Bus. Eng: Opening a can of worms

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/open+a+can+of+worms

Bus. Eng: Cool videos related to the environment

This website has various videos related to environmental concerns.
http://www.storyofstuff.org/ If you go to the website, you can watch the videos with subtitles.

Bus. Eng: 46 Verb + Preposition Answers

Exercise 1
2. believe in
3. wait for.
4. lead to
5. depend on
6. know about
7. suffer from
8. approve of

Exercise 2
2. with
3. of
4. about
5. for
6. about
7. into
8. for
9. on
10. from
11. in
12. on

Exercise 3
2. to/about
3. from
4. of
5. of
6. with/about
7. from
8. in
9. for
10. to/about
11. at
12. for

Exercise 4
2. belong to
3. listen to
4. explain to
5. agreed with
6. apply for
7. rely on
8. apologized for
9. Remind about
10. hoping for
11. heard from
12. comply with
13. insist on
14. qualify for

Exercise 5
2. with
3. about
4. from
5. for
6. in
7. for
8. against
9. from
10. from
11. for
12. for
13. on
14. on
15. to
16. for
17. from
18. about
19. of
20. from
21. in
22. of

Bus Eng: Reading ' 7 Secrets of Peak Performance'- Answers

Please check your answers to the reading  'Seven secrets of peak performance'. If you have any other questions, please let me know. 

Vocabulary 
1. eager (21)
2. idle (10)
3. peak (2)
4. followed suit (17)
5. skills (10)
6. on the other hand (19)
7. instead (12)
8. task (18)

Comprehension Questions
A./1. F - They're peak performers because they have learned to be so.
2. F- They can learn to become peak performers.
3. T
4. T
5. F- They've become what they are because they do what they like
6. T
7. T
8. T
9. F- Other factors, such as not taking risks and being a perfectionist, can also keep you from being a peak performer.
10. T

Bus. Eng: Resumes

"Why should I hire you?"

A résumé is a concise summary of information that will interest an employer. Along with a cover letter and possible application form, a resume is part of your initial contact with a potential employer. Therefore, it is vital to make a good first impression. The purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. Imagine how many resumes an employer has to go through...You want to make sure yours stands out in the crowd.

A resume is a document that will never be complete and should be constantly changing as you gain more experience. Also, it should be modified for each distinct job you apply for.  Sometimes a resume can also be used to apply to universities, scholarships and volunteer work, as it is a summary of your skills and work history.

As there are many variations of resumes, each specific field of work may have a preferred type. You must be knowledgeable of what is the standard format and style of your field of work. There are specific guidelines that you must follow to meet the standards of a Canadian style resume, but there are also ample opportunities to spruce up your resume with your own style and organization
 
A short recap of what we talked about today in regards to resumes...

SAMPLE HEADINGS:

►Objective
►Summary of Qualifications
►Education
►Credentials/Skills
►Employment/Work Experience
►Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience 
►Interests
►References

YES!

Current and up-to-date contact information
Keep it positive ☺

1-2 pages, white paper
In reverse chronological order (most recent experience first)
Point form/bullet points to highlight knowledge, skills and experience
Emphasize transferable skill instead of simply giving a job description
Use bold, underline, italics to emphasize, highlight and organize
Proofread! Beware of spelling and grammar mistakes
Consistent and organized
Focus on accomplishments, credentials and qualifications

NO!

X  Acronyms, slang, short forms or jargon people might not be familiar with
X  Picture, age, marital status, immigration status, religion, race, height/weight, sex, SIN #,
X  The word 'RESUME' on the top
X  Fancy fonts
X  Irrelevant information
X  Paragraphs/complete sentences
X  Lying!




Suggestions: 
-Pay attention to specific language that we use on resumes to describe our transferable skills and traits
-Know your audience that you are writing to (Adapting resume to job applied for)
-Look up sample resumes in books and online. If you see something you like, steal it and adapt it to your taste!
-If you put it on your resume, make sure you can defend/talk about what you put down during your interview
 
Additional advice: 
http://www.bcjobs.ca/re/career-advice/resume-advice
https://careers.sso.queensu.ca/student/map/resumesAndInterviews/resumeCVFormatContentAndExamples.htm
http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/resume.shtml

To help you with your own resume, it is a good idea to take a look at sample resumes and get used to the type of language/organizational styles that is used.
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/sampleresumes/a/sampleresume2.htm
or simply google: "sample resume" + the specific type of job you are applying for

Also, I stumbled across an interesting site where you can purchase (not cheap!) very artsy/stylish resumes...an interesting business venture. These types of resumes may only be suitable for certain industries depending on the company culture. It certainty wouldn't work for every job you apply for.
http://loftresumes.com/

