Cengage Learning, 2010)
86
PART 2
87
88
LEADERSHIP AND TEAMWORK
89
As early as 1939, Kurt Lewin led a group of scientists
involved in research efforts aimed at identifying different styles
of leadership. The result proved to be influential, establishing
the three major leadership styles:
Authoritarian or autocratic;
Participative or democratic;
Delegative or Free Reign;
Good leaders use all styles, with one of them normally
dominant, whereas bad leaders tend to pursue one style only.
Nowadays e-environments are widespread and challenge direct
interactions between people, modifying communication styles,
messages, and leadership assertion. Virtual environments may
act as masks, protective shields, or emotional buffers in pro-
tagonists professional networking.
The above mentioned leadership styles become diluted in
a dialogue altered/filtered by modern technological means,
especially in the area of the clues provided by the non-verbal
communication to the significance and consequences of the
global idea being conveyed; therefore students should become
aware of any authority distortion in and via e-activities.
E-activities is a term referring both to the e-based or
facilitated processes of teaching and learning, as well as to the
e-mediated communication at work. The concept envisages the
impact and the distortions which may stem from otherwise
useful and time-saving tools.
The forces influencing the style to be used include:
The time available;
Relationships based on respect & trust/disrespect;
Information owned by the boss/employees/both;
Employees training and task solving proficiency;
Internal conflicts and stress levels;
Task: un/structured/complicated/simple;
Laws, established procedures, training plans;
Respected and proficient leaders use all three styles,
depending on the forces involved between the followers, the
leader, and the situation. Here are more detailed examples:
Using an authoritarian style on a new employee who is just
learning the job. The leader is competent and a good coach.
The employee is motivated to get a new skill. The situation
represents a new environment for the employee.
90
Using a participative style with a team able to do the job. The
leader knows the problem, but does not have all data. The
capable employees want to become part of the team.
Using delegative styles with subordinates who know more
than the leader does. Executives cannot do everything and the
employees take ownership of the job. In addition, this enables
the boss to attend to other emerging issues.
Using all styles when telling employees that a procedure is
not working well and a new approach must be established
(authoritarian). Asking for ideas and input on creating a new
procedure (participative). Assigning tasks to implement the
new procedure is a mark of the delegative style.
The authoritarian style is used when leaders tell their
employees what they require and how they see it accomplished,
without getting advice from the followers.
91
what to do and how to do it), still keeping the final decision-
making authority. Superficial observers consider this style a
sign of weakness, but it is a sign of strength, with the leader
being highly respected by the subordinates. It is normally
implemented when the chief has part of the information, and
the rest have other bits. A leader is not expected to know
everything; this is why knowledgeable and skilful employees
are hired. This approach generates mutual benefit: it allows
people to be part of the team and allows the top management
to make better decisions. It seems to be the best suited for e-
activities in business.
In the delegativefree reign style leaders allow employees
to make decisions. Nevertheless, the leader still is responsible
for the decisions taken. It is used when employees can analyze
the situation and determine what the course of action and how
to proceed. The leader cannot do everything; therefore s/he
must set priorities and delegate certain tasks. This is not a
style to use for the purpose of blaming the others when things
go wrong, but rather to be used when the leader fully trusts
the team. It has to be used wisely, as it requires non-inter-
ference in the affairs of others and creative independence in
problem solving or in the elaboration of new designs.
There are positive and negative approaches to leadership.
Most leaders do not strictly implement one style but range bet-
ween extremes. The ones primarily focusing on the positive are
seen as real leaders, being identified by quantifying the
number of employees afraid to express disagreement with
managers. When approaching workers, positive leaders use re-
wards like education and independence, to increase motivation
levels, while negative employers enforce penalties. It is effective
but must be used carefully due to a high emotional cost. Bad
leaders are domineering and superior, and only use penalties
(job loss, pay cuts, public reprimands). A common misconcep-
tion is that authority&productivity increase when frightening
workers, but the morale falls and triggers low productivity.
The paternalistic style is worth a special mention. The
authority regulates the conduct of those under its control,
caters for their needs and protects them. Passing along orders
and setting a personal example gives purpose, direction, and
motivation. Under certain circumstances with specific cultures
and individuals, the paternalistic decision-making style might
92
be required, and it is expected by all parties involved: those in
charge and their followers. The distribution of power, authority
and task assigning processes is illustrated by the diagram of
vertical leadership, and suits leadership in multinationals
working on complex projects. However, when paternalistic or
autocratic styles are relied upon too intensely, whereas the
employees are ready and/or willing to implement a more
consultative approach to management, then indeed it becomes
quite damaging to the performance of the organization.
93
a sense of hierarchy combined with discipline. The four layers
in the Team Leadership Model deal with the following aspects:
Effective team performance, based on the leaders mental
model of the situation. Thus it is determined whether the
situation requires action or just monitoring;
Assigning internal or external leadership;
Establishing task / relational / environmental intervention.
Lack of leadership prevents team performance, so groups
trained by e-activities demonstrate proficiency in the following
areas:
Clear elevating goal and a vision;
Results driven structure;
Competent teams with the right number and mix;
Unified commitment: a team, not a group;
Collaborative climate towards common purposes;
High standards of excellence;
Principled leadership as central driver of excellence;
External support ensures the adequate resources;
While there are several team leadership models, Hill's
team model is perhaps the best known as it provides the leader
or a designated team member with a mental road map to help
diagnose team problems, and then take appropriate action to
correct team problems. Leadership has clear impact on people
by giving purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to
accomplish the mission and improving the organization. Here
are the key steps in ensuring effective leadership, perfectible
by e-activities:
Focus on goals by clarifying and/or getting agreement;
Restructure plans, processes, roles, so as to get desired
results (process improvement);
Guide decision-making processes so that better data are
obtained, and coordination is improved;
Network to increase influence and gather information;
Advocate and represent the team showing it at its best;
Support the team providing resources and recognition;
Buffer the team from environmental distractions;
Assess the environment by surveys and performance
indicators to determine its impact on the organization;
Share information with the team;
Train members through both formal and informal means;
Assess performance and confront when necessary;
94
Use collaborative methods to involve all team members;
Manage conflict;
Build commitment and team spirit;
Satisfy team members needs;
State what you expect from your team members;
Here follows a graphic representation of
Hills Team Leadership Model.
95
Leaders need extensive experience before they can become
good leaders.
Leadership is a collective enterprise whereby a group of
people working together have a vision and implement a
strategy; it does not depend on one individual exclusively.
People need to learn about leadership processes (including
how to motivate and communicate with people) by doing
courses and receiving training from mentors.
96
MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP STYLES
HOW TO BE AN E-MANAGER
97
few years, such as information architect or e-business
officer. Companies need new ways to hire and retain
such people. They also need new ways to measure their
performance.
98
to provide him with precisely the product he wants.
This shift, made possible by enriched communications,
is altering the global shape of many companies.
99
100
TELECONFERENCING
101
I'd like to ask everyone in turn to give a brief update on their
project.
OK, thank you, Jane. Time is short, so I think we should move
on ...
Can I bring in Thomas here? Tom, can you give us your views
on this, please?
Would anyone like to comment on that?
Does anyone have something they'd like to add?
I think we've covered all the main items.
If I can just summarise what we've agreed ...
Nick, you'll look into ... and report back at the next meeting./
Nick, you'll take care of ...
Henry will send out the minutes of this meeting to all of you in
the next couple of days.
Thank you everyone. It was a very productive / useful meeting.
Thank you everyone for your time and contributions.
102
NEGOTIATIONS
Agreeing on a procedure
I think we should first of all establish a procedure.
May I suggest that we begin by ... ?
After that ...
Finally ...
That's OK with us.
Fine.
Opening the negotiations
Can we begin by outlining our view of the situation?
Our position is this.
What we are looking for is ...
Our position is quite clear.
Firstly, ...
Our main worry is .
We hope to achieve
Let me outline our position ...
Our position is this: ...
Let me explain what it is we're looking for.
Exploring positions
How important is ...
Supposing we were to say ... ?
103
Can we clarify ... ?
This is the most important factor from our point of view.
How would you feel if ... ?
Bargaining
We can offer ...
We could not go beyond .
We would be willing to .
This is our final offer.
What would you say if ... ?
Our proposal would be ...
Our bottom line is ...
We could accept this only if ...
We would have to refer back on this one.
This would present real problems for us.
Rejecting / Accepting
That would be difficult for us,
That sounds fine
I don't think that would be a problem,
104
Being direct
To be perfectly honest ...
To tell you the truth ...
Buying time
I would need to talk to my ...
Could we come back to that point in a moment?
If we could leave that for now
Settling
So can we agree that we will
So, if I could just sum up, you have agreed to
I think we're within reach of an agreement here.
The last sticking point is ...
We can accept that.
It's a deal then.
There are a few loose ends we'd like to tie up.
If you can see your way to ...
That would be acceptable to us.
I think we have an agreement.
105
6. We have drawn up a preliminary contract.
We (drafted)
7. We reached a compromise with them.
They . (halfway)
106
PART 3
107
108
THE JOB INTERVIEW
109
and effective professionals. Candidates mistakes stem from
the comprehensive structure of interviews, intended to cover
all the important aspects in the applicants education, work
experience, and attitudes.
INTERVIEW STRUCTURES
There are two structures commonly used in current
practice: the Seven Points Plan, devised by Alec Rodger, and
the Five Points Plan, devised by John Fraser.
THE SEVEN POINTS PLAN:
1. Physical traits (fit for the job: aspect, endurance, health,
charisma, and stress coping mechanisms)
2. Knowledge (qualified and experienced for the job)
3. Intelligence (smart, creative, resourceful, practical, original,
able to meet the demands of the job)
4. Special aptitudes and skills required in daily work (linguistic,
numerical, interpersonal)
5. Interests, hobbies (spending own time and money in relation
to personal motivation for a certain job)
6. Temperament/personality (impact on colleagues)
7. Circumstances (how events affected the applicants career
and quality of work)
THE FIVE POINTS PLAN:
1. Impact (specific thoughts, attitudes and reactions triggered
by the candidates aspect/speech/behaviour)
2. Qualifications, work experience
3. Naturally born abilities, talents, aptitudes, thinking speed,
courage in decision making
4. Motivation
5. Adjustment to unpredictable situations or people
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGERS APPROACH
Interview stages have evolved much recently, in point of
the structure and the media used. While most still are the
standard face-to-face type, technological advancements have
made it possible for employers and applicants to connect
quickly by phone, videoconference, and even virtual job fairs.
110
MAIN AREAS INVESTIGATED IN JOB INTERVIEWS
General Questions
Motivation
Integrity Indicators
Teamwork
111
THE TELEPHONE INTERVIEW
An adequate resume brings the candidate to the next
step, which is a telephone interview. This phone screen usually
takes place with a company recruiter or HR staffer to pre-
qualify the applicant for the opening.
112
THE VIDEOCONFERENCE INTERVIEW
GROUP INTERVIEWS
113
Such interviews call for extra skills, efforts and actions, in
order to succeed:
Preparation performed by finding a list of people present
(clues about specific areas of expertise and about the com-
pany hierarchy), by searching key points about the firm,
and by organizing personal achievements so as to best fit
the job requirements.
Establish a connection, which implies addressing the inter-
locutors by name and keeping eye contact.
Avoid favourites, as it is dangerous to assume whose opinion
matters most in the hiring decision.
Show a facilitating attitude towards the hesitating people
(invite them to join the discussion and ask for clarifications,
additional remarks or questions, thus taking partial control
over the interview).
Diplomatic and tactful attitude in disagreements, using the
constructive points in others views.
Avoid relaxation. In informal interviews, a casual atmosphere
prevents best results. Interviewers may seem informal, but
they vote on hiring afterwards.
EDUCATION
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9. What exactly did you enjoy during university?
10. Name differences in student training between your univer-
sity and others offering the same degree.
11. What breakthroughs in your line of work have captured
your attention lately?
CAREER
13. What are your career goals?
14. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years time?
15. Why are you interested in this domain?
16. How will studies contribute to your career?
17. What satisfactions should your career bring you?
18. Portray the ideal manager in your perspective.
19. What do you expect from this job?
20. What plans do you have regarding obtaining future
qualifications? Specify and give reasons.
21. Are you interested in management? Why? How do you feel
you can contribute to its improvement?
22. Share some of your ambitions with us.
POSSIBLE EMPLOYMENT
23. Why did you decide for a job in this company?
24. What do you know about this firm?
25. Do you have acquaintances employed here?
26. What aspects in this job/position interest you?
27. Why would the interviewers select you?
28. How could you contribute to the effectiveness of this team/
position/company?
29. What duties do you feel ready to perform?
30. Which are the main difficulties/opportunities in our firm/
field of activity?
31. How long do you plan to stay with our firm?
INTERESTS, ATTITUDES, PERSONALITY
32. Describe yourself. Provide examples.
33. How would your friends portray you?
34. How would your parents depict you?
35. What are your strong points as a person?
Which qualities do you rely on in facing difficulties?
36. Speak about your weaknesses/overcoming them.
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37. What do you expect from your manager?
Do you think you could be/become a good manager?
38. What are your interests/hobbies?
39. How do you usually spend your spare time?
What if you had more time/money/opportunities?
40. How do you spend your holidays?
41. Which newspapers do you read? Why?
42. Which is the latest book you have read?
43. What do you spend your money on?
44. How have your interests and hobbies shifted since you
became a student/graduated?
45. What motivates you?
46. Which sports do you like/practice?
47. Enumerate the certificates you have obtained.
48. What social environment stimulates you?
49. Enumerate some of the responsibilities you had.
50. What is your best achievement in college?
MISCELLANEA
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also, and mainly, on interviews, employers get to know as
much as possible about their potential employees experience,
personality and goals.
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generate interview questions. Interviewers quickly eliminate
candidates who do not have the basic and easily available
information.
Body language, appearance and overall demeanour should
be assessed by someone close. Also, relevant answers to an-
ticipated questions must be practised.
Attire should be chosen according to the culture of the work-
place (professional, denoting prosperity, not assuming visi-
bility only from the shoulders up). The interview is the can-
didates opportunity to show their talent, and maintaining
proper appearance will ensure exclusive focus on abilities.
The briefcase for the interview should contain the advertise-
ment, the invitation to the interview, updated CV copies,
relevant references, the cover letter, favourable materials on
the company and significant samples of previous work.
Early arrival to the interview location.
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Direct or indirect questions regarding personal teamwork
skills must be expected (contribution to the most chal-
lenging project and its outcome; explanation for the role
generally/preferably assumed in a team; description of
challenging work environments; presentation of a case
solved only by co-operation).
