business spotlight - how to get a job

7/23/2019 Business Spotlight - How to Get a Job

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The magazine for business English

HOW TO GET A

JOB

BusinessSpotlightLANGUAGE TEST

MarchApril l Issue 2/2012

Internationalwww.business-spotlight.com

10

Business Skills

Say no and

have success

Head-to-Head

Do Americanswork too much?

Management

Lessons fromSteve Jobs
http://www.business-spotlight.com/http://www.business-spotlight.com/


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2/2012

EDITORIAL

Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief

Contact: [email protected]

Welcome to Business Spotlight International, a new

bimonthly digital magazine for everyone who needs English in their

job. The magazine includes not only language topics and tests but also

covers the essential areas of business skills and intercultural commu-

nication. In addition, you will find regular sections on management,

careers and technology, as well as articles and interviews about the

latest business trends and the people in the news.

Business Spotlight International is written by top jour-

nalists from around the world, as well as by leading experts in the

fields of business English and communication. It is the all-English ver-

sion ofBusiness Spotlight, which was first published in 2001 and is

aimed at learners and trainers in German-speaking countries. In 2007,

Business Spotlightwas awarded the prize of Germanys Trade Publi-

cation of the Year in the category Law, Business and Taxation.

As well as the magazine, we also have a workbook,Business Spotlight plus, with which you can practise the language and

skills you have learned in the magazine (for details, see page 51). We

look forward to hearing from you and to receiving your feedback.

Good luck with your business English!

Going international

The first issue of

Business Spotlight,in 2001 (left), andour first International

issue, in 2012

Practice makes perfec

You can order Business Spotlightplus he

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Together, Business Spotlight plus

and our magazine offer you

the perfect self-study material.

AvailableforeveryissueofBusinessSpotlightInternational

Business Spotlight plus is a bimonthly

workbook. Inside, youll find:

20 pages of motivating exercises

based on the articles in the magazinegrammar, business vocabulary,

everyday language and culture

and a test to check your progress
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4 www.business-spotlight.com 2/2012

WORKING WORLD

6 Names and NewsThe latest from the world of business

9 My Working LifeCanadian Mountie John Buis

TEST

10 Applying for a JobAre you looking for a new job?Let us help you with a special testof the useful terms you will need

GLOBAL BUSINESS

16 The Language of WarA special report on the important roleof interpreters in war zones

22 Head-to-Head Do Americans work too much?

24 Business PressComments from the worlds media

Behind the HeadlinesMedia Watch Language in the news

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

28 Critical IncidentsUsing case studies, we look at typicalcommunication problems between cultures

34 DialogueTwo wedding planners, one from the US andthe other from India, talk about their business

36 The View from HereThe Olympics are changing Londons skylineCity File London

BUSINESS SKILLS

38 Saying NoHow to say no without sounding negative

Language survival guide to print out and keep

45 On the Line Six donts for the telephone

46 Meeting Point Effective brainstorming

47 Say It in Style When you dont understand

CAREERS

48 BloggingMommy blogger Heather Armstrong

55 The Job Doctor Performance reviews

56 My Way Tour operator Marilou Larssen

MANAGEMENT

58 Young BusinessmanYoganathan Ratheesan of Lebara Mobile

60 What Ive LearnedApple legend Steve Jobs

62 Business BasicsChange management programs

63 Executive EyeDoes competition bring out the best in people?

TECHNOLOGY

64 Think PinkReducing theft in construction

66 Language Focus Flight control systems

68 Innovations New product developments

69 Technically SpeakingMilestones in engineering

Translating and interpreting is big business, especially in

war zones. A report from the front lines.

CONTENTS 2/2012

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Theres a lot to think about when you apply for a job in

English. Find out what you need, in our language test.

16Translationservices

10Jobapplications

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LANGUAGE SECTION

70 VocabularyThe jewellery shop

71 Grammar at WorkThe passive voice

72 English on the MoveGiving a tour of your company

73 Language CardsPrint out and practise

75 The Maine EventAn office dialogue

76 Short StoryVideo Games

78 English for...Start-ups

80 Financial EnglishTaxes on goods and services

81 Authentic EnglishUsing the passive at work

82 Legal EnglishDispute resolution

83 Whats New?Products, sites, events

REGULAR SECTIONS

3 Editorial

27 Business Spotlight International online

84 Feedback / Masthead

85 Preview

86 The Last Laugh

LANGUAGE IN BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Articles in the magazine use the style, spelling, punctuation andpronunciation of British English unless otherwise marked.

American style, spelling, punctuation and pronunciationare used in these articles.

Approximately at CEF level A2

Approximately at CEF levels B1B2

Approximately at CEF levels C1C2

All articles are marked with their level of language difficulty.CEF stands for the Council of Europes Common EuropeanFramework of Reference for Languages.

ifml.: informal or slang word or phrasenon-stand.: non-standard word or phraseUS: North American usage

SELF-STUDY WITH OUR WORKBOOK

Business Spotlight plus, our 20-page work-book, contains useful vocabulary and grammarexercises to practise and improve your busi-ness English skills.

Wherever you see this symbol, you canfind language exercises related to these textsin Business Spotlight plus. For more informa-tion, see page 51.

www.business-spotlight.com

Sign up for our newsletter for a weekly quiz on topical terms.

