Shift in Person

Here again, the goal is to be clear and consistent. This time, however, the aim is to establish a steady, reliable point of view. Doing so helps the reader understand where the two of you stand in relation to the subject, and generally helps build a strong writer/reader relationship.

Change:	Helga is my best friend. She won't let a person down. You can always count on her to be there when you need help.
to:	Helga is my best friend. She won't let me down. I can always count on her to be there when I need help.

... the aim is to establish a steady, reliable point of view.

The writer is probably talking about her own relationship with Helga, not the reader's. Keeping point of view consistent in all three sentences makes that clear.

For our purposes, the main points of view from which to choose correspond to the persons on the Person/Number Chart. Thus, writing based on the first person singular point of view uses "I" and "me" as its foundation, while writing based on the third person plural would use "they" and "them."

First person singular: This point of view is often effective for informal writing, especially for writing about your personal interests and experiences. It draws attention to the writer, which may or may not be a good thing.

I have always enjoyed crocheting for the relaxation it provides me.

Telephone

Making contact :	Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon ... This is John Brown speaking Could I speak to ......... please? I'd like to speak to ..... ..... I'm trying to contact ..........
Giving more information:	I'm calling from Tokyo / Paris / New York / Sydney ... I'm calling on behalf of Mr. X ...
Taking a call :	X speaking. Can I help you?
Asking for a name / information :	Who's calling please? Who's speaking? Where are you calling from? Are you sure you have the right number / name?
Asking the caller to wait :	Hold the line please. Could you hold on please? Just a moment please.
Connecting :	Thank you for holding. The line's free now ... I'll put you through. I'll connect you now  / I'm connecting you now.
Giving negative information :	I'm afraid the line's engaged. Could you call back later? I'm afraid he's in a meeting at the moment. I'm sorry. He's out of the office today. / He isn't in at the moment. I'm afraid we don't have a Mr./Mrs./Ms/Miss. ... here I'm sorry.  There's nobody here by that name. Sorry.  I think you've dialled the wrong number./ I'm afraid you've got the wrong number.
Telephone problems :	The line is very bad ...  Could you speak up please? Could you repeat that please? I'm afraid I can't hear you. Sorry. I didn't catch that.  Could you say it again please?
Leaving / Taking a message :	Can I leave / take a message? Would you like to leave a message? Could you give him/her a message? Could you ask him/her to call me back? Could you tell him/her that I called? Could you give me your name please? Could you spell that please? What's your number please?

Presentations

Preparation is essential for an effective presentation.

When giving a presentation, certain keywords are used to signpost the different stages.

It's a good idea to memorise them and practise using them, 

so that they come to mind easily during a presentation.

Starting the presentation	Good morning/Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen • The topic of my presentation today is ... • What I'm going to talk about today is ...
Why you are giving this presentation	• The purpose of this presentation is ... • This is important because ... • My objective is to ...
Stating the main points	• The main points I will be talking about are : ◊ Firstly, ◊ Secondly,  ◊ Next, ◊ Finally ... we're going to look at ...
Introducing the first point	• Let's start / begin with ...
Showing graphics, transparencies, slides, etc.	•  I'd like to illustrate this by showing you ...
Moving to the next point	• Now let's move on to ...
Giving more details	• I'd like to expand on this aspect/problem/point ... • Let me elaborate on that. • Would you like me to expand on/elaborate on that?
Changing to a different topic	• I'd like to turn to something completely different ...
Referring to something which is off the topic	• I'd like to digress here for a moment and just mention ...
Referring back to an earlier point	• Let me go back to what I said earlier about ...
Summing up or repeating the main points	• I'd like to recap the main points of my presentation: ◊ First I covered ...  ◊ Then we talked about ... ◊ Finally we looked at ...  • I'd now like to sum up the main points which were : ◊ First ...  ◊ Second,  ◊ Third,
Conclusion	• I'm going to conclude by ... ◊ First ...  ◊ Second,  ◊ Third,  • In conclusion, let me ... ◊ First ...  ◊ Second,  ◊ Third,
Questions	• Now I'd like to invite any questions you may have. • Do you have any questions?