Taking time to compose personal thoughts before answering
a complex question is good advice. If the candidate does not
know the answer, he should not fake it, but instead ask for
additional explanations or details required by a relevant
response.
Interviewers do not assess an applicant solely on content;
they also note how answers are formulated, in order to
evaluate thinking processes, creativity and personal
problem solving strategies.
Disparaging previous employers/colleagues is useless and
lowers the applicant.
Using humour is an effective way to answer a strange/trap/
confusing question, but using jokes too often means not
taking matters seriously.
Even if the interview is not going well, candidates should not
give up. The hiring manager may have a different opinion
about the success of the meeting, or may know of other
openings in the firm.
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DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
Job interviews surprise, confuse, and, at times, purpose-
fully provoke the candidates. This attitude is not to be taken
personally, as it is meant to reveal true selves and basic react-
ions, which are assessed in point of suitability for the job by
the board of interviewers. The aim is to see if the applicant is
self-possessed, logical, objective, balanced, and creative.
Samples of questions and suggestions on the appropriate
response approach are:
1. What is your idea of success in life?
2. What have you learnt in your previous jobs?
3. Why did you dislike about former workplaces?
4. Why have you taken so many training courses?
5. Explain how you take decisions.
6. Speak about some of your weak points.
How do you manage to overcome them?
7. Are you willing to relocate, travel long distances, for long
intervals of time, work long hours or part-time, if required?
8. Why should I hire you?
9. How do you make yourself indispensable to a company?
10. What is your greatest weakness?
11. How do you complete all your work with a hectic schedule?
12. Tell me about a time when you had to accomplish a task
with someone who was difficult to get along with.
13. How do you accept direction and, at the same time, main-
tain a critical stance regarding your ideas and values?
14. Give examples of activities&surroundings that motivate you.
15. Tell me how you handled an ethical dilemma.
Answer strategies:
We need technical and interpersonal competence, proved
in internship or co-operation experience
Students who have interned or completed cooperative edu-
cation assignments generally answer the question best be-
cause they know what working for a company entails.
I have difficulty with this thing, and these are the strate-
gies I use to get around it. I'm not the most organized of
individuals, so I answer my e-mails and phone calls right
away. I'm aware of the problem and I have strategies to
deal with it.
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I have a day planner and I map out all my assignments,
as I am a plan ahead kind of individual
I am sensitive to the needs of others, so I can still in-
fluence them, I do not just avoid them.
Most business and technical disciplines are teamwork
professions and require getting along with as well as moti-
vating other people
In answering such questions make sure you:
list the top three requirements of the job from a personal
perspective, revealing your strong points
summarize personal skills and experience matching the job
description.
end by stating interest in the organization.
show willingness to go the extra mile.
attach money value to personal evidence of work
explain personal ideas (if any) for improving a new feature of
the product or a new process that is relevant to the position.
Qualities to reveal and illustrate in a job interview:
ambitious competent
dynamic energetic
motivated organized
polite reliable
tactful diligent
well trained goal oriented
enthusiastic resourceful
competent communicator self confident
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Candidates tend to forget about the total package of
compensations and focus exclusively on basic salary as the
determining factor in deciding to accept/reject an offer, but
there are other items to consider, such as benefits, short and
long-term career growth, personal satisfaction, the culture of
the organization, company philosophy, company size or repu-
tation, and the work/life balance.
Candidates think they will get a significant increase in
salary just because they move on to a new role. While in some
cases it may be true, the reality is that a new opportunity does
not guarantee new fortunes.
Concentrating on personal career goals should be the
priority, not the money. The offer should contain a fair com-
pensation package, based on the candidates skills and the
organization's needs. Telling the truth from the beginning sets
the tone for the relationship with the hiring manager/recruiter.
Revealing other data after the hiring offer negatively impacts
manager/worker relationships.
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Questions are the best way to demonstrate that you
understand firm challenges, emphasize how you can help the
company meet them and show your interest in the most un-
mistakable manner possible, by asking for the position.
Lack of questions at the end of an interview shows lack
of interest in the organization. Almost all interviewers will leave
about five minutes at the end to answer questions.
This opportunity can be used to clarify certain points
about the firm, about its style and patterns of work, and,
above all, for proving genuine interest in the job and company.
Examples:
What makes this firm unique as compared to its competitors
on the national/international market?
How has the Internet affected your business?
What are the main objectives and additional responsibilities
of this position?
How is the future development of this position seen by the
management in the long run?
2. Why did you choose to work here? What keeps you here?
Although you may like this company, you are an outsider.
You need to find out what an insider has to say about
working there. Who better to ask than your interviewer?
This also forces the interviewer to step out of their official
corporate role and answer personally as an employee and
potential co-worker.
3. What is the first problem the person you hire must attend to?
You need to be on the same page as your new manager, as
well as be clear on what the initial expectations are and
what you can deliver. You do not want to be misled about
the job requirements and end up overwhelmed after the first
week on the job.
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4. What can you tell me about the individual to whom I would
report? You need to know about the company, but most
importantly about the management style as your time will
be spent working for a specific manager. If you are an
independent type used to working through solutions on
your own, you will not be productive when are supervised
by a micromanager.
6. What's our next step? This is your closing and the most
important question to ask at the end of the interview. You
need to know what happens after this point. Many books
advise asking for the job now, but most people may feel too
intimidated to bluntly do so. With more candidates already
scheduled for interviews, the company is not likely to make
you an offer yet. You may also need to do some additional
research on the company, making it too early to ask for the
job. A good compromise is to set a plan for follow-up. You
will gauge the company's enthusiasm with the answer.
7. What exactly does this company value the most, and how
do you think my work for you will further these values?
10. Can you give me some examples of the most and least
desirable aspects of the companys culture?
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12. How will you judge my success? What will happen six
months from now when I have demonstrated that I have
met your expectations?
13. Now that we have talked about my qualifications and the
job, do you have any concerns about my being success-ful
in this position?
14. How do you define successful performance in this position?
15. Am I correct in my understanding that the role of such-
and-such job entails such-and-such?
16. Is there special training you require or suggest for someone
holding this position?
17. How do you envision this company changing in five years?
18. How do this unit's targets contribute to the overall com-
pany goals?
19. How will the current economic trend influence this depart-
ment?
20. Which problems facing our industry will affect this unit?
21. What challenges will I inherit when I take this job?
22. To whom will I report and who will report to me?
23. Will I have hiring/firing authority within my area?
24. What have you found to be the most important traits of
someone who is successful in this position?
25. Could you tell me how long you have worked for this com-
pany and about how you grew into your current position?
26. What projects/goals will bring success to your department
or team?
27. What is your feeling about how I would fit into this
organization? (This is a good closing question for the interview)
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BEST CANDIDATE PROFILE
The Best-Prepared Candidate. The applicant who invested
most pre-interview time in learning about the employer has
a big advantage over the rest. It is useful to know which
business issues (e.g. aging client base, lack of infra-
structure, or global competition) the company is up against,
so as to be ready to talk about personal input in those areas.
The Most Self-Aware Candidate is frank about his areas of
proficiency and equally frank about subjects where he lacks
knowledge, but is eager to learn. He is the opposite of the
annoying candidate who is an expert in all possible subjects.
The Most Intellectually Curious Candidate. Interviewers want
to answer smart, insightful business questions on current
trends in the industry and the competition's impact on next
quarter's sales. The hireable applicant asks thoughtful
questions about the job and the organization.
The candidate who has prepared professional references, who
expresses a positive attitude, adapts the speech to the
audience, gives specific examples for illustrating personal
professional background, and is prepared to transform his
strengths in benefits for the company he is applying for.
Techniques of addressing others, of expressing personal
points of view, strategies for solving problems, displaying work
experience and conducting dialogues can be learnt and prac-
tised, therefore the success of an interview lies in preparation,
in constructive self criticism and in constantly monitoring the
personal progress. Interlocutors generally tend to be tolerant
towards certain foreign language errors but when it comes to
mistakes in meaning, in addressing the others, or in complying
with the culture-bound traditions and standards of politeness,
the dialogue ceases.
There are as many different possible interview questions
as there are interviewers, so here is a list of 100 more potential
interview questions.
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Where would you like to be in your career 5 years from now?
What's your ideal company?
What attracted you to this company?
Why should we hire you?
What did you like least about your last job?
When were you most satisfied in your job?
What can you do for us that other candidates cannot?
What were the responsibilities of your last position?
Why are you leaving your present job?
What do you know about this industry?
What do you know about our company?
Are you willing to relocate?
Do you have any questions for me?
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Describe how you would handle a situation if you were
required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and
there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.
SALARY QUESTIONS:
What salary are you seeking?
What's your salary history?
If I were to give you this salary you requested but let you
write your job description for next year, what would it say?
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What do you like to do?
What are your lifelong dreams?
What do you ultimately want to become?
What is your personal mission statement?
What are three positive things your last boss would say
about you?
What negative thing would your last boss say about you?
What three character traits would your friends use to
describe you?
What are three positive character traits you do not have?
If you were interviewing someone for this position, what
traits would you look for?
List five words that describe your character.
Who has impacted you most in your career and how?
What is your greatest fear?
What is your biggest regret and why?
What's the most important thing you learned in school?
Why did you choose your specialisation?
What will you miss about your present/last job?
What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
What are the qualities of a good leader? A bad leader?
Do you think a leader should be feared or liked?
How do you feel about taking no for an answer?
How do you think I rate as an interviewer?
How would you feel about working for someone who knows
less than you?
Tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn't want me to
know.
Tell me the difference between good and exceptional.
What kind of car do you drive?
There's no right or wrong answer, but if you could be
anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
What's the latest book you have read?
What magazines do you subscribe to?
What's the best movie you've seen recently?
What would you do if you won the lottery?
Who are your heroes?
What do you like to do for fun?
What do you do in your spare time?
What is your favourite memory from childhood?
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BRAINTEASER QUESTIONS:
How many times do a clock's hands overlap in a day?
Tell me 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing.
Sell me this pencil.
If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?
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Use Appropriate Language
The applicant should use professional language during the
interview and should be aware that any inappropriate slang or
references to age, race, religion, politics or sexual orientation
could end the interview unfavourably at that point.
Adequate attitude
Attitude plays a key role in your interview success. There is a
fine balance between confidence, professionalism and modesty.
Overconfidence is as bad, if not worse, as being too reserved.
Answer the Questions with examples
Interview questions are designed to elicit a sample of the
candidates past behaviour, so you should give a specific
example to prove your ability and talk about your skills.
Ask Questions
Be ready to ask questions that demonstrate an interest in what
goes on in the company. Asking questions also gives you the
opportunity to find out if this is the right place for you. The
best questions come from listening to what you are asked
during the interview and asking for additional information.
Do Not Appear Desperate
The candidate must look cool, calm, and confident, appearing
to know s/he can do the job. The desperate approach impedes
on competence and confidence.
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looking for key soft skills to succeed in the job and in the
organization, such as the ability to work well on teams and the
requisite common sense to figure things out with some basic
training.
2. Do you fit?
The organization's first thought is about fitting and potentially
fitting in a certain department. That means the interviewer is
trying to pinpoint not only whether the candidate matches up
well with both the company's and department's activities but
also whether s/he will complement the talents of the potential
co-workers.
5. Do you have the right mind-set for the job and the firm?
The interviewer is always looking for someone who has a can-
do type of attitude, someone who wants to be challenged and is
internally motivated to do well. An employer cannot train for
this essential trait. Without this quality, the employee will end
up being a lower-performing employee.
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WHAT TO DO IF YOU DO NOT HEAR
FROM THE EMPLOYER
INTERVIEW ROLES
133
terview, you should do as much research as you can and try to
work out what kind of person the employer will be looking for.
Brainstorming questions that are likely to come up in an
interview will help you put on a better performance. The em-
ployer wants to know if you are the best candidate for the job.
The question underlying every other question is: "Why
should we hire you?" General questions are designed to find
out about your personality and attitude to work. Job specific
questions are designed to assess your suitability for the job.
Many employers ask questions based on your resume.
They may appear to structure the questions on your report of
work experience, education and extra-curricular activities, or
their criteria for the job. Either way, both factors play a part
and you need to consider both as you prepare.
Some questions seem simple but are actually designed to
give you an opportunity to show yourself in a positive light.
Avoid giving short, obvious answers and take the opportunity
to talk. Make sure that your answer is relevant, interesting and
allows you to show your strengths. Answers should not sound
as if prepared in advance and should be delivered naturally
and convincingly.
During interviews, candidates sometimes come across si-
tuations where they are lost for words. Apart from anticipating
general and job specific questions, you develop strategies for
handling difficult or unexpected questions.
At the end of an interview, the interviewer usually invites
the interviewee to ask some questions. Prepare some questions
appropriate to the post. This is not the best time to clarify
queries about the job requirements and salary, which can be
done later if you are actually offered the job. Ask questions
politely and do not seem critical of the company or the job. If
you cannot think of a question, or your prepared ones have
already been answered, politely decline to ask questions.
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create a favourable impression than the latter. When preparing
answers, think carefully about the impression your choice of
words will make.
Verb tenses: when you make a statement about yourself it
is important for the employer to understand whether what you
are describing is:
Something you did in the past but are no longer
doing (past tense)
Something you did in the past and are still doing now
(present perfect tense)
Something you are doing now and intend to do in the
future (present continuous)
Something you do habitually (present tense)
Something you intend to do (future tense)
The wrong tense can be confusing or it can create a false
impression.
BE YOURSELF
It is important that your interviewers know what they
are getting and that you know that you will work well together.
Guarding your answers or saying only what you think they
want to hear, will make you appear dishonest.
Phrase your answers in a positive light. Leave your inter-
viewers with a positive impression of your attitude.For example
you might say that speaking to groups is the area in which you
need the most improvement, but that you have improved con-
sistently since high school.
Try not to let nervousness block your reactions. Inter-
viewers will remember someone who shows enthusiasm.
135
In a telephone interview, make your voice sound energe-
tic, warm, cheerful and clear. Your interviewers are listening
for signs of enthusiasm and interest in the job.
136
A sense of your personality, professionalism, commitment
An indication of how you would fit into the organization
Answers to specific questions
INTERVIEW STYLES
There are two styles of interviewing: traditional and
behaviour-based. Traditional questions are direct and tend to
give the interviewee the sense that s/he is being tested, as if
there are right and wrong answers. Traditional questions might
be like these:
Why do you want to hold this position?
Aside from money, what will you gain from having this job?
What motivates you to excel?
Behaviour-based questions invite the job applicant to tell
a story. The theory is that by hearing about a job seeker's past
behaviour, the employer can predict his future behaviour. Here
are some sample behaviour-based questions:
What accomplishment are you particularly proud of?