For teachers and trainers: lesson activities and ideas for usingBusiness Spotlight Internationalwith learners.

For more information, see page 27.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Email:[email protected]. +49 (0)89 856 81-17; Fax +49 (0)89 856 81-159

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Coverphotograph:Hemera

Cover topics

Trying to reach agreement is good, but sometimes you

have to say no. Heres how to do it diplomatically.

No one likes performance reviews. Yet they can be useful

to both sides. Heres how to make them successful.

38Justsay no

55Performancereviews

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8 www.business-spotlight.com

In a difficult economy, many peo-

ple are looking for ways to save

money. Thats good news for Re-

duced to Clear, a chain of budget

grocery stores in New Zealand. The

chain was established in 2008

with one store, open one day a

week. Nearly four years later, there

are seven stores, open seven days

a week with more to come.

Were on track to open six stores [in 2012], CEO John

Honeycombe told The New Zealand Herald. Based in

Auckland, Reduced to Clear ships all over the country.

Weve got 5,000 people on our Facebook site and

27,000 on our mailing list, Honeycombe says.

The company is able to keep prices down by selling

products that are close to their so-called best-before

dates. Foods are designed to go beyond that but

not the use-by date, Honeycombe explains. Well find

out from the supplier what the tolerances are in that

particular product, and well sell within the recommen-

dations of the supplier. Co-founder Sean Hills says

saving money is just one motivation to buy at Reduced

to Clear. Some who could afford to shop elsewhere like

the idea of reducing waste, rather than throwing out food

when it reaches its best-before date. We were seeing

so much food product being unnecessarily dumped,

even though it was perfectly fine to eat, Hills writes

on the company website. Whats the point of dumping

perfectly fine food products into the ground when

theres a world shortage of food? It just didnt make

sense.

2/2012

WORKING WORLD NAMES AND NEWS

Budget shopping:hard times bring success

Selling like hot cakes very popular and being sold very quickly

aboriginal children children of an ethnic group living in a

[bE)rIdZIn&l (tSIldrEn] place since the earliest times

based [beIst] located

best-before date the date after which food is no longer of[)best bi(fO: deIt] the highest quality

budget [(bVdZIt] cheap; inexpensive

CEO (chief executive the person with the highest position in

officer) [)si: i: (EU] a company

dump sth. [dVmp] to throw away something that you do

not want in a careless and fast way

grocery store a shop that sells food

[(grEUsEri stO:]

on track: be ~ to be likely to be successful in

[)Qn (trk] something you are planning to do

ship sth. to send and deliver something, usually

goods

shortage [(SO:tIdZ] a situation in which there is not enough

of something that is needed

use-by date the date after which food is no longer

[(ju:z baI deIt] UK safe to eat

iStockphoto

NEW ZEALAND

Selling like hot cakes

No wise man

ever wished to be

youngerAnglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift (16671745),

author of Gullivers Travels

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10% 25%

Percentage of Canadian

children living in poverty

Percentage of aboriginal

children living in poverty

Sources: Campaign 2000, a national public-awareness group (www.campaign2000.ca);Statistics Canada (www.statcan.gc.ca)
http://www.business-spotlight.com/http://www.campaign2000.ca/http://www.campaign2000.ca/http://www.campaign2000.ca/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/http://www.campaign2000.ca/http://www.business-spotlight.com/


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As a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,

this Mountie has an unusual job. KATHLEEN BECKER

spoke to him about his work.


Current job: Staff sergeant major with the Royal Cana-dian Mounted Police in Burnaby, British Columbia. Iwork mostly as an administrator: answering peoplesquestions or replying to emails, helping to make sureeverything runs smoothly. I also coordinate all the spe-cial events in the city when police officers are required:for example, parades and funerals.

Home life and family: I live in my hometown of NorthDelta, near Burnaby. My wife is a schoolteacher, andweve been married 35 years. Our three children are allat university.

Reasons for choosing this job: I originally trained to bea commercial pilot and wanted to get a job as a pilotwith the police, but unfortunately had an incident atwork in 1979.

Worst day: Here in Burnaby, in 1979. I was working inplain clothes with my partner, and we stopped a stolencar. When we went to arrest one of the people, he pulleda sawed-off shotgun, shot me and then my partner. Wegot through it, but I had seven operations over ten yearsto reconstruct my leg.

Best day: There have been so many. In 1994, I was inCroatia with the United Nations, just after the war,when there were still four separate zones occupied bythe Serbians. One day, we were able to get firewood forone of the schools. They had no oil, and we were ableto get firewood from a great distance away for the en-tire winter.

Work situation: Burnaby has a very diverse populationof about 220,000 people. Any conflict that took placein the world in the last 30 years we have people thathave escaped from there. The Balkans, Sudan, Ethiopia,Eritrea, Sierra Leone. A large number of refugees arecoming from Afghanistan at this moment. Theres onearea in Burnaby where 100 different languages arespoken.

Hobbies: My involvement in organizing high-schoolbasketball tournaments since 1974 has kept me bal-anced and focused. Less than five to ten per cent of thecommunity are a problem. But because youre alwaysdealing with the negative side, you get a bit jaded. Thislets me see young people in a different light and doingpositive things. I also cycle and collect Scotch whiskies.