Negotiations

Word	Meaning
agent	Person or company that acts for another and provides a specified service.
agreement	Arrangement between two or more people or companies.
bargain price	Reduced price
bedrock price	Lowest possible price.
commitment	Engagement or undertaking;  to commit oneself.
compromise	Each party gives up certain demands in order to reach an agreement.
condition	A stipulation or requirement which must be fulfilled.
contract	Written agreement between two or more parties.
counter-offer	Offer made in response to an offer by the other party.
counter-productive	Having the opposite effect to that intended.
deal	A business transaction.
discount	Reduction in price.
estimate	Approximate calculation of the cost.
facilities	Equipment (e.g. parking facilities).
feasible	Possible, something that can be done.
figure out	Find a solution;  estimate the cost.
know-how	Practical knowledge or skill.
joint venture	A way of entering a foreign market by joining with a foreign company to manufacture or market a product or service.
negotiate	Discuss a business deal  in order to reach an agreement.
point out	Draw attention to something (e.g. the advantages of your proposal).
proposal	Course of action, or plan, put forward for consideration; to make a proposal.
quote	Give an estimated price (a quotation).
range	A selection of products sold by a company.
rebate	Reduction or discount.
supply	Provide customers with goods or services.
supplier	Person or company that supplies goods or services.
tender	A written offer to execute work or supply goods at a fixed price
turnkey	Equipment ready for use or operation (e.g. a plant or factory).
underestimate	Make too low an estimate of something (cost, danger, difficulty).
work out	Calculate (e.g. price of something); find a solution.

Money - Finance

Word	Meaning
A.T.M.	Automated Teller Machine;  cash dispenser
banknote	Piece of paper money.
bitcoin	Digital currency which allows payments to be sent from one party to another without going through a financial institution.
borrow	Obtain money which must be returned.
broke  (to be)	To have no money.
budget	Amount of money available or needed for a specific use.
cash	Coins or bank notes (not cheques);  actual money paid, not credit.
cash dispenser	Automatic machine from which a bank customer can withdraw money.
cashier	A person dealing with cash transactions in a bank, shop, etc.
cheque / check	Written order to a pay the stated amount from one's account.
coin	A piece of metal used as money.
currency	The money used in a country.
debt	Money owed by one person to another.
deposit	Sum  or money payable as a first instalment on a purchase; Money placed in an account in a bank.
donate	Givie money, especially to charity;  make a donation.
exchange rate	The rate at which one currency can be exchanged for another.
fee	Payment made to a professional person (doctor, lawyer, etc.).
interest	Money paid for borrowing or investing money.
invest	To put  into a business, property, etc. in order to earn interest or profit.
legal tender	Currency that cannot legally be refused as payment.
lend	Give or allow the use of money which must be returned, usually with interest.
loan	Sum of money to be returned with interest.
owe	To be in debt to someone;  to owe money to somebody.
petty cash	Small amount of cash available for everyday expenses.
receipt	Written statement that money has been paid.
refund	Pay back money received;  reimburse.
tip	Small sum of money given to a waiter, taxi driver, tec.
withdraw	Take money from a bank account.

Meetings

Word	Meaning
A.G.M.	Annual General Meeting
absentee	Person not at the meeting, not present.
agenda	Written list of points to be discussed at a meeting.
alternative	Choice of two or more possibilities.
attendee	Participant or person attending a meeting.
ballot	System of secret voting; voters place their ballot-papers in a ballot-box;
casting vote	Deciding vote, usually by the Chairman, when votes are in equal number.
chairman / chairperson	The person who conducts the meeting.
clarify	Make something clearer by giving more information.
conference	Formal meeting for discussion or exchange of views.
conference call	Telephone call between three or more people in different places.
consensus	General agreement.
deadline	Future date at which something must be done.
decision	Reach a conclusion or resolution concerning future action.
i-conference	A meeting or discussion between two or more people via the internet.
interrupt	Stop a person who is speaking in order to say or do something.
item	A separate point for discussion on an agenda.
main point	What is most essential.
minutes	A written summary of the proceedings at a meeting.
objective	What is aimed at, what one wants to achieve or obtain.
point out	Draw attention to something e.g. point out an increase in demand.
proposal	A course of action put forward for consideration; to make a proposal.
proxy vote	A vote cast by one person for another.
recommend	Advise a course of action;  make a recommendation.
show of hands	Raised hands to express agreement or disagreement in a vote.
summary	A brief statement of the main points.
task	A piece of work to be done;  to assign a task to someone.
unanimous	In complete agreement.
video conference	Conference linking people in different locations by satellite, TV, etc.
vote	Express one's agreement or disagreement;  to cast a vote.