When did you handle conflict with your boss, colleagues, or
subordinates? Tell me about it.
Tell me about a situation that demonstrates your work habits.
Describe a time when you and your superior were in conflict
and how it was resolved.
Give behaviour-based answers whenever possible. Even
when asked traditional questions, take every opportunity to tell
a short story about one of your accomplishments, a scenario
that demonstrates your style of work, or an example of your
skills in action. Your behaviour-based answers will make your
interview more memorable, more meaningful, and more fun for
the manager.
For practice in answering traditional and behaviour-
based questions, here are some interview questions that might
be asked of an applicant going for a position at any level in an
organization. After each question, you'll find an analysis of the
question, which may help you understand how to answer such
a question in your job interview.
1. Could you please tell me about yourself?
Although this topic is broad, keep your answer focused and
relevant to the job you're applying for. Mention the top three
or four aspects of your experience, skills, interests, and
personality that make you a qualified candidate for the job.
137
2. What are your long- and short-term career goals?
The interviewer is trying to understand why you want this
job and how long you are going to hold that position. The
ideal answer will assure the employer that you are worth
his investment: training you, introducing you to clients,
entrusting you with responsibility. Your answer should
assure him that you will remin there for a long time.
3. Outside of work, what are some of the things you do?
Employers know that what an applicant does for free can
speak louder about his character than what he does for
money. Tell the interviewer about something in your non-
professional life that reveals you are a good person.
4. What strengths do you bring to this job that other
candidates might not?
There's no hidden message here. The employer is giving you
the floor to sell yourself for the job. Prepare well for this
answer and deliver it with confidence. Present yourself
using brief achievement stories whenever possible.
5. Do you consider this a lateral or vertical career move?
This question is designed to find out how challenged you
will be on the job. If you aren't challenged, you will get
bored and move on. If you are too challenged, you might not
make it past the first week. Your answer will also give the
employer a sense of whether you aim for a just a little or a
big increase in salary.
6. Why do you want to leave your current position?
Avoid negative aspectsand say: "It is time to move on in my
career" or "I am looking for a greater challenge."
7. Why did you leave your last job?
The interviewer wants to know if there are any underlying
problems like: lack of commitment, difficult personality, and
poor performance. Employers do not want to take on some-
one who has a record of walking out on jobs or getting fired.
Respond in positive terms, without lying. Here you need to
talk about the concept of needing more of a challenge, and
leaving for a company with more opportunities. You can
explain a valid reason as long as it has no negative tone.
8. Please explain why you have a gap in your employment
history. The employer is looking for any problems in your
personal life that might become his problem if he hires you.
Explain your gaps honestly; dwell on activities that support
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your job objective. If you do not have anything relevant to
say, then talk about activities that show your strength of
character and helped you know what you really want to do
next: the job you are interviewing for.
9. Of all the problems you had at your previous position, which
was the hardest to deal with?
Do not let on that you had of problems, even if you did.
Instead, refer briefly to an area you-and probably the rest of
the world-find challenging, and move right on to how you
have learnt to deal with it.
10. What project required you to work under pressure? And
what were the results?
How you respond to this question will tell the interviewer
whether or not you like working under pressure. Be honest
and positive. All jobs bring with them a certain amount of
pressure, but some have a lot more than others. So give an
example where the level of pressure was just right for you,
which will suggest how much pressure you are looking for
on your next job.
11. What college experience are you especially proud of?
If you have just graduated, this question is an opportunity
to give balance to the fact that you do not have much paid
experience. Spotlight your job objective.
12. What training are you planning to pursue at this point?
You want to look dedicated to developing your profession
but you do not want to appear unable to dedicate yourself
100 percent to the job. Make it clear that your number one
priority is your job; developing your profession is second.
13. Why do you want to work for this company?
Talk about the values and mission or vision statement of
the company (research to find out what these are). You can
discuss how the company is a growing one in the industry
and you want to be part of such progressive firms that hold
the values of customer service. Essentially the answer
needs to relate to the company's own values.
14. What do you know about this company and our products?
This question is trying to find out if you have researched
the company and by knowing about their products how you
would contribute to the company.
15. What makes you the best person for this job, why should
we hire you instead of someone else?
139
This is your chance to bring all your skills together in a
brief way to tell the employer exactly why you are the best
person. Focus on the skills they require for the job and
the experience you have in these skills or your tertiary
education. Have the response to this question well pre-
pared and be able to say it confidently.
16. How do you spend your spare time?
They are trying to find out if you are a team person: you
play team sports, or you prefer working alone, if you are
outgoing and you enjoy adventure. In your spare time you
do what you enjoy, so think carefully about these and
ensure your responses are appropriate to the expected
profile and the job description.
17. How would you handle an angry or upset client?
For this question it is best if you can use an example of
how you have handled a difficult situation in the past. You
need to talk about conflict resolution skills, focusing on
the facts and not on emotions, calming the customer,
listening to their needs and trying your best to have their
needs met, if it is within your power to do so.
18. What are your greatest strengths?
Answer this honestly but try to focus on the qualities or
skills that they have specified in their advertisement or
skills that would be required to do the job and talk about
where these strengths come from: tertiary study, employ-
ment history, volunteer work, etc.
19. What are your greatest weaknesses?
You should be able to turn this into a positive statement.
An example is: a perceived weakness of mine is that I am
a perfectionist and I try to complete all tasks to a high
degree of efficiency but this can tend to get me overloaded
in my work so I need to try and find a balance.
20. What does "team work" mean to you?
To answer this question you need to talk about a group of
people working together to achieve a desired outcome in
the most cost effective and efficient way. This includes
qualities such as flexibility. Give an example of how you
worked in teams before and the benefits provided. Also
mention that you can work as a member of a team but
you are quite confident in your abilities to work alone
when required.
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21. Are there any questions that you have?
You should always have a least two questions prepared. If
they have answered them throughout the course of the
interview then tell them: yes I did have two but you have
now answered them, thank you. By asking questions you
prove you are enthusiastic about the company/position.
141
25. What does success mean to you? How do you judge it?
26. Who or what in your life would you say influenced you
most with regard to your career objectives?
27. What traits or qualities do you feel could be strengthened
or improved?
28. What things do you feel most/less confident doing?
29. What are the things you are either doing now or have
thought about doing that are self development activities?
30. Tell me about a time when you had work problems that
were difficult for you.
31. Customers frequently create pressure. What has been your
experience in this area?
32. What types of pressures do you experience on your current
job? How do you cope with these pressures?
33. Describe a time when you were under pressure to make a
decision. Did you act immediately or take time in deciding?
34. What types of things make you angry? How do you react?
35. How do you react when you see co-workers disagreeing?
Do you become involved or hold back?
36. Do you prefer to have a job in which you have well laid out
tasks and responsibilities, or one in which your work
changes frequently?
37. In your current position what types of decisions do you
make without consulting your immediate supervisor?
38. What experience have you had in dealing with difficult
customers in person/over the phone?
39. Describe a problem person you had to deal with. What did
you say or do? Did you plan your strategy in advance?
40. What is your experience in dealing with the general public?
When have people really tried your patience?
4l. What important goals did you set in the past, and how
successful have you been in accomplishing them?
42. What things give you the greatest satisfaction?
43. Would you describe yourself as different at the office and
in private?
44. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to
our department?
45. Describe your most rewarding experience.
46. What do you know about our company?
47. Why do you think we should hire you?
48. What will a supervisor tell me about your 2 weakest areas?
142
49. If you were hiring someone for this job, what qualities
would you look for?
50. What does the term two-way communication mean to you?
When did you successfully use two-way communication?
51. How did you organize your work in your last position?
What happened to your plan when emergencies came up?
52. Describe how you determine your priorities on your job.
53. Describe how you schedule your time on an unusually
hectic day. Give a specific example.
54. Are you a person who likes to try new things, or stay with
regular routines? Give an example.
55. If we had to contact your staff from your previous position,
what do you think they would say about you?
56. What do you do on your days off?
57. If you had a million dollars what would you do?
58. What would you do if people come to work late regularly?
59. What makes you happy?
60. What was your greatest working achievement?
6l. When are you available for work?
62. Have you ever done this kind of work before?
63. What have you done to prepare for this interview?
64. Tell me about the tasks you perform easily/with difficulty.
65. What kind of salary do you need?
66. How do you schedule your time at work?
67. How often were you absent from work in your last job?
68. Is your health an impediment in your work?
69. What community groups are you involved in?
70. Are you available to work overtime and Saturday mornings?
71. What five words would you say describe you best?
72. What was your last employer's opinion of you?
73. What has lately impeded your long-range goals?
74. What kind of machines or equipment have you worked
with, what kind of equipment can you operate?
75. Would you work under pressure or tight deadlines?
76. Are you thinking of going back to school or further study?
143
5. What qualifications do you have that make you a good can-
didate for this job?
6. What is your idea of success?
7. What makes you better suited for this job than the other
applicants I've already interviewed?
8. What are your professional goals?
9. What have you done that illustrates leadership skills?
10. What did you do in your job as
11. What are your strengths/weaknesses visible in this job?
12. How did your education prepare you for this job?
13. What is your impression of our firm?
14. What are your long-range goals? What do you want to be
doing five years from now?
15. Why did you choose this particular field of work?
16. Do you prefer working with others or by yourself? Are you
a team player?
17. How can I be sure you are able to make quick decisions?
18. Are you willing to work overtime?
19. What have you accomplished in you career/education?
20. What have you done/plan to do about your professional
development?
21. What inrerests you most about this position?
22. What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
23. How do vou feel abour your progress so far in your career?
24. How long will you stay with the company?
25. Have you done the best work you are able to do?
26. Why do you want to change jobs?
27. How many people have you supervised?
28. What are the reasons for your success?
29. How would you describe your personality?
30. What are you most proud of having done in your job?
31. What was the worst problem you have had in your present
job? How did you solve it?
32. What is the best idea you've had this month?
33. What excites you about the job you're doing now? What
worries you?
34. What kind of work do you like best/least?
35. What kind of supervisor do you like to work for?
36. Do you consider yourself ambitious?
37. Why should we hire you for this position?
144
38. What do you think should determine the progress a person
makes in his/her career?
39. What are the main things you have learnt from your work
experience?
145
Most employees dislike admitting that they have problems, but
the truth is that everybody does. It is the way people handle
problems that shows their real talent. Describe a time when
you either took on a problem and solved it, or you were in the
middle of a project and a problem came up unexpectedly.
4. What was the toughest budget issue you ever faced? Could
you tell me about it?
Budget management is important to employers. Decide how
involved you want to be with the budget on your next job: if
you want to manage a budget, talk about a time when you did
a good job with the money; if you hate dealing with budgets,
tell about a time when you worked with someone else on it.
5. Describe a creative approach you used to increase profits.
There are two ways to increase profits: decrease spending and
increase revenue. This question is designed to find out if you
are going to bring new profit-making ideas to the company,
especially ones that work. So discuss a time when you either
cut costs or drove up revenues.
6. Give me an example of how you built consensus in the team.
An effective manager makes everyone in his staff experience
success, both individually and as a group. To respond to this
question, you could speak about one of your experiences in
morale building, creating incentive programs, or using your
management style to increase cooperation among your staff.
146
message to either a small group or to an individual, and do not
forget to emphasize the positive result of your presentation.
9. When did you have to sell an idea within your company and
how did it work out?
The employer wants to quantify your courage and persuasion.
Think of a time when you persuaded someone or a group to
follow your lead to a successful end. Your experience should
focus on a serious business matter, or maybe a personal inter-
action that turned out well.
ILLEGAL QUESTIONS
Various federal, state, and local laws regulate the quest-
ions a prospective employer can ask the job candidate. In the
hope of reducing hiring discrimination, the government has
stepped into the interview room and stated that, before the job
offer, it is illegal for an interviewer to ask direct questions on
issues that could lead to discrimination: gender, sexual prefer-
ence, health, marital status, children, family planning, religion,
and political opinions.
An employer's questions - whether on the job application,
in the interview, or during the testing process - must be related
to that job. For the employer, the focus must be: "What do I
need to know to decide whether this person can perform the
functions of this position?"
If asked an illegal question, you have three options:
You can answer the question you are free to do so, if you
wish. However, if you choose to answer an illegal question, re-
member that you are giving information that is not related to
the job; in fact, you might be giving the wrong answer, which
could harm your chances of getting the job.
You can refuse to answer the question, which is well within
your rights. Unfortunately, depending on how you phrase your
refusal, you run the risk of appearing uncooperative or con-
frontational - hardly the ideal candidate.
You can examine the question for its intent and respond with
an answer as it might apply to the job. For example, the
interviewer asks, "Are you a U.S. citizen?" or "What country are
you from?" You have been asked an illegal question. You could
respond, however, with "I am authorized to work in this State."
147
Even though it may be illegal for an interviewer to ask a
certain question, it is not illegal for you to answer it.
So think carefully before answering and figure out whe-
ther it is to your advantage to respond honestly or to hedge the
issue.
If you do not want to answer the question, do not accuse
the interviewer of having broken the law. Instead, take a mi-
nute to understand what is behind the question: if he has
asked if you have kids, maybe he is concerned that you may be
distracted from work; in that case, you could answer "I believe
you are concerned about my attendance on the job. Let me
assure you that my personal life won't interfere with my work."
or "I can meet the travel and work schedule that this job
requires."
You cannot be discrimitated by your native tongue, but it
is relevant for the job if you can read/speak/write fluently
in the required language for proper task performance.
You cannot be discrimitated by age, but you need to be
over 18, or have the relevant major.
You cannot be discrimitated by marital status, but you
can be asked about willingness to relocate or travel for the
job, as well as being able and willing to work overtime if
necessary, assuming it is asked of all applicants.
You cannot be discrimitated by clubs/social organizations
you select, but the professional&trade groups you belong
to may be relevant for the position or for your ability to
perform the job.
You cannot be discrimitated by criminal record or military
training.
You cannot be discrimitated for physical appearance or
disabilities, but you must meet the minimum standards
essential for the safe performance of the job. (Exam re-
sults must be kept strictly confidential, unless emergency
medical treatment is required, and supervisors may be
informed about necessary job accommodations, based on
exam results.)
148
JOB INTERVIEW TIPS
149
Eye contact is a form of communication and it possesses
the magical ability to build rapport, so maintain eye contact
when you are talking and when your interviewer is talking.
Keep good posture that shows you are alert and focused.
Avoid negative body language. In other words, do not cross
your arms over your chest, do not clench your fists, do not
clutch your purse or briefcase tightly, or do anything that
might indicate insecurity, hostility, or resistance to change.