Biggest regret: I played a bit too much basketball at uni-versity and didnt finish my degree the first time. But Idid go back to school later and finished it in 2000.

Travel opportunities: For us, doing overseas missions isjust an extension of what we do here, trying to make thecommunity better. My last tour was in East Timor. Theisolation was tough, and Im not sure if I want to gocamping again soon!

Skills needed: Interpersonal skills. You have to like peo-ple. Everybody makes mistakes, and we often see peo-ple at their worst, whether its a tragedy or a crime.

Least favourite part of job: The paperwork. But it is partof what happens when you supervise people. Theres gotto be a paper trail: youre accountable.

Work ethic: Our police work is not law enforcement, itspeacekeeping making sure the right thing is done at

the right time.

MY WORKING LIFE WORKING WORLD

accountable responsible for something and required to

[E(kaUntEb&l] explain your actions

diverse [daI(v:s] varied; with many differences

funeral [(fju:n&rEl] a ceremony that is held after someone has diedincident [(InsIdEnt] an unusual, often unpleasant event

jaded no longer interested in something because you

[(dZeIdId] have experienced too much of it

law enforcement the task of making sure that people respect

[(lO: In)fO:smEnt] the law

mounted police a special group of police officers who ride

[)maUntId pE(li:s] horses

paper trail documents showing that something has

[)peIpE (treI&l] been done

plain clothes: in ~ wearing ordinary clothes instead of a special

[)pleIn (klEUDz] uniform

refugee [)refju(dZi:] sb. who leaves a place to escape from danger

sawed-off shotgun a long gun that fires lots of small bullets that

[)sO:d Qf (SQtgVn] has been made shorter by cutting off the end

supervise sb. to be in charge of someone at work

[(su:pEvaIz]

JOHN BUIS

John Buis:peacekeeper andtop Mountie

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TIME FOR A CHANGE

n TEST APPLYING FOR A JOB

Do you need to write a job application in English? In this special test, you can find out whether you

know all the necessary terms and expressions. By CAROL SCHEUNEMANN and HILDEGARD RUDOLPH.

4

all levels

THE SITUATION:Penny James works as an

administrative assistant in

the production department of

Smithson Pumps in England.

She has decided its time to

ook for a new job. Lets join

her as she begins her search.

medium

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Penny: Ive found an interesting a) job ________ . But the company wants to get the

b) ________ by email. Will you help me to put my documents in digital form?Daniel: Sure. Is your c) ________ up to date?

Penny: Well, almost. I have to include my current d) _______ .

Daniel: What about former employers do you have any as e) _______ ?

Penny: Yes, three previous managers have written positive letters for me.

Daniel: Good. So lets scan those letters and make PDFs. And have you prepared a

standard f) covering _______ ?

Penny: Yes, but Ill have to adapt it to better match the g) job _______ .

Daniel: Good. Then, lets begin!

2.

1.

ad n application n CV n description n letter n position n referees

iStockphoto (2)

a) asap = _________________________

b) exec = _________________________

c) exp = _________________________

d) hols = _________________________

e) k = _________________________

f) neg. = _________________________

g) pa (p.a.)= _________________________

h) req = _________________________

i) sal = _________________________

j) yrs = _________________________

k) F/T = _________________________

Getting startedPenny is talking to her friend Daniel about creating digital documents to use when

applying for a job. Use the words from the box to complete the sentences.

Keeping it shortPenny and Daniel are familiar with most of the abbreviations found in job ads. Are you? Write the words in full

in the space provided.


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GLOBAL BUSINESS BUSINESS PRESS

BEHIND THE HEADLINESHeadlines in English-language media can be difficult to understand. They are often very idiomatic

and full of jargon and wordplay. Also, to save space, words may be left out, which makes it difficult to

recognize the grammatical structure. Here, we look at the meaning of some recent headlines. advanced

Can Euro Zones: Normally, one would write the EuroZones, but articles are often left out in headlines. Notethat the normal British spelling is eurozone. In typi-cal US headline style, all the words here start with a cap-ital letter.Word Be Its Bond: This is a reference to the Latin mot-to of the London Stock Exchange, dictum meumpactum, or my word is my bond. The idea is that anoral agreement is binding, even without a written agree-ment. The word bond here is also a reference to thesuggestion by the European Commission that the euro-zone countries should issue joint bonds, called stabil-ity bonds or euro bonds. The article questions, how-ever, whether the suggestion can be put into practice.In simple English: Are joint bonds for the eurozone arealistic option?The Economist

Financial Times

Metro

The Wall Street Journal

Blacks: Here, Blacks Leisure, Britains leading outdoorretailer.in the red: To be in the red means to be in debt orto make losses. Blacks Leisure was 36 million indebt at the time of the article, and so it had decided toput itself up for sale in order to try to save the business.Also, it made losses of 16 million in the first half of2011 and so it warned that its full-year performancewould be worse than had been expected.In simple English: The British retailing company BlacksLeisure is even more in debt than before.

Pain in the azzurri: This is a play on words. A personor situation that causes a lot of problems or is annoy-ing is referred to colloquially as a pain in the arse(US ass). The Italian word azzurri is the pluralform of azzurro, meaning light blue. This was theofficial colour of Italys monarchs until 1946 and thecolour worn by Italian sporting teams, such as itsfootball and rugby teams. The article is about Italyseconomic problems and how they were made worse bythe countrys prime minister at the time, Silvio Berlus-coni.In simple English: The problems in Italy are being madeworse by its annoying prime minister.