Marketing - Sales

Word	Meaning
after sales service	Service that continues after the sale of a product (maintenance, etc.)
agent	Person or company that acts for another and provides a specified service.
B2B e-commerce	Business to business e-commerce : use of commercial networks, online product catalogues and other online resources to obtain better prices and reach new customers.
B2C e-commerce	Business to consumer e-commerce : online sale of goods and services directly to consumers.
benchmarking	Comparing one's products to those of  competitors in order to improve quality and performance.
buyer	1) Any person who makes a purchase. 2) A person employed to choose and buy stock for a company.
cash refund offer	Offer to pay back part of the purchase price of a product to customers who send a "proof of purchase" to the manufacturer.
chain store	Two or more shops or outlets that have the same owner and sell similar lines of merchandise.
client	A person who buys services or advice from a lawyer, an accountant or other professional.
close	Finalize a sale or deal.
convenience store	Small shop located near a residential area that opens long hours, seven days a week.
coupon	Certificate that gives customers a saving when they purchase a specific product.
deal	A business transaction.
department store	A large shop or store that carries a wide variety of product lines.
direct investment	Entering a foreign market by setting up assembly or manufacturing facilities in that country.
discount	A reduction in price.
e-commerce	Buying and selling by electronic means, primarily on the internet.
e-marketing	Promotion of products and services over the internet.
extranet	Network that connects a company with its suppliers and distributors
follow-up	Maintain contact after the sale to ensure customer satisfaction.
franchise	Association between a manufacturer or wholesaler (franchiser) and an independent business person (franchisee) who buys the right to own and operate a unit in the franchise system.
guarantee	A promise that product will be repaired or replaced if faulty.
intranet	A network that connects people to each other within a company.
joint venture	A way of entering a foreign market by joining with a foreign company to manufacture or market a product or service.
market leader	The company with the largest market share in an industry.
mark up	Percentage of the price added to the cost to reach a selling price.
opinion leader	Person with a reference, who, because of competence, knowledge, or other characteristics, exerts influence on others.
packaging	Designing and producing the container or wrapper for a product.
product line	A group of products that are closely related.
prospect	A potential customer.
representative	A person who represents and sells for a company.
retail	To sell in small quantities, as in a shop, directly to customers.
shopping centre	Group of shops developed and managed as a unit.
telephone marketing	Using the telephone to sell directly to customers.
trade fair	An exhibition at which companies in a specific industry can show or demonstrate their products.
viral marketing	The internet version of word-of-mouth marketing - email messages that customers pass on to friends.
wholesale	To sell goods and services to those buying for resale (e.g. a shop) or for business use.