Listen carefully to what the interviewer says; ask questions
when you do not understand, because it will help you give
the best response.
Answer questions with an appropriate balance of confidence
and modesty.
Respond with answers based on PAR (Problem, Action, and
Result): What was a problem you faced? What action did
you take to solve it? What was the result?
Shift your interview from interrogation to dialogue
Once in a while answer a question by saying what some-
body else has said about you: "My supervisor always used
to say, 'Bob's the one you want around when it's time to
launch a product.'"
It's best to be quiet for a minute before you answer a
question. It helps you gather your ideas and give adequate
answers. The employer will appreciate the fact that you are
thoughtful.
Be honest, even if it means saying you do not know some-
thing or you do not have particular experience. You may
need to say something like: "No, I have never done that, but
I know I can do it, or I think I would be good at it."
Be prepared to tell stories that demonstrate how you work
with people, as the interviewer is undoubtedly curious as to
how you will fit in with his staff. Remember to weave your
stories into the answers of pertinent questions.
A good way to build rapport is to use your interviewer's
name when you answer a question. So learn his name and
practice the pronunciation beforehand.
Delay the discussion on salary history and expectations
until you fully understand what is entailed in the job and
you have had time to think about what is fair.
150
When introduced to potential co-workers, be friendly. Your
interviewer may be watching to see how you interact with
his staff and may later ask employees how they liked you.
Send a thank you letter as soon as your interview is com-
pleted. Print on one side of the paper.
Use a font size of 10 to 14 points.
Use non-decorative typefaces.
Choose one typeface and stick to it.
Avoid italics, script, and underlined words.
Avoid horizontal/vertical lines, graphics, shading.
Do not fold or staple your resume. If you mail it,
put it in a large envelope.
151
Impress the interviewer and increase your impact by:
effectively communicating in English with your peers.
using complex grammatical structures accurately (tenses,
conditionals, the passive voice).
inserting discourse markers and linking words
expressing ideas without new lexis from the dictionary.
making complex sentences to explain&extend your ideas.
understanding a variety of English accents (British, American,
Canadian, Australian, etc).
use appropriate conversational and cultural interaction in a
variety of situations. A positive, confident attitude will help.
Practise using different sentence structures.
Practise paraphrasing - if you do not know a par-
ticular word, try to explain what you mean using
different words. Get some strategies: to repair the
conversation if things go wrong.
If you cannot think of a real situation to discus,
hypothesize; you need to be fluent
It is important to understand that your speaking
cannot improve without intense practice.
MISTAKES TO AVOID
152
8. Making assumptions. Effective interviewing is collecting in-
formation in real time, taking good notes, and responding
to the given facts, not guessing, but asking for clarifyca-
tions if necessary.
9. Getting emotional. When emotions come into an interview,
failure follows, so maintain a calm, open-minded attitude.
10. Not asking specific questions. Applicants must have a list
of several prepared questions about the company/position
/employees. Questions must begin with what, how, why,
and simple yes/no questions are to be avoided. Inter-
viewers are not impressed by applicants with no questions.
11. Do not imitate film clichs.
do not chew gum, do not smoke
do not dress too casual; obey the company or that
line of work dress code
do not wear sun glasses or a Bluetooth earpiece
do not use too much cologne or perfume
do not overstate your qualifications
do not ask about the compensations and benefits
do not disparage your previous employer
if you do not know the answer, do not fake it
do not hesitate to ask for more explanations when
you really need them for an appropriate answer
do not express aggressive or bored attitudes
12. Do not leave your cell phone on.Do not take phone calls or
text during an interview.
13. Do not arrive too early or too late
14. Failing to research the employer in advance.
15. Failing to demonstrate enthusiasm.
16. Inquiring about benefits too soon.
14. Being unable to explain how your strengths and abilities
apply to the job in question, or why you are a valuable
asset for the company.
15. Forgetting to bring a copy of your resume and/or portfolio.
16. Failing to remember what you wrote on your own resume.
17. Asking too many questions or none at all.
18. Being unprepared to answer the standard questions.
19. Failing to listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying.
20. Talking more than half the time.
21. Interrupting your interviewer.
153
22. Neglecting to match the communication style of your inter-
viewer.
23. Yawning or slouching.
24. Bringing along a friend, or a family member.
25. Laughing, giggling, whistling, humming, lip-smacking.
26. Saying "you know," "like," "I guess," and "um."
27. Name-dropping or bragging or sounding like a know-it-all.
28. Asking to use the bathroom.
29. Being falsely or exaggeratedly modest.
30. Shaking hands too weakly, or too firmly.
31. Failing to make eye contact or staring.
32. Taking a seat before your interviewer does.
33. Becoming angry or defensive.
34. Complaining that you were kept waiting.
35. Complaining about anything.
36. Letting your nervousness show.
37. Over-explaining why you lost your last job.
38. Checking the time.
39. Over-sharing.
40. Sounding rehearsed.
41. Failing to ask for the job.
154
PART 4
Europass CV
Cover letter
Voluntary work and its importance
in finding the desired employment:
history, relevance, and impact.
155
156
CV EUROPASS
Europass
157
Europass has also helped individuals to change their job or
location and compared to the last evaluation in 2008 the
contribution of Europass had significantly increased.
Although younger people have the highest access to Euro-
pass documents, the impact of Europass on occupational /
educational experience was felt within all age groups.
Unemployed and volunteers had experienced the lowest
usage levels of the Europass documents.
Moreover, Europass documents had the lowest impact on
unemployed, except for the Europass Certificate Supplement
which almost equally well helped all who used it.
158
Main activities
responsibilities
Name &address
of employer
Type of business
or sector
Education and
training
Dates Add separate entries
for each relevant course you have completed,
starting from the most recent.
Title of
qualification
awarded
Principal
subjects/occupa
tional skills
covered
Name and type of
organisation
providing
education and
training
Level in national (remove if not relevant, see instructions)
or international
classification
Personal skills
and
competences
Mother tongue(s) Specify mother tongue
if relevant add other mother tongue(s),
Understanding Speaking Writing
Other language(s) Lis- Reading Spoken Spoken
Self-assessment tening Inter- pro-
European level (*) action duction
Language
Language
(*) Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages
159
Social skills and Replace this text by a description of such
competences competences and indicate where
they were acquired.
Organisational Replace this text by a description
skills and of these competences and indicate
competences where they were acquired.
Technical skills Replace this text by a description
and competences of these competences and indicate
where they were acquired.
Computer skills Replace this text by a description
and competences of these competences and indicate
where they were acquired.
Artistic skills and Replace this text by a description
competences of these competences and indicate
where they were acquired.
Other skills and Replace this text by a description
competences of these competences and indicate
where they were acquired.
Driving licence State here whether
you hold a driving licence and if so
for which categories of vehicle.
Additional Include here any other information
information that may be relevant,
for example contact persons, references, etc.
Annexes List any items attached.
(Remove heading if not relevant,
see instructions)
160
Generic impact: improved social and economic conditions in the EU
Impacts
The Europass documents (ECV, ELP, EMD, ECS, EDS) and development of new transparency
instruments
Outputs
INSTRUCTIONS
Drawing up the CV is an important step in looking for
any job/training. This document is often the first contact with
a future employer. It needs to get the readers attention fast
and to demonstrate why you should be given an interview.
Employers generally spend no more than a minute on each CV
when making an initial selection from applications received. If
you fail to make impact, you will waste the opportunity.
Before starting to write the CV, remember key principles:
Take care over the presentation of your CV: set out your
qualifications, skills & competences clearly and logically,
so that your specific attributes are easily seen.
161
Pay attention to all relevant detail, both of substance
and presentation; there is no excuse for mistakes in
spelling and punctuation
Concentrate on essentials: a CV must be brief and two
pages are enough to show who & what you are. A three
page CV is considered too long, even if your experience
is outstanding.
If your work experience is still limited (because you have
just graduated from school or university), describe your
education and training first; highlight work placements
during training (see online examples);
Focus on key information that brings added value to the
application: work experience or training which is old or
not relevant for the application can be omitted.
Adapt your CV to suit the post applied for. Systemati-
cally check your CV every time you want to send it to an
employer to see if it corresponds to the profile required;
highlight your advantages according to specific require-
ments of any prospective employer. Good knowledge of
the company will help you tailor your CV according to
the appropriate profile.
Do not artificially inflate your CV; if you do, you are
likely to be found out at the interview.
Keep to the structure of the template. The Europass CV
allows you to present your qualifications, skills and
competences in a logical order:
- personal information;
- description of your work experience;
- description of your education and training
(which may appear before the heading Work
experience for users with limited work expe-
rience; to invert the order of the two head-
ings, use the copy/paste command in your
word processing software);
- detailed inventory of your skills and compe-
tences, acquired in your training, work and
daily life.
Notes:
- print your curriculum vitae on white paper;
- retain the suggested font and layout;
162
- avoid underlining or writing whole sentences in
capitals or bold: it affects text readability;
- do not split an entry under one heading over two
pages (e.g. your list of training courses); to avoid it
use the page break command in the software;
- the boxes containing the various headings should
not appear when the document is printed.
163
nent address is different from where you are living at
present, you may write both addresses, stating the
dates between which you can be contacted at each; the
order in which the items in an address appear may
vary from country to country; follow the rules that
apply so that post will reach you quickly; do not forget
the country code if you are applying abroad.
State the telephone number(s) where you wish to be
contacted; if necessary, give specific days and times
when it is possible for them to reach you (so that you
can be contacted quickly. If you wish to send your CV
to other countries, give the country prefix and any
regional prefix in brackets. These two prefixes should
be joined by a hyphen, e.g.: (44-20) 80 12 34 56 for a
number in London. Divide the principal number into
groups of two from the right-hand side, the last group
consisting of three digits if the number is odd (groups
are separated by a space, not by a full stop), e.g. (353-1)
220 20 20 for a number in Dublin.
Write your fax number(s), using the same rules as for
your telephone number(s)
Write your e-mail address(es) in full, specifying if it is
your personal or professional address
You can give your date of birth as dd/mm/yyyy
Desired employment/Occupational field: specify your
job target or occupational field, e.g.: Database manager
and administrator; this entry gives an immediate over-
view of your profile by focusing on core competences.
Work Experience: under this heading, make a separate
entry for each relevant job held, starting with the most
recent.
- if you are applying for your first job, do not
forget to mention work placements during
training which provide evidence of initial
contact with the world of work;
- if your work experience is still limited (be-
cause you have just left school or university),
describe your education and training first (to
invert the order of the two headings, use the
copy/paste command in your software);
- highlight work placements during training;
164
- for the sake of brevity, focus on the work ex-
perience that gives added weight to your ap-
plication. Do not overlook experience which
may be an asset even if it is not directly
related to the profile of the job for which you
are applying (e.g., time spent abroad, work
bringing you into contact with the public);
Write the dates to show how long you held the job in
question. State your job title or the nature of your occupation,
e.g.: mechanic, maintenance technician, or receptionist. State
the main activities and responsibilities in the job description
you had: computer maintenance, relations with suppliers.
If necessary, quantify your responsibilities (percentage of
working time, length of time spent on each occupation. State
the name and address of the employer; if relevant, add more
information (telephone, fax, e-mail, Internet address orwebsite).
Education and training includes a separate entry for
each course completed, i.e., each course leading to a
qualification, starting with the most recent.
- there is no need to show all your qualifications: do
not go back as far as primary school if you hold a
university degree; focus on qualifications which
are an asset to your application;
- write the dates to show how long the course lasted;
mention the title of qualification awarded; avoid
using abbreviations on their own;
- summarise the main subjects or occupational
skills taught during the course in question,
grouping them together if necessary for the sake
of brevity; combine items, and focus on the
occupational skills which would be an asset if
you were appointed.
- state the name (and if appropriate, the address)
and type of the institution attended; if the level of
the qualification corresponds to an existing
national or international classification system,
state the level within the classification concerned
(national classification, ISCED).For more data on
ISCED (International Standard Classification of
Education) devised by UNESCO see: www.uis.
unesco.org/ TEMPLATE/pdf/isced/ISCED_A.pdf
165
Personal skills and competences is dedicated to skills
and competences acquired in the course of life and
career but not necessarily covered by formal certificates
and diplomas. It aims to give a complete picture of your
abilities. The headings (languages, social, technical,
organisational, computer-related, artistic and others)
allow you describe skills and competences acquired
both in the course of your education and training
(during your studies) during seminars or continuing
training sessions, and in a non-formal manner (in the
course of your occupational or leisure activities).
Delete any heading under which you have nothing
relevant to say, using the cut command menu in your
word processing software.
Social skills and competences refer to living & working
with other people, in positions where communication is
important and situations where teamwork is essential
(culture and sports in multicultural environments).
Describe your social skills and competences and
specify in what context they were acquired (through
training, work, seminars, voluntary or leisure activities):
- team spirit;
- good ability to adapt to multicultural envi-
ronments, gained though my work abroad;
- good communication skills gained through
my experience as sales manager.
Organisational skills and competences refer to coordi-
nation and administration of people, projects, budgets;
at work, in voluntary work (culture and sports) or at
home. Say in what context they were acquired (in work,
training, seminars, voluntary or leisure activities, etc.).
- leadership (responsible for a team of 10);
- sense of organisation (experience in logistics);
- experience in project and team management.
Technical skills and competences refer to mastery of
specific kinds of equipment and machinery, other than
computers, or to technical skills and competences in a
specialised field (manufacturing industry, health,
banking). Describe your technical skills&competences,
stating in what context they were acquired (through
training, work, seminar, voluntary or leisure activities)
166
- good command of quality control processes (I
was responsible for the implementation of
quality audit in my department);
Computer skills&competences refer to word processing
and other applications, database searching, acquaint-
ance with the Internet, advanced skills (programming).
- good command of Microsoft Office tools
(Word, Excel and PowerPoint);
- basic knowledge of graphic design applica-
tions (Adobe Illustrator, PhotoShop).
- computer skills&competences are assessed
and recognised via the European computer
driving licence (ECDL), an internationally-re-
cognised standard of competence certifying
that the holder has the knowledge and skill
needed to use the most common computer
applications efficiently and productively; for
more information regarding ECDL, go to:
http://www.ecdl.com/main/region_eur.php
Artistic skills & competences which are an asset (music;
writing; design) should be mentioned. Specify in what
context they were acquired (training, work, seminars,
voluntary or leisure activities).
You may state any other skill(s) which are an asset and
are not mentioned under previous headings (hobbies;
sports, positions of responsibility in voluntary organi-
sations). Specify in what context they were acquired
(training, work, voluntary or leisure activities).