Keystone: This refers to the proposed Keystone XLoil pipeline, which would have run from Alberta inCanada to Texas in the US. The business sector andthe trade unions supported the project, but environ-mentalists were worried about the greenhouse gasesthat would be released by extracting gas from the tarsands in Alberta. Keystone was also a US film compa-ny, formed in 1912 and famous for its silent comedyfilms.cop-out: If you cop out of something, such as a de-cision, you avoid taking the responsibility for it. Here,cop-out is used as a noun. It refers to the fact thatthe US State Department, which had been investigatingthe pipeline proposal since 2008, put off a decisionat the end of 2011. (In early 2012, it rejected thepipeline.) Cop is also slang for a police officer, andthe Keystone Kops were the incompetent police inmany Keystone comedy films.In simple English: A difficult decision about the pro-

posed Keystone oil pipeline has been put off.

be in debt [)bi: In (det] to owe money

issue sth. [(ISu:] to make sth. officially available to buy

oral [(O:rEl] spoken, rather than written

pain in the arse something that makes people angry

[(peIn In Di )A:s] ifml. (arse = a persons bottom)

put off to delay, to cause to happen at a later date

retailer [(ri:teI&lE] a company that sells goods to people to use


9/16

Saying no to a business partner doesnt have to mean the end of a business relationship but

only if you say no in the right way, and at the right time. BOB DIGNEN explains how and highlights the

advantages and disadvantages of each approach. medium

BUSINESS SKILLS SAYING NO

Standing your ground keeping the same opinion or plan,even when sb. is trying to change it

approach [E(prEUtS] a way of doing something

challenge sth. [(tSlIndZ] to question whether something is

right or good

circumstances [(s:kEmstnsIz] the conditions that influence sth.

contradiction [)kQntrE(dIkS&n] here: the act of saying that something

someone said is wrong or not true

dumb [dVm] stupid

insight [(InsaIt] an understanding of something

reject sth. [ri(dZekt] to refuse to accept something

self-esteem [)self I(sti:m] belief and confidence in your own

abilities, character and talent

senior [(si:niE] in a higher-ranking position

sensitively [(sensEtIvli] without hurting peoples feelings

trigger sth. to cause sth. to happen or exist

win-win solution a solution that is good for everyone

STANDING YOUR GROUND

I agree with the idea in principle, but at the moment,the circumstances are not right.

I agree with the idea, but my boss wouldnt. I wasnt listening to what you said, and Im actually

disagreeing with something else. What you said is too threatening to my own identity

to accept at this point in my life. I am a senior manager with authority. Im angry. I know youre right, but please just listen to me. Yes.

Clearly, people use and interpret the word no in verydifferent ways. For the speaker, it may just be a simplecontradiction, an attempt to correct a misunderstand-ing of facts. Listeners, however, often hear a personal at-tack, triggering emotions that start a destructive, aggres-sive and defensive cycle.

2. How saying no can help us

It is important to understand the psychological dimen-sions of saying no. It can connect deeply to our ideas ofprofessionalism and self-esteem. This means that nohas to be articulated sensitively, in the right way and atthe right time. Otherwise, its benefits may be lost, anda conversation may turn into an interpersonal conflict.Because the point is that there are real bene-fits to saying no, to disagreeing with, resistingand rejecting what others are proposing. Thethoughtful and strategic use of the word nocan deliver real advantages:

a) No forces us to rethink things. The greatthing about disagreement is that it can supportcritical thinking, particularly in groups orteams. It can force further reflection, whichleads to more thoughtful arguments, alterna-tive points of view and fresh insights. For tru-ly creative thinking, we need to challengeideas that at first seem logical and plausible. Saying nocan release a diversity of perspectives and help us to findcreative solutions.

b) It helps us to set goals. Many people are overloadedand overstressed at work. Effective time management is

essential, both for setting the right goals and achieving

2/201238 www.business-spotlight.com

Much of the literature on international com-munication focuses on the need to buildconsensus and find win-win solutions.But this is only part of the story in the realworld. Sometimes, it is essential to be able

to say no to managers, colleagues and customers.In this article, we investigate the art of disagreeing and

of rejecting requests. We also look at some of the dif-ferent approaches to saying no. Before you read on,think about the following questions. Then, as you readthe article, compare your ideas with ours:

What are the risks of saying no? How can saying no help us to achieve goals

more effectively?

What are the different ways of saying no?

1. The risks of saying no

What exactly does no mean? That may seem like adumb question but, like many dumb questions, it givesus important insights. Once you start thinking about it,the list of possible answers becomes very long and veryinteresting. Below are some possible meanings of no.You may be able to think of even more:

I disagree with that idea 100 per cent. I dont respect you, your ideas or your culture. I partly agree, but lets have more of a discussion

about this.

4


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www.business-spotlight.com/plus

Practice makes perfect!And theres no easier way to practise than with Business Spotlightplus.