Investments - Stock Market

Bid	The price a buyer is willing to offer for shares in a company.
Blue Chip Stocks	Stocks of leading companies with a reputation for stable growth and earnings.
Bond	Certificate issued by companies and governments to their lenders.
Capital	Money and other property of companies used in transacting the business.
Capital stock	All shares representing ownership of a company.
Commodities	Products such as agricultural products and natural resources (wood, oil and metals) that are traded on a separate, authorized commodities exchange.
Dividend	A portion of a  company's earnings which is paid to the shareholders/stockholders on a quarterly or annual basis.
Equity	The value of stocks and shares;  the net value of mortgaged property.
Equities	Stocks and shares which represent a portion of the capital of a company.
Futures	Contracts to buy or sell securities at a future date.
Insider	All those who have access to inside information concerning the company.
Insider dealing / trading	Buying or selling with the help of information known only to those connected with the business.
IPO	Initial Public Offering - selling part of a company on the stock market.
Issue	Put into circulation a number of a company's shares for sale.
Liabilities	The debts and obligations of a company or an individual.
Mortgage	Agreement by which a bank or building society lends money for the purchase of property, such as a  house or apartment.  The property is the security for the loan.
Mutual fund	Savings fund that uses cash from a pool of savers to buy securities such as stock, bonds or real estate.
Option	The right to buy and sell certain securities at a specified price and period of time.
Par value	Nominal face value.
Penny stock	Shares selling at less than $1 a share.
Portfolio	Various types of securities held by an individual or institution.
Securities	Transferable certificates showing ownership of stocks, bonds, shares, options, etc.
Share	The capital of a company is divided into shares which entitle the owner, or shareholder, to a proportion of the profits.
Share certificate	Certificate representing the number of shares owned by an investor.
Shareholder	Owner of shares.
Speculator	Someone who buys and sells stocks and shares in the hope of making a profit through changes in their value.
Stock	Shares (portion of the capital of a business company) held by an investor.
Stockbroker	A licensed professional who buys and sells stocks and shares for clients in exchange for a fee called a 'commission'.
Stockholder	Person who owns stocks and shares.
Trader	Investor who holds stocks and securities for a short time (minutes, hours or days) with the objective of making profit from short-term gains in the market.  Investment is generally based on stock price rather than on an evaluation of the company.
Trading session	Period during which the Stock Exchange is open for trading.
Venture capital	Money raised by companies to finance new ventures in exchange for percentage ownership.
Yield	Return on investment shown as a percentage.

Interview Questions

Before the interview :

• Prepare and practise giving responses to the questions without trying to memorise them.
• Find out as much as possible about the company as well as the position you are interested in.
• Remember to take an extra copy of your CV/résumé with you so that the employer can refer to it.

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1	Tell me about yourself.
2	How would you describe yourself? (character / personality)
3	Are you married?  Single?  Do you have partner?
4	What are your strengths / weaknesses?
5	What do you do in your free time? What are your hobbies?  /  Do you have any hobbies?
6	Why are you interested in working for our company? Why do you want to work for this company?
7	What type of position do you think you are suited for / would suit you?
8	How would you describe the position we have to offer?
9	What aspects of the position are you most / least interested in?
10	What would you like to find in this job that you didn't have in your previous job?
11	How do you think you could develop the position? What would be your strategy to develop the position?
12	What have you got to offer us? What could you contribute to our company?
13	What do you think you gained by working in your last job?
14	What were you responsible for? What did your job involve?
15	What do you think of your (last) boss?
16	Why do you want to leave your present job? Why do you want to change jobs?
17	What are your salary requirements? How much would you hope to earn in this position? How much do you think you should be offered for this position? What salary would you expect (to be offered) for this position?
18	Have you received any offers of a job?
19	Why have you had to look for a job for so long? Why have you been looking for a job for so long? Why did it take you so long to find a new job?
20	How do your feel about your future in the profession?
21	Have you had any failures?  What failures have you had? Have you had any negative experiences?
22	What sort of obstacles have you come across / encountered in your work?
23	If you had to recruit colleagues, what qualities would you look for?
24	Would you be willing to relocate/to move to another part of the country/to work abroad?
25	Don't you think you have too much experience / you are over-qualified for this job?
26	How long do you think you would stay with us? If we offered you this job, how long would you expect to stay with us?
27	Which do you prefer : to work alone or in a team? Do you prefer working alone or with other people as part of a team?
28	Do you know how to manage a team? Are you capable of leading a team? Do you think you have the ability to be a team leader?
29	Why should I recruit you? How could you persuade me to recruit me?
30	Do you have any comments to make, or any questions to ask?