167
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LANGUAGE PASSPORT
Print your document on white paper;
Retain the suggested font and layout;
Avoid underlining or writing whole sentences in capitals or
bold: it affects the readability of the document;
Do not change the wording of the left-hand column
Remove any heading left blank.
Be clear and concise. An impression of your profile should
be gained after just a few seconds reading. Include only re-
levant elements of education and experience. Be realistic in
your self-assessment. Any over-estimation of skills may be
revealed during an interview or your probationary period.
Check your document on completion. Check your Language
Passport carefully once completed to remove any spelling
mistakes and make sure it is formulated clearly and logi-
cally.
In deciding on your levels for the five headings, read the
descriptions in the self-assessment grid carefully. The descrip-
tions concentrate on what you can actually do in the language.
Try to think of situations where you have used the lan-guage
and relate those to the general descriptions in the self-
assessment grid. If you have a European Language Portfolio,
you can use its more detailed descriptors to assess your
language proficiency and monitor your progress.
Diploma(s) or certificate(s) (optional)
Specify any relevant Diploma in Spanish as a University 2002 Inde
language foreign language (DELE) of Sala pendent
certificate(s) and/or (Nivel Intermedio / manca user
diploma(s) you have Intermediate Level) (Spain) (B2)
obtained. Include the
awarding body (the
organisation which
awarded the diploma
or certificate), the
year of award and
the European level if
it is mentioned on
the original
certificate or
diploma, e.g.:
Diploma(s) or
certificate(s)
Title of diploma(s) or Awarding body Date European Level (***)
certificate(s)
168
Select your most recent and most relevant experience(s).
If you do not have any relevant experience of a language, delete
the heading. Delete any line or sections that you do not wish to
complete. To delete a section, use the Table commands menu
in your word processing software. If you need to add further
sections for more languages, use the copy/paste command in
your word processing software as many times as required.
When you submit your completed Language Passport to
somebody, do not forget to include a copy of the self-assess-
ment grid. The person reading your Language Passport may
not be wholly familiar with the European levels.
Understanding
Listening
A 1: I can understand familiar words and very basic phrases
concerning myself, my family and immediate surroundings
when people speak slowly and clearly.
A 2: I understand phrases and the highest frequency vocabu-
lary related to areas of most immediate personal relevance (e.g.
very basic personal and family information, shopping, local
area, employment). I can catch the main points in short, clear,
simple messages and announcements.
B 1: I understand the main points of clear standard speech on
familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, and
leisure. I can understand main points in radio/TV programs on
current affairs or topics of personal/professional interest when
the delivery is relatively slow and clear.
169
B 2: I can understand extended speech and lectures and follow
even complex lines of argument provided the topic is reason-
ably familiar. I understand most TV news and current affairs
programs. I can understand most films in standard dialect.
C 1: I can understand extended speech even when it is not
clearly structured and when relationships are only implied and
not signalled explicitly. I can understand TV programmes and
films without too much effort.
C 2: I have no difficulty in understanding any kind of spoken
language, whether live or broadcast, even when delivered at
fast native speed, if I have time to get familiar with the accent.
Reading
A 1: I can understand familiar names, words and very simple
sentences, for example on notices and posters or in catalogues.
A 2: I can read very short, simple texts. I can find specific, pre-
dictable information in simple everyday material such as ad-
vertisements, prospectuses, menus and timetables and I can
understand short simple personal letters.
B 1: I understand texts that consist mainly of high frequency
everyday or job-related language. I understand the description
of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters.
B 2: I can read articles and reports concerned with contem-
porary problems where writers adopt particular attitudes or
viewpoints. I can understand contemporary literary prose.
C 1: I can understand long and complex factual and literary
texts, appreciating style distinctions. I understand specialised
articles and longer technical instructions, even when they do
not relate to my field.
C 2: I can read with ease virtually all forms of the written
language, including abstract, structurally or linguistically com-
plex texts like manuals, specialised articles and literary works.
Speaking
Spoken interaction
A 1: I can interact in a simple way provided the other person is
prepared to repeat/rephrase things at a slower rate of speech
and help me formulate what I'm trying to say. I can ask and
answer simple questions in areas of immediate need or on very
familiar topics.
170
A 2: I can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring
a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar topics
and activities. I can handle very short social exchanges, even
though I cannot usually understand enough to keep the con-
versation going myself.
B 1: I can deal with most situations likely to arise when tra-
velling in an area where the language is spoken. I can enter
unprepared into conversation on topics that are familiar, of
personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (family, hobbies,
work, travel and current events).
B 2: I interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that
makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible.
I can take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts,
accounting for and sustaining my views.
C 1: I can express myself fluently and spontaneously without
much obvious searching for expressions. I can use language
flexibly and effectively for social and professional purposes. I
can formulate ideas and opinions with precision and relate my
contribution skilfully to those of other speakers.
C 2: I take part effortlessly in any conversation or discussion
and have a good familiarity with idiomatic expressions and
colloquialisms. I can express myself fluently and convey finer
shades of meaning precisely. If I do have a problem I can
backtrack and restructure around the difficulty so smoothly
that other people are hardly aware of it.
Spoken production
A 1: I can use simple phrases and sentences to describe where
I live and people I know.
A 2: I can use a series of phrases and sentences to describe, in
simple terms, my family and other people, living conditions,
my educational background, my present or most recent job.
B 1: I can connect phrases in a simple way in order to describe
experiences and events, my dreams, hopes and ambitions. I
can briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and
plans. I can narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or film
and describe my reactions.
B 2: I present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of
subjects related to my field of interest. I can explain a view-
point on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvanta-
ges of various options.
171
C 1: I can present clear, detailed descriptions of complex
subjects integrating sub-themes, developing particular points
and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion.
C 2: I can present a clear, smoothly-flowing description or
argument in a style appropriate to the context and with an
effective logical structure which helps the recipient to notice
and remember significant points.
Writing
A 1: I can write a short, simple postcard, for example sending
holiday greetings. I can fill in forms with personal details, for
example entering my name, nationality and address on a hotel
registration form.
A 2: I can write short, simple notes and messages. I can write
a very simple personal letter, for example thanking someone
for something.
B 1: I write simple connected text on topics which are familiar
or of personal interest. I can write personal letters describing
experiences and impressions.
B 2: I can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects
related to my interests. I can write an essay or report, passing
on information or giving reasons in support of or against a par-
ticular point of view. I write letters highlighting the personal
significance of events and experiences.
C 1: I express myself in clear, well-structured text, expressing
points of view at some length. I can write about complex
subjects in a letter, an essay or a report, underlining what I
consider to be the salient issues. I can select a style appro-
priate to the reader in mind.
C 2: I can write clear, smoothly-flowing text in an appropriate
style. I write complex letters, reports or articles which present
a case with an effective logical structure which helps the reci-
pient to notice and remember significant points. I can write
summaries and reviews of professional or literary works.
The self-assessment grid can be consulted on the website of
the Council of Europe (www.coe.int/portfolio). Instructions for
using the Europass CV (http://europass.cedefop.eu.int)
172
COVER LETTERS
173
Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. LastName:
Opening paragraph:
State why you are writing;
how you learned of the organization or position,
basic information about yourself.
Second paragraph:
Say why you are interested in the employer or type of
work the employer does (Simply stating that you are in-
terested does not specify why, and may sound like a
form letter).
Demonstrate that you know enough about the employer
or position to relate your background to it. Mention spe-
cific qualifications which make you a good fit for the
employers needs. (Focus on what you can do for the em-
ployer, not what the employer can do for you.)
This is an opportunity to explain in more detail relevant
items in your resume.
Refer to the fact that your resume is enclosed.
Mention other enclosures if such are required to apply
for a position.
Third paragraph:
Indicate that you would like the opportunity to interview
for a position or to talk with the employer to learn more
about their opportunities or hiring plans.
State what you will do to follow up, such as telephone
the employer within two weeks. Indicate when you coul
be in the employers location and could schedule a visit.
State that you would be glad to provide the employer
with any additional information needed.
Thank the employer for her/his consideration.
Sincerely,
(Your handwritten signature)
174
Cover letters generally fall into one of two categories:
Letter of application: applying for a specific, advertised
opening.
Letter of inquiry: expressing interest in an organization,
but you are not certain if there are current openings.
The body of such letters includes the following paragraphs:
education & qualifications,
previous experience.
personal qualities,
suitability
175
176
177
178
A formal letter of application is also written when apply-
ing for a place on an educational course. A job application
usually includes educational/professional qualifications, de-
tails of previous experience as well as the applicant's qualities
and skills. Previous experience should be presented in a clear
order using linking words such as: currently, before this, sub-
sequently, prior to this, following, whereupon, etc.
To begin letters:
I am writing to apply for the post/position of ... advertised in
yesterdays...
I am writing in connection with/with regard to the vacancy in
your Sales Department, as advertised in The Times on (date)
Experience/Qualifications:
I am currently/At present I am employed/working as
I was employed as (position) by (company) from (date) to (date) ...
During this time, I held the position of .../was responsible
for .../my duties included...
I have received training in .../completed an apprenticeship
My qualifications include...
I am presently studying/attending a course
I am due to take my final examinations in June...
179
I have/hold/obtained/was awarded a degree/diploma/certifi-
cate in..
I have successfully/recently completed a course in (subject) at
(place).
To end letters:
I enclose/Please find enclosed my CV/references from ...
I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience/as soon
as possible.
I would be available for an interview at any lime/until the end
of June/etc.
I would be pleased/happy to supply you with any further
information / details...
Please contact me should you have any further questions.
POINTS TO NOTE
The general type of job.
Exactly the job that is being advertised
What kind of applicant (age, experience) the employer is look-
ing for, and whether it is a job you should apply for.
What the advertisement shows about the most important
aspects of the job.
To whom the letter should be addressed.
Whether a general letter, with or without a CV, is asked for,
or whether the letter should be to ask for an application form
(and if so, whether personal details should be included).
General points, such as where the job is, what the working
conditions are, what the salary is; and anything else referred
to in the advertisement.
What the advertisement says about the specific attributes
needed by a successful applicant for the job.
180
SAMPLE COVER LETTER VIA E-MAIL
181
As a professional administrative assistant with excellent re-
search skills, I am eager to contribute my abilities and expe-
rience to ABC Company. Given my extensive training and
background, I believe I can help ABC Company meet its goal of
providing only the most accurate and timely information to its
clients.
Please find enclosed my CV and a list of my references. Feel
free to call me at (phone number), to arrange a time to meet.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely, (Name)
Enclosures
182
What work experience do I have that fits the job
requirements in the company's listing?
Why do I want to work for this company?
In the final paragraph include the following:
One sentence reiteration of why you feel you are
a perfect fit for the position.
Discuss what to do next. If you plan on following
up with the hiring manager in a week or two,
include a specific date. Otherwise, just say that
you look forward to interviewing for the position
and discussing your qualifications further.
Provide your contact information. Include your e-
mail address and your phone number so that the
hiring manager can get in touch with you.
Mention that your CV or references are attached.
Thank the person for their time.
End your cover letter with a respectful closing
statement and type your full name.
Add a letterhead at the top of the letter. Your letterhead
should include your full name, address, telephone num-
ber, and email address. Guidelines to follow:
Your name must be in bold 14- or 16-point font.
Your address and other contact data must be in
normal 12-point font.
The font does not need to be Arial or Times New
Roman, like the rest of your letter, but it should
be professional looking and easy to read. Insert
up-to-date information to make it easy for the
employer to contact you.
You may want to include an extra line under
the letterhead to create visual appeal and sepa-
rate the letterhead from the rest of the letter.
Write the recipients name and address and the
date below the letterhead. You can insert the
date first or last; include blank lines between
them, so as it looks professional.
From here on use 12-point Arial/Times New
Roman in the entire letter, set your margins to
one inch, and use single spacing. Be sure your
font is black, and print your letter on standard-
sized paper (8 1/2 by 11).
183
Do not overdo the style elements. Choose a font
that is simple but elegant.
Outline your qualifications in the middle para-
graph(s), matching them to the requirements of
the position. If you are writing to inquire about
open positions, tell the employer how you can
contribute to their bottom line, not what you
want to get: use what you have researched on
the employer's background and history:
What is the employer's mission? What do they promote
as the thing that sets them apart from their competitors?
What kind of customer base does the employer have?
Who is their target audience?
What is the company's history? Who founded it? How
has the business evolved? What are the main highlights
of the company's performance over the past few years?
Include a positive statement or question in the
final paragraph that will motivate the employer
to contact you. Write a closing paragraph of 2-4
sentences. Direct the employer to your enclosed
CV and say that you are available for an inter-
view. End by thanking recruiters for their time
and consideration, and welcome them to get in
touch with you to continue the conversation.
Spell-check and proofread. Some programs, like
Microsoft Word, also include a grammar check
that you should use. Proofread your letter your-
self. Some things to avoid are:
Common misspellings.
Writing in the passive voice. Own your
accomplishments. Make yourself the
active subject of every success (e.g.,
"In this role, I developed/reinforced/
learnt"). You do not want to sound like
everything happened to you or that it
was done by some other entity.
Colloquial (informal) writing. You want
to sound professional and educated.
Avoid slang, unnecessary abbrevia-
tions, and phone texting language.
Incorrect punctuation.
184
Be precise about the type of job or position level
you seek: entry-level, management, senior level.
Mention skills you possess that are not enough
used in your current role. Specify opportunities
they offer that are absent in your current role.
Answering such questions will explain the inte-
rest in leaving your current position. For exam-
ple, you may be looking for: room for advance-
ment, opportunities to learn new skills, chan-
ces to prove your customer service professional
specialisation, an outstanding background in
scientific research, or a solid history of depend-
ability in the industry.
Highlight the assets you can offer the company
"extensive experience with start-ups"
"demonstrated ability to solve problems"
"refined ability to manage teams"
Be concise. Never use two words when one will
do. Always strike the word "very" and eliminate
"that" as much as you can. Alternatively, if you
are applying speculatively you can start with
the salutation 'Dear Sirs,' and finish with
'Yours faithfully' rather than 'Sincerely'
Avoid generic, empty language ("I will bring a
depth of experience," or "I believe my qualifyca-
tions and experience suit the demands of the
position"). Be specific and concrete about what
you can bring to the position.
Make sure your cover letter is visually appeal-
ing and coordinated with your CV. A cohesive
package is a very attractive selling point.
A well-written cover letter entices the employer
to read your CV. Even so, you should still be
aware that your resume/CV is the main player,
whereas the cover letter plays a supporting role.
It is not an autobiography. Keep it under a page.