Business Spotlight plus is a bimonthly workbook based onthe articles in our magazine. Inside, youll find:

20 pages of motivating exercises

grammar, business vocabulary, everyday language and culture

and a test to check your progress

Together, our magazine and Business Spotlight plus offer you theperfect self-study material. Published six times a year.

You can order Business Spotlight plus here:

Availablefor

everyissueof

BusinessS

potlight

Internation

al
http://www.business-spotlight.com/plushttp://www.business-spotlight.com/plus


11/16


cradle [(kreId&l] a bed for a baby; here: a structure shaped like a cradle

damper a piece of equipment that stops a movement from being

too strong

designer [di(zaInE] someone who plans how something will look and work

diamond jubilee here: the date 60 years after the queen came to the[)daIEmEnd (dZu:bIli:] throne

dismantle sth. [dIs(mnt&l] to divide something into its separate parts

embarrassing [Im(brEsIN] making you feel ashamed

fit sth. to sth. to add sth. to sth. else by attaching it

fix a solution

harmonic absorber a piece of equipment that stops a movement from being

[hA:)mQnIk Eb(zO:bE] too strong

microbubble small bubbles used as a contrast agent for ultrasound

[(maIkrEU)bVb&l] imaging

scale the size or level of something

strut [strVt] a piece of metal or wood that is used to support part of a

structure

sunken [(sVNkEn] lower than the level of the surrounding land

ultrasound imaging a method used in medicine to examine the inside of

[)VltrEsaUnd (ImIdZIN] a persons body

wobbly [(wQbli] not stable, moving from side to side

It was a symbolic moment whenQueen Elizabeth II officially openedTate Modern, a gallery for interna-tional modern art, in Londonon 11 May 2000. The old BanksidePower Station, which used to sup-ply energy to British industry, wasnow the home of works by Picasso,Warhol, Matisse and Dal.

A month later, Queen Elizabethwas back on Bankside to officiallyopen the Millennium Bridge, thefirst new Thames crossing in morethan 100 years. Around 90,000people used the bridge on 10 June,and as the crowds walked betweenSt Pauls Cathedral and Tate Mod-ern, they noticed something unusu-al: the 370-metre-long steel struc-ture was vibrating.

All bridge builders plan for vi-bration caused by traffic or wind,but the designers of the MillenniumBridge were not prepared for thescale of the sideways movements,caused by so many people walkingacross the Thames. Two days afterit opened, the Millennium Bridgehad to be closed. And the wobblybridge, as Londoners named it,stayed closed for an embarrassing,expensive two years.

that can convert waves into cleanenergy. Cameron said that Britainseemed to have forgotten the con-tribution of engineers to society; asa result, too few young people nowsee it as an attractive career option.

This is the country that gave theworld the Industrial Revolution.Our engineering changed the world.And its not just part of our past.We are very good at it today.

As an example of what British en-gineers can do, Cameron mentionedthe Olympic Stadium in East Lon-don. This extraordinary structure isa sunken bowl surrounded by acradle of struts that will seat 80,000people during the Olympic Games.The entire cradle can be dismantledafter the Games, leaving a smaller,25,000-seat arena in the bowl.

The engineering work was carriedout by Buro Happold, which ismore British than it sounds. Thefirm was founded by Sir EdmundHappold and has its head office ina very British city: Bath. On 27July, the London 2012 OlympicGames will be declared open byQueen Elizabeth.

EAMONN FITZGERALD is a technology jour-nalist and social media consultant based inGermany. Contact: [email protected]

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING TECHNOLOGY

Two days after it opened, the Millennium Bridge hadto be closed. An engineering fix was needed

EAMONN FITZGERALD ON THE LATEST TRENDS advanced

An engineering fix was needed,and 89 dampers, also known asharmonic absorbers, were fittedto the bridge to control its horizon-tal and vertical movements. On 22February 2002, the MillenniumBridge reopened and it hasnt wob-bled worryingly since.

February and June, then, are keymonths in the history of this struc-ture. They are also importantmonths in the life of the queen. On6 February 1952, Elizabeth Alexan-dra Mary of the House of Windsorbecame Queen Elizabeth II. And tocelebrate the royal diamond jubileeand the queens 86th birthday,Britain is throwing a four-day par-ty in June. Among the highlightswill be a parade of 1,000 boats onthe Thames. A million people areexpected to watch from the river-bank.

The prime minister, DavidCameron, announced an additionaldiamond-jubilee event, at LondonsScience Museum: the Queen Eliza-beth Prize for Engineering. Thisglobal award is worth 1 million. Itis open to individuals or smallteams working on anything fromthe microbubbles used in ultra-sound imaging to giant sea turbines

The troubledbridge overLondons water

iStockphoto

BSI
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12/16

Roddy looked at the silver object in his hand. It was heavy

and powerful. He hoped that he could do this quickly

and that he would feel nothing. He looked for one last

time at his familiar reflection in the mirror and lifted the ob-

ject to his head, hand shaking then put it down again,

breathing fast.

But he knew he had to do it. He, Roddy Baldwin, junior

librarian from the British Library in London, had been sent

to work in the Department of European Library Institutions

(DELI, for short) in Brussels. What he needed now was to

win a competition against his colleagues from the other na-

tional libraries of the European Union. Again, he raised the

electric hair clippers to his head and, this time, began to

shave off his hair.

