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BEP 167 – Interview in English for your First Job (1)

Advanced, Business English, ESL Podcast, Job Interview in English /

BEP-167 - 1st Round Interview in English

This Business English Podcast lesson is the first in a three-part series on first job interviews in english.

Job interviews in English can make anyone nervous. After all, you want to make the best impression you can. But as a new graduate, you have an added challenge: little formal job experience. You need to prove to the employer that your studies and university experiences relate to the job you’re seeking.

Today, we’ll cover some ways to help you connect your college experiences to an employer’s job requirements. We’ll look at making introductions and explaining ground rules and interview format. We’ll also look at two types of common questions – “tell me about yourself?” and discussing your education.

We’ll meet Owen, who just got his master’s in electrical engineering. He’s originally from Chengdu, China, a city 2,000 kilometers west of Shanghai. But he moved to Shanghai for graduate school and has decided to stay here for work. He’s interviewing for a test engineer position at IBH, an electronics company.

Today’s meeting is a panel interview. This means a group of people will be asking the questions. So we’ll also meet Erica, who’s in charge of recruiting for IBH, and two of her colleagues: George, an engineering manager, and Cindy, a new HR manager.

Listening Questions

1. Why do you think George is handling the technical aspects of the interview?
2. What are two qualities or transferable skills that Owen mentions?
3. What does Owen say about his university’s approach to learning?

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BEP 154 – Management English: Motivating Your Team (2)

Advanced, Business English, Communication, Management English /

Management English - Motivating your Team 2

This is the second in a two-part Business English Podcast series on motivating your team.

There are many strategies you can use to motivate people. One way is to reward them. This reward can be emotional, such as acknowledgement or praise for a job well done. Or, it can be more concrete, like a cash bonus or a prize.

In this lesson, we’ll look at motivation through rewards. We’ll discuss how to acknowledge your team’s efforts and give praise. We’ll also look at how to introduce challenges, friendly competition, and incentives. Finally, we’ll talk about some ways to finish up a meeting so that your team feels energized for the work ahead.

Last time, we listened to Joe, the manager of the sales department at a resort, motivating his team after a round of layoffs. Today, we’ll go back to Joe’s team a month later. They’ve made good progress since their first meeting and Joe wants to keep his staff motivated so that they will continue to succeed.

Listening Questions

1. Why is the team happy with Nick?
2. What is the first prize for the sales competition?
3. What does Deborah think about the challenge?

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BEP 152 – Giving Bad News: Layoffs (Part 2)

Advanced, Business English, ESL Podcast, Human Resources /

This is the second of a two-part Business English Pod series on giving bad news and and discussing layoffs.

When employees are laid off, they usually have questions about what will happen next. When is their last day? What support can they expect? And what about a severance package? This compensation package often includes both money and some extension of benefits, but varies from company to company or even from employee to employee.

In this lesson, we’ll cover language you can use after an employee has been notified of a layoff. We’ll go over ways to explain what will happen next and how to explain a severance package. We’ll also talk about ways to show empathy and offer support to a laid-off employee.

In the last episode, we met Angela, a manager at a resort and David, the head chef at Zapata’s, a restaurant at the resort that is closing. Angela has told David that he will be laid off. Now they’ll discuss the details.

Listening Questions

1. Name two parts of David’s severance package.
2. What will happen to David’s health insurance?
3. How does Angela offer to help David in his job search?

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BEP 151 – Giving Bad News: Layoffs (Part 1)

Advanced, Business English, ESL Podcast, Human Resources /

This is the first of a two-part Business English Pod series on giving bad news and layoffs.

If a person gets “laid off”, it means they will lose their job. But it’s not the same as being fired. Layoffs usually occur because of outside forces. A poor economy might cause a company to reduce its staff. Or changes in the industry may make some types of jobs unnecessary. After a merger, there might be redundancies, or duplicates. Two people may be doing the same type of job. If the company only needs one person in that position, the other could be laid off.

Nobody likes giving bad news. And a conversation about layoffs can become awkward and emotional. So in this lesson, we’ll talk about ways to prepare an employee for bad news so that you can soften the shock. We’ll also cover ways to get to the point and how to respond to an angry or emotional employee. Finally, we’ll go over some language to clearly explain the reasons for a layoff.

Angela and David work at a hotel resort that is having some financial difficulties. Angela is a manager and David is the head chef at Zapata’s, one of the resort’s restaurants. Unfortunately, Angela has to tell David he’s being laid off.

Listening Questions

1. Why has management decided to close 2 restaurants?
2. What type of food does Zapata’s serve?
3. Specifically, why is Zapata’s closing?

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BEP 150 – Working in Multicultural Teams (Part 2)

Advanced, Business English, Communication, Culture, ESL Podcast /

This is the the second of a two-part Business English Pod series on working in multicultural teams.

These days, working with people from different cultures is quite common. You might be meeting with colleagues in another country or on another continent. Business practices vary all over the world. Some cultures are more formal than others. Some have distinct customs regarding greetings, gender roles, and food. So it’s helpful to know as much as possible about other business cultures before you meet your team.

But even if you’ve done your research carefully, problems can still arise, especially in face-to-face meetings. There can be miscommunications, points that need clarification, and different ideas of what’s acceptable in a business environment.

Today, we’ll look at issues like slang and idioms, concepts of time, forms of address, and misunderstandings due to culture. We’ll also discuss opening interactions and explaining different business customs.

In the last episode, we met Cao Ming a U.S.-based manager at a multinational company. Originally from China, Ming has worked in New York for many years and is now headed to Brazil where he’ll lead a research team. He did some background reading and discussed Brazilian culture with a colleague before he left. Now, he’s heading his first meeting with his new Brazilian team.

Listening Questions

1. What are two idioms Ming needs to explain?
2. What suggestion does Carla make at the beginning of the meeting?
3. Why does Felipe mispronounce Ming’s name?

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