Learn to see rejection as a chance to improve
your approach as a candidate.
185
186
VOLUNTARY WORK
AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN JOB APPLICATIONS
History
One of the earliest manifestations of public voluntary
work that many British people know today is the ritualised
charitable visit to poor families such as you can read about in
Jane Austen novels - the heroines often take food and
medicines to the poor in their towns and villages.
But public voluntary work existed before that too, mainly
among religious orders. As is usual in history, the private
charitable acts of the uneducated and poor are unrecorded
before modern times - they existed below the "threshold of
historical description" and they have left little trace.
The very wealthy and aristocratic were concerned with
charity but less with charity work: they distributed money and
goods, providing largesse. For the nobility largesse was a way
of gaining a large number of clients - people who were indebted
187
to them and on whom they could rely when they needed to. For
the religious it was a way of getting into heaven.
Middleclass charity, which became prominent in the late
eighteenth century, imitated to some extent both the aristo-
cratic and the religious models.
It was an aristocratic behaviour and hence carried some
of the aristocrat's status with it, and many varieties of Protest-
antism stressed the necessity for "good works" in order to be
sure of going to heaven. But it was also very different from
these earlier models.
Middle-class women played a very active part in charity
work. To be able to have the money to do charitable works was
a sign first of moral virtue in society - this came from the reli-
gious tradition of charity - and in many people's lives religion
was a major motivation. But "good works" were also a sign that
such women were from families that had the money to spare -
charity was a sign of family affluence and status in society.
In this symbolic sense one's charity to the poor was
directed not only "downwards" to the poor themselves but also
horizontally to one's social equals. To do good works was a sign
that you were in a position of financial excess.
But more than that, it was also a field in which women
could actively do something and gain status for it. Barred from
politics and direct engagement in business, the middle-class
woman in the late eighteenth century found power in organi-
sing charitable projects.
This kind of activity expanded enormously in the
nineteenth century - there are several such women in Dickens
(Mrs Jelleby in Bleak House is the best known example) and
one of the icons of the Victorian age is of course Florence
Nightingale.
In the nineteenth century middle-class men also sought
public prominence through voluntary work. Like their wives
and daughters, many of them were not able to become as
politically or socially powerful as they wished (contrary to what
is often written in history books, political power in Britain
remained in the hands of the aristocracy throughout the
nineteenth century).
Charity work provided an alternative route to status and
power, as well as providing the rewards of a good conscience,
and a means of meeting men of similar status who might prove
188
useful to them in their business. Because men were, according
to law, in change of the money for most of the nineteenth
century, they were able to set up large public organisations to
lobby government for changes in those laws which concerned
social issues like those that regulated when people could work
(married women could not do this as all their property became
their husband's on marriage).
Furthermore, unlike the small-scale and rural charity
work of the middle-class lady, men began to study and work in
the new and ever-growing urban environments of the Indus-
trial revolution. Only later did women actively participate in
the large organisations concerned with urban and political
philanthropy. Because men were able to travel with far greater
freedom they were able to do ethnographic work.
Society - and above all urban society - began to be
divided by these volunteer gentleman researchers into social
groups that were different from previous social hierarchies. We
have already mentioned how the concept of "class" arose at
this time, but there were also much more elaborate divisions
based on the new idea of practical sociological research.
Because these models of society were so complex, they didn't
become so popular, but they did give the men who thought of
them a great deal of intellectual status amongst the same
social group as themselves.
Information for this very brief account comes from a large variety of sources,
among them the classics F. Prochaska, Women and Philanthropy in Nine-
teenth-Century England, Clarendon Press 1980; M. Vicinus, Independent
Women, Virago, 1985; Leonore Davidoff & Catherine Hall, Family Fortunes:
Men and Women of the English Middle Class, Routledge, 1987. See Crossing
Cultures, p. 76.
While visiting the City Hall, I saw the flyer posted by the
Anchorage Public Library. I feel it is very important to support
institutions of culture and learning, and I am interested in the
Circulation Volunteer position. If there is no current need for
volunteers in this position, I would be willing to donate my
time in another needed capacity.
189
I take great pride in our library and think it is the duty of every
citizen to support it. I already have experience with library
shelving and the Dewey Decimal System from my years
volunteering at the Abbott Loop Elementary School Library
when my children attended there. Having been a Blood Drive
Volunteer with the American Red Cross since 1998, I am also
organized and good at working with the general public.
Please let me know what I can do to help. I can be reached by
phone at (907) 555-8888 or by email at kjonhson@email.com. I
am excited to do my share in helping such a crucial part of our
community.
Thank you for your time and all you do for our library. I look
forward to talking to you.
Best,
(name)
190
PART 5
191
192
BUSINESS WRITING
OUTLINE AND BASIC CLUES
PARAGRAPH WRITING
Present each point in a separate paragraph.
A well-developed paragraph contains a clear topic sen-
tence, which summarises the contents of the paragraph, as
well as a clear justification, explanation or example in support
of the point presented.
Before you begin writing, you should always make a list
of the points you will present.
Use appropriate connectors to show the links between
paragraphs, as well as to link sentences within paragraphs.
ADMINISTRATIVE WRITING
193
passive voice, impersonal constructions
a range of advanced vocabulary (
complex sentences with a variety of dependent clauses
inversion, especially in conditionals
AVOID:
short forms, informal/colloquial language
very emotional language
strong personal opinions; instead, use milder expressions
over-generalisation
to refer blindly to statistics without accurate reference to
their source
clichs
personal examples
short forms except when these are part of a quotation
colloquial expressions, phrasal verbs, idioms
simplistic vocabulary
a series of short sentences
simplistic text markers
CERTAINTY
must
to be sure / certain / positive (adjectives)
certainly /obviously / surely / clearly / undoubtedly (adv)
to be bound to do sth
IMPOSSIBILITY
She cannot be home now.
It is impossible for her to be home now.
194
It is definitely impossible that she should be home now.
( impossible = beyond limits/belief= out of the question)
It is highly improbable that it should happen.
That is hardly possible.
CAPABILITY
can / could
to be able to do sth
to manage to do sth
to be capable of doing sth
to succeed in doing sth
to have the capability
possess ability
demonstrate skill
show aptitude
prove capacity, capability, strength to do sth / of doing sth
PERMISSION
may / might
can / could
to be allowed / permitted to do sth
to have the permission to do sth / of doing sth
Would you mind my opening the door? (+possessive)
WISH
to want
to wish
to dream of ...
to fancy (I fancy an icecream.)
would like to ...
would rather / sooner
to feel like ...
PREFERENCE
to like (I like this dress better/more than the other one.)
to choose (I choose this over that.)
to select
would rather / sooner
to prefer
195
INTENTIONS
to intend
to plan
to mean (I did not mean to hurt you.)
Tom will come tomorrow. (Future)
Tom comes tomorrow. (Present Simple, schedule)
He is coming tomorrow. (Present Continuous, individual plan)
To be going to do sth: I am going to help you.
Will (spontaneous decision):
I will buy this book no matter the price.
ORDER
Imperative
Subjunctive: The general ordered that the soldiers should
continue to fight.
to be to (Future): The boss says that Tom is to work more.
Must
Passive Voice: He was made to leave the room.
forced
be forced/obliged/compelled/required/requested/ expected/
supposed to do sth
Shall: New students shall report to the Admissions Officer as
soon as possible.
REQUEST
Subjunctive: I request that all students should learn more.
Question tag: Help me, will you?
Please (in the middle of the sentence or at the end)
Will / Would you help me, please?
Would you be so kind as to help me, please?
Would you mind doing that for me, please?
Could you do that for me, please?
Would it bother you ...
196
To suggest + Subjunctive: I suggest that you should watch
this documentary. I suggest to you to watch this documentary.
INVITATION
Help yourself to some sandwiches.
Will
Would
To ask
To invite
Question tag: Come in, will you?
Emphatic Do: Do sit down! (I insist that you should sit down!)
Do me the favour of joining my party!
honour
pleasure
Bear with me!
Indulge me!
Humour me
LACK OF OBLIGATION
You do not have to do it.
You needn't do it.
FREQUENT VERBS
USED IN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
to apologize to enquire
to appreciate to follow up
to arrange to inform
to ask (if) to postpone
to assist to receive
to clarify to regret
to complain to reply
to confirm to send
to contact to update
197
198
FORMAL AND INFORMAL
199
Semi-formal letters contain:
formal greetings
informal endings
a respectful tone, depending on the relationship with the
recipient of the letter.
pronouns should not be omitted
idioms should be carefully used.
Complete the table of informal expressions and their for-
mal equivalents. Use the words regret, require, obtain, request,
further, consider, enquire, opportunity.
200
Make this e-mail to Johann Wetz more informal.
Change the words and phrases in italics.
Dear Mr. Wetz,
I would like to apologise for the delay in responding to you. I
have been very busy and I regret that. I have not yet had an
opportunity to look properly at the figures you sent me. How-
ever, my boss here, Birgit Schultz, has seen them and has re-
quested more background information. She says that she re-
quires this information in order to prepare her report to the
board. If you wish to discuss this further, please call me.
Yours sincerely
Sylvia
FORMAL INFORMAL
Good
morning/afternoon/evening.
Hi everyone,
On behalf of (company,
Introducing Im (name and
department, etc.), Id like to
yourself: title). Thanks for
welcome you.
coming.
My name is (name) and I am
(position).
Im going to
talk to you
about
Im going to give you an
Im going to be
Introducing overview of...
talking a little
the topic: The focus of todays
bit about
presentation is.
Im here today
to talk to you
about
201
FORMAL INFORMAL
Im going to
talk about three
The presentation today is things today. Ill
Outlining
divided into three parts. First, start with
your
Ill Following that Ill... Then Ill talk a
presentation:
Finally, Ill little bit
about . Ill
finish with.
If you have any
Please do not hesitate to questions during
Inviting
interrupt me if you have any the
questions:
questions. presentation,
please ask.
FORMAL INFORMAL
Introducing the
first section of Id like to Lets start/begin by
your start/begin by. looking at
presentation:
Well, Ive told you
Well, weve looked
about. Now Ill move on
Finishing a at... Now, Id like to
to
section and discuss
Well, weve looked at.
starting a new Having
Now, lets talk about.
one: discussed Id like
So, that was.Now,
to move on to.
lets
Id like to expand
Let me tell you a little
more on
more about
Expanding or Id like to elaborate
Let me give you some
elaborating: a little
more
Lets consider this
details/information.
is more detail.
Talking about later: later:
earlier or later I will elaborate on More on this later.
points in your this later in the Im going to talk more
presentation: presentation. about this later.
202
FORMAL INFORMAL
Ill provide you earlier:
with a more detailed Do you remember I
explanation later in said..?
the presentation. As I said earlier.
earlier:
To repeat what I
said earlier
As I mentioned
earlier.
You might already know
As you may be
that
aware of
Recognizing Im sure a lot of you
As you may
your listeners' know that
know
prior Im sure a lot of you
I know many of
knowledge: know about
you are familiar
Im sure a lot of you
with.
have heard.
May I focus your
attention on the. Take a look at this
Focusing
You will notice slide/chart/graphic etc.
audience's
that.. You can see that.
attention on
Please direct your Okay, here we can see
visuals:
attention to the that
slide/chart/etc.
FORMAL INFORMAL
Lets summarize/recap
what we looked at
Finally, lets
Summarizing today.
summarize some of the
and Finally, lets look back
main points..
concluding the at what we covered
To conclude, Id like
presentation: today.
to summarize.
So, to remind you of
what we looked at
Inviting final Does anyone have Does anyone have any
questions: any questions or final questions?
203
FORMAL INFORMAL
comments before we Okay, does anyone
conclude today? have any questions or
If youd like me to comments?
elaborate or clarify
anything we covered
today, please ask.
a question you do not
have the answer to:
I want to answer your
question completely, a question you dont
but I do not have all have the answer to:
the information with I dont have that
me right now. Could information with me.
you give me your email Can you give me your
after the presentation email and Ill send you
Responding to so I can send you a an answer later today?
tough complete response? a question you didnt
questions: a question you didnt understand:
understand: Could/Can you repeat
Could you repeat that, please?
that, please? I didnt catch that.
Could you rephrase Can you repeat it?
that, please? Are you saying
Let me make sure I that.?
understand you
completely. Do you
mean that?
If there are no further
Well, I think thats
questions, Id like to
about it. Thanks for
thank you very much
Finishing and listening. Please
for your attention. If
saying contact me later if you
you think of any
goodbye: have any additional
additional questions,
questions or want more
please feel free to
information.
contact me.
204
Use this table to see the aspects to avoid in formal documents.
205
SAMPLE MODIFIED COLLOQUIAL INTO FORMAL
Formal and informal English differ in word choice, word
usage, and grammatical structures. Informal writing may
sound more like conversation while formal writing is more
polished. An informal style could make listeners feel more
comfortable when you are speaking, but a formal writing style
can make a good impression.
Colloquial:
If youre not sure where the future is headed for us, then youre not alone,
experts in fields ranging from technology to the environment offer a million
different predictions as to what the future has in store for us. Some predict
warfare and social collapse, but others say well all thrive and prosper.
Whatevers going on, I think our world is rapidly changing from the world
our ancestors knew; the future is totally going to be a different place.
Formal:
Humans have tried to predict the future for as far back
as history shows, and the only thing that has changed about
this practice is the methods we use to make these predictions.
Experts in fields ranging from technology to environmental
science simultaneously offer predictions of warfare and social
collapse with predictions of peace and prosperity. Regardless of
these forecasts, the world is rapidly changing from the one our
ancestors knew, hurdling us into a future that is increasingly
difficult to imagine.
Informal letter
John, Im looking for a job, and Ive heard through the grapevine that you
need a workhorse for your shop. Well, Im the man of the hour, as Ive got a
lot to offer. Im pretty hard-working, and Im really good about being on
time. Im also used to working by myself. Anyway, tell me whether you want
to get together for an interview, okay? -Informal Joe
206
TIPS FOR FORMAL BUSINESS WRITING
Avoid common colloquial words and expressions such
as cute (use adorable), yeah, and movie (use film).
This includes slang such as cool. Two good phrases to
delete are you know and think about it. The adverb
pretty, meaning relatively/fairly/quite, is unaccept-
able in all formal writing and is often unnecessary.
Avoid the first and second person. Formal writing tries
to be objective, and the pronouns I and you tend to
imply subjectivity. Phrases such as I think that can be
deleted from a sentence when it is obvious that this is
the authors opinion. Using the pronoun I is almost
always acceptable in personal writing, and the pronoun
you is always acceptable in letters and how-tos. In the
most formal writing, the pronoun I is replaced by the
pronoun we; it is known as the royal we or the
editorial we. Formal writing avoids the pronoun you
when it refers to people in general.