The competition had started a month earlier, when the head

of the department, Mr van Groop, informed them that the Eu-

ropean Commission wanted to make a film about DELIs work.

The film team would focus on one person in the department

and follow him or her around for a week.

What kind of person are they looking for, Mr van Groop?

asked Roddy.

Oh, somebody to make libraries look exciting and fun, I

believe. Ill make a recommendation to them next month

when they visit, he replied before continuing the meeting.

During the coffee break, they all laughed at the idea.

Fun? said Florian, an authority on medieval manuscripts

from the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. There are more serious

things to focus on in Europe today, no? Everybody agreed

then they all went home and began plotting how to win this

competition.

Bjrn, a document-storage expert from the National Library

of Sweden in Stockholm, used a scientific method. He spent

a weekend analysing videos produced by the Commission and

made a list of the most frequent character types. On Monday,

it was clear that something awful had happened to him. His

cool Scandinavian suits, open-necked white shirts and quiet

intellectual personality had been replaced by something

much more colourful. That evening, Roddy took him to a near-

by pub for a drink.

Well, yes, thank you kindly, Bjrn said, slapping him on

the back. I dont mind if I do. Ill have a pint of Guinness,

that I will! As they stood at the bar waiting for their drinks,

Bjrn loosened his emerald-green tie, which was covered in

little gold harps. Sure, Roddy, and its a fine man you are,

Bjrn continued when the drinks arrived. He looked around

and said in a cheerful voice: Do you think we might have a

sing-song in here later?

Bjrn, said Roddy, you dont like Guinness, you never

sing and you are wearing a truly ugly tie. Why are you pre-

tending to be Irish? You arent even any good at it!


LANGUAGE SHORT STORY

VIDEO GAMES

Looking tough:but sometimesyou cant

judge a bookby its cover

Libraries can be exciting and fun! At

least, this is the new image a film team

is trying to create. But who is the best

person to play the starring role? By

JAMES SCHOFIELD

DigitalVision


13/16


medium

bald head [)bO:ld (hed] a head with little or no hair on it

consultant [kEn(sVltEnt] someone who gives expert advice on a

particular subject

cute [kju:t] attractive, often in a sexual way

document storage the job of keeping documents in a

[(dQkjumEnt )stO:rIdZ] special place where they can be found

again when needed

emerald green [(em&rEld] bright green

go pink to become red in the face

hair clippers a tool for cutting your hair

harp a large triangular musical instrument

with many strings stretched over a frame

I dont mind if I do (expression) used to say that you accept[)aI dEUnt )maInd If aI (du:] something you have been offered

junior librarian someone who works in a place where

[)dZu:niE laI(breEriEn] people can borrow books and who does

not have a lot of responsibility in this job

medieval [)medi(i:v&l] relating to the period in Europe roughly

between the years 1000 and 1500

open-necked [)EUpEn (nekt] with the top button not closed

plot sth. to make a secret plan

rover [(rEUvE] someone who travels around without a

purpose

slap sb. on the back to hit someone on the back in a

friendly way

tie [taI] a long, narrow piece of material that

men wear around the neck, over a shirt

tough [tVf] physically and emotionally strong

JAMES SCHOFIELD teaches business English atSiemens. He is co-author of the Double Dealingse-ries and has published several business short stories.His most recent one is Double Trouble(Summertown).Contact: [email protected]

Bjrn looked around to see if anybody was listening. Ive

done my homework, he whispered. The Irish have total

control of the European Commission 78 per cent of all

people interviewed in the 289 videos I watched are Irish! So,

my chances of being the star of this video are statistically

much better if I act Irish, too. Slainte!

Roddy shook his head sadly, drank his beer and wenthome. As he left, Bjrn was singing The Wild Rover.

And so it continued: Florian grew a little consultants beard

under his bottom lip and invested in a smartphone; Petra,

from the National Library in Helsinki, began wearing make-

up, contact lenses and shorter skirts; only Roddy couldnt

find a new image until one evening at the cinema, when

he saw Bruce Willis.

Yes! he thought. That should be the new look for librari-

ans! Tough, sexy and definitely exciting. The next morning,

Roddy shaved off his hair.

He arrived slightly late for the ten oclock department

meeting, and the people from the film company had gone out

to get coffee. His colleagues were already sitting in the meet-

ing room. Roddys bald head caused a sensation. And to his

surprise, they suddenly all seemed to believe he would win

the video role.

Wow! said Florian. We dont have a chance!

Yeah! added Bjrn, as he took off his green tie. No

chance!

The Bruce Willis look brilliant! Hes..., started Petra.

Well, well! said Mr van Groop as he entered the room,

followed by two strangers, a man and a woman. This is why

you are called Roddy BALDwin, yes?

Everybody laughed politely.

But please, continued Mr van Groop. My guests, he

waved his hand at the people who were clearly from the film

company are here to select our star, and so we...

Competitionrefers to an activity in which peo-

ple try to win a prize, or be in first place. This

is also called a contest, and the people who

take part are contestants. In business,

competition generally refers to rivalry in a

particular market: Flat-screen producers

have strong competition from Korea. Rivals

are called competitors: We introduced

voice technology before our competitors did.

(See Executive Eye, page 63.)

A sing-song (UK) is an informal gathering in

which people sing traditional or popular songs

for fun.

Slainte! [(slA:ntS] is what people in Ireland

and Scotland say when they raise their glass

to drink. Slainte means health. The Eng-

lish expression is Cheers!.

The guests had been whispering to each other, but then the

woman leaned forward, looked at Roddy and said:

You. Youve got just the right look for the central charac-

ter. Even your names great.

Roddy went pink with pleasure. They were talking about

him tough, sexy and exciting!

Thank you, said Roddy. Thats wonderful. But Id like

to suggest another name for my character in the video.

Lets hear it.

Well, what about Bruce?

Like Bruce Willis! began Petra again. Hes so

Bruce..., the woman said slowly. Bruce. Yes, that

could work. Bruce the Bookworm!

There was a moments silence. Florian, Bjrn and Petra

seemed to stop breathing.

Bruce the... the... who? asked Roddy quietly.

Bruce the Bookworm, she answered. I was telling your

colleagues just before you arrived. This video is for children,

so we need somebody fun and friendly. We have this bright

red worm costume made out of latex and with your whole

head painted red, I think youre going to look really...

Cute, said Petra. Just like Bruce Willis.

The new look for

librarians should be tough,

sexy and exciting

Language

point

BSI
http://www.business-spotlight.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.business-spotlight.com/mailto:[email protected]


14/16

Is there ever an ideal time to start a business? Surprisingly,a recession can provide excellent opportunities to launch anew company. Its a time when many existing firms are going

out of business, money lenders are seeking entrepreneurs

with ambitions and strong qualifications, and governments

may be offering generous financial support in an effort to get

the economy moving again. One key tip for a successful

start-up is to get in while the going is good.

Of course, starting a business requires a certain way of

thinking. Only those with energy and confidence, a desire to

try something new and the ability to stick with it are likely

to succeed. A large percentage of new businesses do fail,

but the statistics are not as discouraging as they may seem.

According to the US governments Small Business

Administration (SBA), seven out of ten new companies exist

at least two years and 51 per cent at least five years.

Having a good idea for a product or service is the essen-

tial first step, but it is important to learn as much as possi-

ble about your potential market. Will there be enough

demand for the product, and who might also be selling

something similar? Has someone else had the same idea

already? Talking with potential customers and gathering

facts and statistics online will provide the needed informa-

tion and help in developing a marketing strategy.

This information will be included in the business plan, a

detailed description of business goals that also includes

financial details, such as cash-flow analysis and an esti-

mated break-even point. A good business plan is essential in

the process of getting money to finance the idea, whether

you are trying to borrow money from the bank, are hoping to

attract venture capital (VC) or are pitching the idea to a so-

called business angel. Once financing has been acquired,

the chances of a start-up succeeding can be improved by

using the services of a business incubator a support pro-

gramme that can shorten the time it takes to get the com-

panys products or services to market.

However, entrepreneurs should always know what their

alternatives are and have an exit strategy ready. Its not

enough to create a business worth a fortune there should

also be a means of getting the money back out again if the

situation changes. The commonest way of doing this is to

sell the business to someone else. One key tip here is: get

out while youre ahead!

START-UPS The first step to a successful business is a good idea.But what else do you need to start a new business?

TOM SMITH has some answers.


LANGUAGE ENGLISH FOR...

QUIZ: Business basicsChoose the correct answer for each question.

a) Which is the best country to do business in?

1. New Zealand 2. US 3. Singapore

b) Sir James Dyson is famous for vacuum cleaners. What

was his first invention? A new type of...

1. clock radio 2. wheelbarrow 3. aquariumc) What percentage of new businesses in the US have no

employees?

1. 25 2. 50 3. 75

d) In which BBC TV show do entrepreneurs pitch their

ideas to investors?

1. Money Tigers 2. Shark Tank 3. Dragons Den

e) What gives you exclusive legal rights to published or

recorded material?

1. patent 2. copyright 3. licence

break-even point the stage in business when income equals

[)breIk (i:v&n pOInt] costs

business incubator a company that helps people to start

[(bIznEs )INkjubeItE] a business

entrepreneur someone who starts or runs a business, espe-

[)QntrEprE(n:] cially one that involves taking financial risks

exit strategy a plan for ending your involvement in a

[(eksIt )strtEdZi] business

get in while the going to start doing something while the opportunityis good lasts

get out while youre to end your involvement in something at the

ahead right time (while you are still successful)

launch sth. [lO:ntS] to start sth., such as a business or project

pitch sth. [pItS] to try to sell sth. by saying how good it is

start-up [(stA:t Vp] a new business

venture capital (VC) money invested in a new type of business

[(ventSE )kpIt&l] that is considered to be very risky

Answers on page 83

Entrepreneurs wantedPixland

TOM SMITH is a language consultant and business

English materials writer living in southern Germany.

He is co-author of Business Proficiency (Klett).