You should sleep eight hours each night.
(informal)
One should sleep eight hours each night.
(formal)
Most people should sleep at least eight
hours each night. (formal usage allowing for
exceptions)
Never start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction.
In the written language, do not use coordinating con-
junctions (and, but, so, or) to start a sentence. Coordi-
nating conjunctions are meant to join words, phrases,
and clauses; they have no role to play at the beginning
of a sentence. Consider attaching the sentence that
starts with a coordinating conjunction to the previous
sentence, substituting the period for a comma to pro-
duce a compound sentence. You can also use
additionally (or moreover), nevertheless (or however),
therefore (or thus), and alternatively (or instead or
otherwise). Though can be used at the end of a
sentence, changing the meaning. Starting a sentence
with also is useful in casual writing but should be
avoided in formal English unless the word also is
modifying a verb (usually in the imperative mood or an
207
inverted sentence structure): "Also read Chapters Two
and Three;"
A paragraph that starts many sentences with coordi-
nating conjunctions lacks smooth transitions.
Avoid clichs to be formal. Formal writing tries to use
literal language that will not be misunderstood by any
of the readers. Clichs can make your writing unorigi-
nal, but they can sometimes be fun in casual writing,
especially as an original play-on-words.
Avoid stage directions. Do not begin a letter by telling
the recipient what you plan to do in the letter.
Avoid vague words. Vague words are less formal and
are open to interpretation; they do not express your
ideas as well as more precise words would. A few or
enough can be replaced by something more precise.
Split infinitives are common in legal writing, an impor-
tant type of formal English. Split infinitives are used in
very formal writing that avoids the active voice. Infini-
tives, and gerunds, contribute to an active writing style
and show action but are not in the active voice.
Always include the relative pronoun. In formal English,
be sure to always include whom or which. Avoid
using 'that' as a relative pronoun and replace it with
'which', 'whom' or 'who'.
Develop short sentences into longer, graceful ones. For-
mal writing generally uses longer sentences which add
variety to your writing and can be particularly effective
when paired with short ones; the contrast focuses the
readers' attention. You can use a semicolon to join two
simple sentences, if they are related to each other.
Elevated vocabulary enhances the formality of your
writing, but be sure that you use them correctly and
appropriately.
208
USEFUL LANGUAGE FOR BUSINESS E-MAILS
209
Could I ask you to send me ... ?
This is to ask if you could
I'd like to enquire about
Can you let me know the price of ... ?
Replying to an email:
Thanks (very much) for your e-mail
This is to say thanks for your e-mail
Sating purpose:
I am writing to clarify the terms of the agreement.
I just wanted to follow up on the payment of that
invoice.
This is to let you know that we ...
FYI: This is to inform you that .../
inform you of a problem ...
I'm just writing to
Just a (quick) note to
Just a short e-mail to ... clarify ...
confirm...
inform you ...
follow up on
let you know ...
reply to ...
request
tell you
thank you
update you
Sending attached documents:
I'm sending you/attaching ...
I've attached ...
Please find attached ...
I'm sending you the price list/document
as an attachment.
We send you the document as an attachment.
When things go wrong:
I'm afraid you forgot to attach the file/ ...
Im afraid I cannot open the file/document.
Can/Could you send it again in ... format, please?
Replying to an enquiry:
Thank you for your interest.
I'm pleased to send you ...
I'm sending you ... (in an attachment)
210
Please find the requested information attached.
We hope you find this satisfactory.
We hope you are happy/satisfied with this.
Thanks for choosing ...
I am writing to reply to your enquiry about ...
I'm writing to let you know ...
When there will be a delay:
Your request is being processed.
We are working on your request.
Giving information:
We've just received the invoice ...
I'd like to inform you of ...
Just a few comments about your last mail:
I'm writing to tell you about/let you know ...
Just a note to say ...
Here's the low-down on ...
Just to update you on ...
FYI: This is to let you know ...
Hope this helps.
Let me/us know if you need anything else.
Checking on delayed work:
We would appreciate a reply
I would appreciate it if you could send me ...
Have you ... yet?
Can you send ... to me by Friday, please?
I need those figures before tomorrow's meeting.
I need ... by Thursday.
Pleease get/keep in touch.
Keep me posted.
Making arrangements:
Thanks for your email confirming flight details...
In reply to your email, here are ...
Re your e-mail, I ...
You'll find the info(rmation) attached.
I'll get back to you asap ...
Ill follow up the points mentioned in your email ...
Just a quick note to arrange a time to meet.
I'm writing to set up/arrange ...
How/What about Tuesday?
Is ... OK?
Where should we meet?
211
I am writing to arrange a meeting
I would like to confirm booking the conference
room for our next meeting.
Should I pick you up at/from ... ?
Could you collect me at ... ?
I'd like to confirm
Just writing to confirm ...
Tuesday is good for me.
Please send me confirmation for this ...
Looking forward to seeing/meeting ....
Changing arrangements:
I'm sorry but I can't do/make Thursday.
This is to let you now that I've had to put
off/postpone ...
I'm writing to call off/cancel ...
I'm afraid I can't make/manage Friday.
How about ... instead?
I'm afraid we've had to postpone the conference.
Sorry, but we are going to have to put off the
meeting till next week.
Giving good news:
I am/We are pleased to inform you ...
I'm happy to tell you ...
You'll be happy/delighted to hear that ...
Giving bad news:
We regret to tell/inform you .,.
I'm sorry, but ...
I am afraid that
Unfortunately,
Complaining:
I'm writing to complain (about ...).
We're not happy with ...
I was disappointed to find/hear
I'm afraid that
Unfortunately,
I'm afraid I must complain about ...
Apologising for a delay in answering:
I do apologize for the delay in replying.
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
Sorry this is so late.
212
Apologising for not being able to help:
Sorry, I do not know.
I'm afraid I cannot help you.
Apologising for something more serious:
We must apologize for
We deeply regret ...
My sincere apologies (close)
We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
I'd like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Please accept our apologies.
I'm so sorry ...
When you are waiting for a reply:
I look forward/Looking forward to hearing from
you/to your reply.
Hope to hear from you soon
I'd appreciate a reply asap.
Offering more help:
Do not hesitate to contact us if you need any
assistance.
Feel free to get in touch if you have any other
questions/ if you need more help
If I can assist with any questions
Let me know if you need anything else/if I can help
you further.
Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.
General closing:
Thanks for your help/cooperation.
Hope all is well with you.
Have a nice day/weekend! :-)
Yours sincerely
Kind/Best regards
Regards
Best wishes
All the best
Best
See you (soon)
Take care
Bye (for now)
[just the name or initials]
213
An informal letter or e-mail can sound like spoken English.
Beginning the letter
It was lovely to hear from you.
I was pleased to hear that ...
Thank you for your letter. I was sorry to hear that ...
I'm sorry I haven't written before, but ...
This is just a note to say ...
Giving general news
I'm having a lovely time in ...
I've been very busy recently.
Last week I and next week I'm going to .
Ending the letter
I'm looking forward to seeing you /to hearing from you ...
('I'm looking' is informal; 'I look' is formal)
Give my regards to your mother.
Write to me soon.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Write and tell me when you ... / where you ...
There are several ways of ending an informal letter:
With love, /Best wishes, /Regards,
There are contractions in an informal letter:
I' d/ I'm/ He's/ She's/We've/Ill, etc.
Written It is with regret .
Spoken We are sorry .
Written we now give you formal notice ...
Spoken we have to tell you ...
214
TYPES OF LETTERS
FOLLOW-UP LETTER
TO INFORMATION SEEKING MEETING
Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to meet me
on Tuesday. It was very helpful for me to learn so much about
the current projects of Delon Hampton & Associates and the
career paths of several of your staff. I appreciate your reviewing
my portfolio and encouraging my career plans. I also enjoyed
meeting Beth Ormond, and am glad to have her suggestions on
how I can make the most productive use of my last semester
prior to graduation.
215
of my resume to serve as a reminder of my background, some
of which I discussed with you when we met.
During the next few months I will stay in contact with you in
the hope that there may be an opportunity to join your firm.
Thank you again for your generous help.
Sincerely,
(name)
Thank you for your time and the privilege of having an inter-
view with you yesterday, October 25, during your recruiting
visit to our university. The management trainee program you
outlined sounds both challenging and rewarding and I look
forward to your decision concerning an on-site visit.
Sincerely, (name)
Enclosures
216
Accepting a job offer ethically obligates you to:
Keep your word.
Cease job search efforts.
Promptly notify other employers who have communicated to
you that you are under consideration that you must with-
draw your name from their consideration.
First means of notice: a courteous phone call. Make every ef-
fort to speak to your contact in person rather than leaving a
voice mail message for this purpose.
Failing to notify employers that you are withdrawing from the
job search is discourteous, and potentially dishonest.
Sincerely,
(your signature)
John Brownn
217
WITHDRAWING FROM JOB SEARCH
AFTER ACCEPTING ANOTHER JOB OFFER
Sincerely,
(your signature)
Jane Collins
218
DECLINING A JOB OFFER
Thank you very much for your telephone call and letter offering
me the position of Project Coordinator in your company.
While I believe firmly in the mission of your organization and
appreciate the challenging opportunity you offer, I have had
another offer which I believe more closely aligns with my
current career goals and interests.
Therefore, although it was a difficult decision, as I explained
when we spoke on the phone today, I must decline your offer.
I do appreciate all the courtesy and hospitality extended to me
by your office, and I wish you the best in your endeavours.
In the position I have accepted with Public Policy Watch, I will
occasionally be on Capitol Hill to attend hearings and monitor
legislation, so I hope we can get together again and talk about
common interests.
Best regards,
(signature)
Chris Thompson
219
comment is completely inappropriate, not only in the work-
place, but also in police society.
Denying a promotion purely based on that persons gender
violates anti-discrimination laws. Also, making that sort of
generalization about an entire group of people is very hurtful.
While Ms. Payton filed no official complaint, this kind of talk
needs to be discouraged in all facets of life. A more appropriate
comment may have been People who get promotions in this
office tend to be very aggressive and ask for the promotion
directly. Maybe you should try that.
It is my expectation that you will be more conscious of the
implications of such statements and avoid them in the future
at all costs. Knowing your character, I do not believe you
meant any harm. It was simply carelessness in an isolated
incident.
Sincerely,
Jim Jones
Thanks again,
Gabrielle Duncan
Human Resources Manager
220
PROFESSIONAL INTEREST LETTER
221
customers is unparalleled, and it is because of her excellence
in this area that I repeatedly asked her to mentor new em-
ployees in the call centre. Sharon multitasks effectively and is
able to handle a high-volume workload. She consistently met
or surpassed all weekly call centre metrics (including customer
satisfaction, call volume and response time), and her daily
written reports were accurate and thorough.
Sincerely,
Carla Petersen
Field Service Manager (former Call Centre Manager)
JRW Inc. (555) 555-5555
222
MEMORANDUM
223
Memos are useful in situations where e-mails or text
messages are not suitable. For example, if you are sending an
object, such as a book or a paper that needs to be signed, via
internal office mail, you can use a memo as a covering note to
explain what the receiver should do. A memo is:
a hard-copy document (sent on paper)
used for communicating inside an organization
usually short
sections: To, From, Date, Subject Headings, and Message
does not need to be signed, but sometimes has the sender's
name at the bottom to be more friendly, or the sender's full
name to be more formal. If in doubt, follow your company style.
224
MEMO FORMATS
225
Considerations
Considerations provide the facts, arguments, opinions, options
analysis and/or discussion of transformation matters required
to show that the Conclusion or Recommendation is a sound
response to the Issue.
This section may address the following, as needed:
current status and relevance to strategic priorities
implications, consultations with horizontal management
communications implications and/or plans.
The following Diamond-E Framework may be helpful in writing
this section.
226
Conclusion
helps the management see key issues in perspective
tells the boss what happens next and/or when s/he will be
briefed again.
Recommendation(s)
The Recommendation(s) tell management precisely what you
would like them to do. This section should include a deadline,
if needed (e.g., A decision from you by (date) would
enable the project to remain on schedule.). Do not introduce
or restate rationale in the Recommendation(s).
A BRIEFING NOTE
227
A frame of reference for a briefing note has six elements:
strategic perspective;
objective;
audience;
authority;
barriers; and
timelines
External sources that you might want to review include:
Laws, regulations, treaties and contracts;
Management Accountability Framework assessments;
Clerk duties on the Councils web site;
Auditor Generals reports;
Current political and economic trends; public opinion polls.
Budget cycle;
Internal documents you may use to get strategic perspective:
Mission, vision and values statements;
Report on Plans and Priorities;
Performance Measurement Framework;
Departmental Performance Report;
Departmental business plan/human resource plan;
Program alignment architecture;
Audit and evaluation reports;
Departmental risk profile;
Previous briefing notes.
You might contact:
Technical specialists (legal counsel, finance, human resour-
ces, scientific, etc.) both internal and external;
Counterparts in other departments, or other organizations;
Your director;
Your director generals staff;
Objective
In setting the objective, state it in terms of something you want
the briefing note to accomplish, as opposed to just going
through a process. What do you want to be the outcome of that
briefing? In setting your objective, you have an opportunity to
be strategic. You know if you have developed a sound objective
if it is Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-
bound (SMART).
228
Audience
Without an audience, you cannot achieve your objective.
Choosing your audience is another opportunity to be strategic.
Bear in mind that the ultimate audience is only one of many
others your briefing note will encounter as it makes its way
through the bureaucracy. It is helpful to know that another
audience could be the general public. This should not deter
you from offering frank advice. It should, however, be an
incentive to ensure that everything in the briefing note will
stand up under intense public scrutiny.
Authority
You again have an opportunity to be strategic. If you or your
upper managers do not have the authority to address the
audience that is needed to achieve your objective, you will have
to rethink your endeavour to identify an alternative objective
and an audience that you indeed have the authority to address.
Another dimension of authority is approval by specialists, such
as legal counsel, communications, finance, human resources
etc. It will take time, and you will need to take account of this
when you write your time lines.
Barriers
Barriers stand between you and achieving your objective with
your chosen audience. Barriers could include:
The audience's existing position on the issue;
Competing views conveyed by other stakeholders;
The audiences lack of knowledge or understanding of a com-
plex issue;
Time pressures that could prevent the audience from reading
or even seeing your briefing note;
PESTLE and SWOT factors.
Be strategic. Do the barriers present a challenge to overcome
in a single briefing note? You may have to consider your op-
tions and develop a communications strategy for overcoming
those barriers possibly developing a series of briefing notes,
each one designed to overcome one or more of the barriers.
Timelines
They have three components:
Deadline when must the briefing note be received by its
ultimate audience in order for it to achieve its objective;
229
Schedule when will research and writing be done, when will
the briefing note be translated (if needed), when will
approvals be received from specialists and the formal line of
authority;
Personal time budget how many hours of your time will the
project require.
230
THE MARKETING BUSINESS PLAN
231
1. Executive Summary
The Executive Summary highlights the main goals and
recommendations of the marketing plan. It must also briefly
address budget requirements and how success is measured. It
is a brief outline of the 'who, what, where, when and how with
respect to the marketing objectives & strategies. The executive
summary should actually be completed last after all the mar-
keting plan analysis and details have been completed.
2. Business Overview
Sometimes referred to as a situation analysis, the busi-
ness overview is an evaluation of a company's situation within
their market. The process involves reviewing the external and
internal situation, the market share, and an assessment of the
current product, pricing, distribution&promotional approach.
Consider describing your customer base, target markets,
services required by your customers, and wider external envi-
ronmental factors that affect your operation such as political,
environmental, social and technological factors.
The business overview is sometimes referred to as a '5 C
analysis', which looks to examine and review the Company,
Customers, Competitors, Collaborators and Climate.
Within the 'Business Overview' section another good tool
is to use is a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is essentially a
tool for assessing a company and its environment.
The term SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are
internal factors. Opportunities and threats are external factors.
For example:
Strengths: (Internal)
What are we good at?
What partnerships do we have?
What bargaining power do we have?
What skills do our employees have?
What financial resource do we have?
Weaknesses: (Internal)
What are we not good at doing?
What alliances/partnerships should we have?
232
What skills do our workforce members lack?
Opportunities: (External)
What new markets might be suitable?
What new technology can we develop?
What changes in the environment can we utilise?
What weaknesses in our competition can we exploit?
Threats: (External)
How could our competition better us?
What social changes might endanger the business?
What new technology do not we have?
3. Marketing Objectives
Your marketing objectives should state 'what' is to be
achieved and 'when' results are to be accomplished and should
be linked to the business strategy. For example, if your
business objectives include increasing sales by 10 per cent
over the next year. Your marketing objectives might include
targeting a new market segment to help achieve this growth.
Examples could be:
Increase product awareness among the target audience by 30
percent in one year.
Inform target audience about features and benefits of our
product and its competitive advantage, leading to a 10 percent
increase in sales in one year.
Objectives should always be SMART:
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.
233
Objective 1: .
Objective 2: ..
Objective 3: ..
4. Strategy
A strategy is a plan or method on how the marketing
objectives will be achieved and should decide the best way of
doing it. The strategy will establish a relevant target market
and should be constant with the objectives.
The focus of your strategy should be making sure that
your products and services meet customer needs and
developing long-term and profitable relationships with those
customers. To achieve this, you will need to create a flexible
strategy that can respond to changes in customer perceptions
and demand. It may also help you identify whole new markets
that you can successfully target.
Strategy Tips:
Describe the company's unique selling proposition (USP).
Define your target market.
Write down the benefits of your products or services.
Describe how you will position your products or services.
Define your marketing methods. Will you advertise, use
Internet marketing, direct marketing, or public relations?
Examples of marketing strategies could be:
Launch new products
Expand distribution (e.g. open more stores)
Increase selling prices
Reduce the amount spent on television advertising
Build customer awareness
Implement a public relations programme
5. Tactics
Once you have decided what your marketing objectives
are, and your strategy for meeting them, you need to plan how
you will make the strategy a reality. It should contain
descriptions and detailed steps to be carried out in order to
achieve the objectives. (This is often the longest section of the
plan representing up to 50% of the total page count).
A good place to start with tactics is within the marketing
mix or the four Ps:
234
Product - what your product offers that your customers
value, and whether/how you should change your
product to meet customer needs.
Pricing - how you price the product. For example, you
might have to choose either to make relatively few high
margin sales, or sell more but with lower unit profits.
Place - how and where you sell. This may include using
different distribution channels. For example, you might
sell over the Internet or sell through retailers.
Promotion - how you reach your customers and
potential customers. For example, you might use
advertising, PR, direct mail and personal selling.
6. Budget
The financial plan should detail the expenditure carried
out in order to fulfil the marketing plan and lay out spending
requirements necessary for meeting the objectives. How much
will the activities defined above cost? Can you provide a
revenue forecast? Explain the assumptions on which the
forecast is based and consider various (best case, worst case)
scenarios. Several tables and graphs will be presented with
narratives explaining important budget issues.
235
For example:
Outline spending requirements for each tactical
marketing decision
Breakdown each tactical category e.g., types of
advertising, types of services offered, marketing research
expense, etc.
Show detailed spending timetable by: week and month
Show spending by: Product (if plan is for more than one),
Segment/Geographic zone, and Distribution Network
236
ABBREVIATIONS
237
AEI Archive of European Integration
CELLAR Common access to EU information, to make
available at a single place all metadata and
digital content managed by the Publications
Office in a harmonised and standardised way
CoR Committee of the Regions
EDC European documentation centre
E-DOMEC Electronic archiving and document
management in the European Commission
ESO European Sources Online
EUR-Lex EUR-Lex provides free access to European
Union law and other documents considered to
be public
Eurovoc multilingual thesaurus of the European Union
HAEU Historical Archives of the European Union
ID identification number
PO Publications Office of the European Union
238
COA Chart of Account
CFA Chartered Financial Analyst
CFD Contract for difference
CFC Consumption of fixed capital
CFCT Cash Flow Cycle Time
CFM Certified Financial Manager
CFO PEX Capital Expenditures
CFO Chief financial officer
CFS Consolidated Financial Statement
CIA Certified Internal Auditor
CIF Cost Insurance With Freight
CIMA Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
CIO Chief Information Officer or Chief Investment Officer
CISA Certified Information Systems Auditor
CMA Certified Management Accountant
CMO Chief Marketing Officer
COB Close of Business
COGS Cost of Goods Sold
Corp. Corporation
COO Chief Operating Officer
CPA Certified Public Accountant
CPP Certified Payroll Professional
CPU - Cost per Unit
CSO Chief Security Officer
CRM Customer Relationship Management
CVP Cost Volume Profit
CTO Chief Technology Officer
C&F Cost With Freight
239
EFTPOS Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale
EPS Earnings per share
EXP Export
EOB End Of the Business
EOD End Of the Day
HR Human Resources
HQ Headquarters
HRD Human Resource Development
240
J Journal
JIT - Just in time
JIS - Just in sequence
OC Opportunity Cost
OCF Operating cash flow
OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer
241
OPEX Operational Expenditures
OTC Over-the-counter (finance)
QTD Quarter-to-date
QC Quality control
RE Retained Earnings
FP Request for Proposal
ROA Return on assets
ROCE Return On Capital Employed
ROI Return on Investment
ROIC Return on Invested Capital
RONA Return on net assets
ROS Return on Sales
RR Resource rent
R&D Research and Development
242
SROI - Social return on investment
SOP - Standard Operating Procedure
YTD Year-to-date
YTG Year-to-go
YOY Year-Over-Year
Titles
BKPR Bookkeeper
CAO - Chief Accounting Officer
CEO - Chief Executive Officer
CFO - Chief Financial Officer
CIO - Chief Information Officer
243
CMO - Chief Marketing Officer
COO - Chief Operating Officer
CPA - Certified Public Accountant
CTO - Chief Technology Officer
Financial
ACCT Account
ACR Accrual
ACV - Actual Cash Value
AGI - Adjusted Gross Income
AGR - Adjusted Gross Revenue
A/R - Accounts Receivable
BS - Balance Sheet
BGT Budget
COGS - Cost of Goods Sold
CPTAL Capital
EPS - Earnings Per Share
GL - General Ledger
GP - Gross Profit
LC - Letter of Credit
LIFO - Last In, First Out
NAV - Net Asset Value
OC - Opportunity Cost
PC Percent
Pd Paid
P/E - Price-to-earnings ratio
P&L - Profit and Loss
Re or RE - In reference to, Retained Earnings
ROA - Return on Assets
ROE - Return on Equity
ROI - Return on Investment
WC - Working Capital
Sales
AD Advertisement
B2B - Business to Business
B2C - Business to Consumer
BD - Business Development
BDC - Business Development Company/Council
COD - Cash on Delivery
Comp. - Item given for free
244
PO - Purchase Order
Sls Sales
SP - Strategic Plan
USP - Unique Selling Point
Val. - Value
Legal
HQ Headquarters
Inc. Incorporated
IPO - Initial Public Offering
LBO - Limited Buyout
Ltd. - Limited Company
LLC - Limited Liability Corp.
General Terms
ADP - Automated Data Processing
Approx Approximately
Attn Attention
BAT - Business Action Theory
BCC - Blind Copied
BIMS - Business Information Management Suite
BPC - Business Planning Cycle
CC - Copy To
ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival
EXP Export
GDP - Gross Domestic Product
GMP - Good Manufacturing Practices
Pls Please
Qty Quantity
Stsfctn Satisfaction
245
Svngs Savings
TBD - To Be Determined
Thx Thanks
Trd Trade
Trnsfr Transfer
Ttl - Total
Unltd Unlimited
Utlztn Utilization
W/O Without
Wst Waste
Whol. Wholesale
Wrkshp Workshop
Wrldwd Worldwide
YTD - Year To Date
246
Business Acronyms
MD = Managing Director
PRO = Public Relations Officer
P&L = Profit & Loss account / statement (one of the financial
statements a company has to produce)
KM = Knowledge Management, a strategic approach to insights
undertaken by companies
RRP = Recommended Retail Price, the price customers should
pay suggested by the manufacturer
API Application Programming Interface (an interface created
on database or computer system to accept requests from
other computers and third parties)
ASP Application Service Provider (a company that offers ser-
vices to its customers via a network)
B2B Business to Business (companies that sell to other com-
panies, like Oracle)
B2C Business to Consumer (companies that sell to individu-
als, like GAP)
CAD Computer Aided Design (tools and software used by
engineers and architects to design)
CAGR Compound Annual Growth Rate (a cumulative interest
rate used by banks or within investment projects)
CEO Chief Executive Officer (the big boss)
CFO Chief Financial Officer (head of the finance)
CMO Chief Marketing Officer (head of marketing)
COO Chief Operating Officer (head of operations)
CTO Chief Technology Officer (responsible for the tech side)
CRM Customer Relationship Management (a system to get,
analyze and store customer information in order to
manage clients efficiently)
EBITDA Earning Before Interests, Taxes, Depreciation and
Amortization (indicator of financial performance)
EDI Electronic Data Interchange (a set of standards used to
exchange data between different companies and
organizations)
EPS Earnings Per Share (is the ration between the profits of a
company and the common shares)
ERP Enterprise Resources Planning (a system that integrates
all the data from an organization into a single location)
247
FIFO First In, First Out (used both in computer programs
and accounting; it determines that what comes first is
handled first)
GAAP Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (a frame-
work to carry out financial accounting in companies)
ICT Information and Communications Technology (term for
the fields related to IT and electronic communications)
ISV Independent Software Vendor (a group of developers or
company specialized in producing software for a niche)
IPO Initial Public Offering (when a company first introduces
its shares on the stock market)
LIFO Last In, First Out (in computer programs and account-
ing; it determines that what comes last is handled first)
LLC Limited Liability Company (a legal entity where the
owners are not liable personally)
MSRP Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (a recommend-
ation made by a company in order to standardize the
price of its products across different places)
NDA Non-Disclosure Agreement (a contract between two
parties to secure the confidentiality of information)
NPV Net Present Value (a method to valuate long term
investments or projects)
OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer (a company that ma-
nufacturers equipment that will be rebranded and sold
by other companies; it refers to the reseller as well)
OTC Over-The-Counter (trade of stocks or other derivatives
directly between two persons)
P&L Profit and Loss (also called Income Statement, is an ac-
counting report used to outline how revenues are trans-
formed into profits)
POS Point of Sale (a checkout point in retail stores, or the
hardware behind it)
RFP Request For Proposal (an invitation for suppliers to bid
on a specific task or service)
ROI Return On Investment (ratio of money earned relative to
total money invested)
ROS Return On Sales (ratio of money earned relative to total
sales)
SAAS Software As A Service (software or applications that are
developed on the web and the users access it via the
Internet)
248
SOHO Small Office/Home Office (refers to small or home
office environments)
TCO Total Cost of Ownership (a method to estimate all the
costsdirect and indirectrelated to a project/purchase)
TQM Total Quality Management (a management strategy to
raise whole organizations awareness towards quality)
TSR Total Shareholder Return (a valuation method to take
into consideration both dividends and share price gains)
VC Venture Capital (a form of financing where the owners
give up part of the ownership)
249
remains empty. This saves the recipient's time because she
then does not have to open the email. Also written as NM,
meaning No Message. Also written as N/M, n/m, or *n/m*.
NMP, meaning Not My Problem. Used in a reply to indicate
that the previous email has been ignored.
NNTR, meaning No Need To Respond. The recipient is in-
formed that he does not have to reply to this email. Synonyms
are NRN, meaning No Reply Necessary or No Reply Needed,
and NRR, meaning No Reply Requested or No Reply Required.
NT, meaning No Text. Also written as N/T or n/t. Used
when the entire content of the email is contained in the subject
and the body remains empty. This saves the recipient's time
because she then does not have to open the email.
NWR, meaning Not Work Related. Used in corporate emails
to indicate that the content is not related to business and
therefore that the recipient can ignore it if desired.
OoO, meaning Out of Office. Used in corporate emails to
indicate that the sender will not be at work.
PYR, meaning Per Your Request. The recipient is informed
that the sender is replying to a previous email in which she
was given a task.
QUE, meaning Question. The recipient is informed that the
sender wants an answer to this e-mail.
RB, meaning Reply By. Used with a time indicator to inform
the recipient that the sender needs a reply within a certain
deadline, e.g. RB+7 meaning Reply By one week (7 days).
RLB, meaning Read later Used when sending personal or
informational email to a business e-mail address. Immediate
response is not required.
RR, meaning Reply Requested or Reply Required. The
recipient is informed that he should reply to this email.
TBF, meaning (1) To be Forwarded. Used in some corporate
emails to request that the email receiver should forward the
mail to some one else. It also has the more common meaning
(2) To be Frank/Fair. Usually only used in the email body.
Y/N, meaning Yes/No. The recipient is informed that he
should reply to this email with a simple yes or no answer,
increasing the likelihood for the sender of getting a quick
response. cf. VSRE, meaning Very Short Reply Expected.
250
PART 6
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252
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