Contact:www.executive-english.biz
http://www.business-spotlight.com/http://www.executive-english.biz/http://www.executive-english.biz/http://www.business-spotlight.com/http://www.executive-english.biz/


15/16


Strategy and growthacquisition [)kwI(zIS&n] the buying or obtaining of a company

business plan a written document that states a com-

panys goals and how to reach them

competitive advantage something that helps a company to be

[kEm)petEtIv Ed(vA:ntIdZ] more successful than others

exit plan/strategy a plan for ending your involvement in a

[(eksIt )pln/)strtEdZi] business

feasibility study a detailed examination of a new project[fi:zE(bIlEti )stVdi] to decide if it is likely to be successful

going concern a business that is expected to continue

[)gEUIN kEn(s:n] to make a profit

patent application a formal request for the legal rights to

[(peItEnt plI)keIS&n] sth. that has never been made before

pitch (sth.) to try to sell something by saying how

good it is

plough back profits to reinvest the money you have earned

[)plaU bk (prQfIts]

product life cycle (in marketing) the four stages of the

[)prQdVkt (laIf )saIk&l] typical sales process of a product:

introduction, growth, maturity, decline

risk analysis the process of identifying risks and

[(rIsk E)nlEsIs] developing ways of dealing with them

start-up [(stA:t Vp] a new business

Financingassets [(sets] everything of value that a person or

company owns

break-even point the stage in business when income

[)breIk (i:v&n pOInt] equals costs

budget projection a statement or calculation of how

[(bVdZIt prE)dZekS&n] much money you will need and have

available in the future

capital injection an investment made when a company[(kpIt&l In)dZekS&n] is in urgent need of extra cash

cash flow [(kS flEU] the movement of money into and out

of a business

collateral [kE(lt&rEl] sth. of value that you promise to give a

creditor if you cannot pay back money

you have borrowed

debt [det] money that is owed

equity [(ekwEti] the money a company gets by selling

shares

expenditure [Ik(spendItSE] the amount of money spent

funding [(fVndIN] money provided for a particular pur-

pose

liabilities [)laIE(bIlEtiz] the amount of money a company or

person owes

overdraft facility an agreement with your bank that

[(EUvEdrA:ft fE)sIlEti] allows you to spend money when youhave no money in your account

raise capital to collect money that you need to start

[)reIz (kpIt&l] or run a business

savings [seIvINz] money that you have saved, not spent

seed capital/funding money invested at the start of a project

[(si:d )kpIt&l/)fVndIN] or company

venture capital (VC) money invested in a new type of busi-

[(ventSE )kpIt&l] ness that is considered to be very risky

working capital money that is needed for the day-to-

[(w:kIN )kpIt&l] day operations of a business

Marketing and salesdemand for sth. the need or desire for a product or

[di(mA:nd fO:] servicegap in the market an area of business in which few or no

[)gp In DE (mA:kIt] companies operate but where profits

can be made

niche market a specialized area of industry that sells

[(ni:S )mA:kIt] a particular product or service wanted

by a small number of people

target market the people to whom a company is

[(tA:gIt )mA:kIt] trying to sell its products or services

unique selling proposition a feature of a product or service that

(USP) [ju)ni:k (selIN makes it different from all others

prQpE)zIS&n]

For more information

Company structurescooperative a business owned in equal parts by the

[kEU(QpErEtIv] people who work for it

flotation / initial public the process of offering a companys

offering (IPO) shares for sale for the first time

go public (of a private company) to offer shares

to the public for the first time

incorporated (Inc.) US an official company with legal status

limited company (Ltd) a company whose owners are responsi-

[)lImItId (kVmpEni] UK ble for paying only a limited amount of

the companys debt

partnership a business owned by a group of profes-

sional people who work together

self-employment the state of working for yourself and

[)self Im(plOImEnt] not for an employer

sleeping partner someone who has invested money in a

company and shares in its profits but

does not work in the company

small and medium-sized businesses that do not have more

enterprises (SMEs) than 500 employees, often family-run

sole trader [)sEUl (treIdE] a person who owns a business and is

the only person who is legally responsi-

ble for it

The vocabulary list below is in British English unless otherwise marked.

BOOKS

The Financial Times Guide to Business Start Up 2012, Sara

Williams (Financial Times / Prentice Hall)

Oxford Dictionary of Business and Management, Jonathan

Law (ed.) (Oxford University Press)

Starting Your Own Online Business, Kim Benjamin (Crimson

Publishing)

WEBSITES

Business Link: www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home

startups: www.startups.co.uk

The US Small Business Administration: www.sba.gov

medium

Peoplebusiness angel a private person who invests money in

[(bIznEs )eIndZ&l] a new business

consultant [kEn(sVltEnt] someone who gives expert advice on a

particular subject

creditor [(kredItE] a person, bank or company to whom

money is owed

entrepreneur someone who starts or runs a business,

[)QntrEprE(n:] especially one that involves taking

financial risks

loan shark [(lEUn SA:k] someone who lends money, but charges

high interest rates, often illegally

serial entrepreneur someone who starts one business after

[)sIEriEl )QntrEprE(n:] another

tax adviser a financial expert who gives others

[(tks Ed)vaIzE] formal advice on tax matters

Find exercises on this topic in Business Spotlight plusplus
http://www.business-spotlight.com/http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/homehttp://www.startups.co.uk/http://www.sba.gov/http://www.business-spotlight.com/plushttp://www.business-spotlight.com/plushttp://www.business-spotlight.com/plushttp://www.business-spotlight.com/plushttp://www.business-spotlight.com/http://www.sba.gov/http://www.startups.co.uk/http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home


16/16

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