Bus. Eng: Positive Spin- Vocabulary

If you think you….	Then say this to your employer
Too compulsive: Your friends think you're nuts because everything in your locker is in alphabetical order.	I have strong organization skills and an ability to plan ahead. I always do a thorough job.
Too argumentative: You always tell people exactly what you think and feel - even if it's about them?	I'm very confident and deal with issues directly. I enjoy taking on a challenge.
Too lazy: You always start essays the night before they're due. If there's a reason not to do something you'll find it.	I can work with short deadlines and under pressure.
Too loud: When you talk, people can't help but hear you - you love being the centre of attention.	I'm enthusiastic and outgoing. I interact easily with groups.
Too stubborn: You hate to back down and don't like to admit when you're wrong.	I'm persistent. I always carry a project through to the end.
Too talkative: No one can get a word in when you're in the conversation - you are the conversation!	I'm articulate and enjoy public speaking. I'm persuasive and present my ideas well.
Too weird: You dance to a different beat and do things your own way.	I'm innovative and can always offer a fresh perspective. I enjoy taking the initiative.
Too indifferent: You never seem to have a strong opinion and just can't get excited about anything.	I'm adaptable and can be counted on to stay calm in stressful situations.
Too sensitive: You take everything to heart.	I'm a caring, perceptive person with strong people skills and a desire to please others.
Too serious: Everything is important. You never seem to relax.	I'm a careful and reliable person. I'm good at considering all the options.
Too extreme: You always overreact - every event in your life seems to be out of a soap opera.	I'm imaginative. My creativity leads to good ideas.
Too shy: Meeting new people makes you really nervous - you end up doing most things alone.	I'm self-motivated. I work well independently and need little supervision.

Bus. Eng: Cover Letters

This is no such thing as a perfect cover letter. There are many variations of it, but mostly they follow certain guidelines and a format that we discussed in class today. It is up to you to personalize and adapt your cover letter to the job that you are applying for. This will forever be a ongoing document, as it can never truly be complete. With each specific job we are applying for, we should ideally be changing/updating our cover letter to match the job requirements with our existing qualifications.
I suggest looking at as many samples as possible to get used to the type of language that is used.

There are numerous resources out there regarding cover letters. Here are some that I've come across....


http://www.career.vt.edu/jobsearchguide/coverlettersamples.html
https://careers.sso.queensu.ca/student/map/resumesAndInterviews/coverLetters.htm
http://www.jobsetc.gc.ca/pieces.jsp?category_id=202&crumb=1&crumb=34&crumb=106&crumb=202&lang=e
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/549/01/

Bus. Eng: Advertising FAIL

Here are some ad campaigns that didn't work out so well....

Bus. Eng: Psycho-advertising?

Today, we're going to look at the intersection of advertising and psychology. How does advertising actually affect our mind? What scientific methods and research do marketers use to target us? The first video deals with how advertising works on our minds. The second video takes us shopping at a supermarket.

1) VOCABULARY- Before you watch, look up the following vocabulary that you will come across in the two videos:

VIDEO 1

"Let's spell it out for you Timmy." (1:01)
"Involvement is how much time, energy and other resources the receiver is willing to put into the process."(1:18)
"The peripheral route is a route where the receiver does not think carefully about a communication and is influenced instead by superficial cues." (2:09)

VIDEO 2

"There are certain shops I love just to go up and down the aisle." (0:05)
"Apparently, we shop more when we shop in a counterclockwise direction." (2:16)
"How do you avoid being sucked in by the way the shops play." (3:49)

2) VIDEO #1: PSYCHOLOGY & ADVERTISING

Questions:
1-What are advertising's main functions?
2-What is the difference between the central route and the peripheral route?
3-List one characteristic/effect/use of each colour:
RED, PINK, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE, BROWN, BLACK, WHITE

  

3) VIDEO # 2: SUPERMARKET PSYCHOLOGY

Questions:

1-What is supermarket psychology?
2-How does each colour "manipulate" us in the supermarket?
3-According to research, what contributes to the "relaxing" atmosphere?
4-How do most people walk around the supermarket?
5-What advice is given to avoid being manipulated by shops?

Bus. Eng: Expressing Complaints/Dissatisfaction

It irritates/frustrates/annoys/bothers/bugs me
It drives me crazy/drives me up the wall
It ticks me off*/pisses me off*

I hate/can't stand/can't tolerate/can't put up with s.t./s.o

It is annoying/irritating/frustrating

I am/feel annoyed/irritated/frustrated/fed-up/pissed off*

I am fed up with/sick and tired of/ sick of/ tired of  s.t./s.o

 Destiny's Child- Bug A Boo

                                         "You buggin'what? You buggin'who? You buggin' me!"

Bus. Eng: Whiny Pony

The difference between COMPLAINING and WHINING....

Bus. Eng: 15 Mins of Fame

"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."  - Andy Warhol

These days, it's really common to hear conversations that begin with... "Have you seen that Youtube video...?"  In class today, I brought up the topic of viral videos in relation to word of mouth promotion/advertising. Viral videos get passed from one person to another through Internet sharing. When something "goes viral", this refers to an Internet video getting the special "status" of being seen by a vast number of people quickly. This has also led to creating many overnight Internet celebrities/sensations getting their "15 mins of fame."

Here are some really famous videos that have made their way around the Internet and have spread like a virus. So next time somebody sings the 'Friday' song or talks about 'sneezing panda' you will be "with it" and not be lost in the conversation.
 

Some viral videos to check out!

SNEEZING PANDA

CHARLIE BIT MY FINGER
 

REBECCA BLACK- FRIDAY

KONY 2012 (The most viral video in history- 91, 569,875 views on Youtube)

WAVING BEAR

CHRIS BROWN- FOREVER WEDDING ENTRANCE

WATERMELON LAUNCH (THE AMAZING RACE)

Bus. Eng: Vocabulary Review- Job Satisfaction

1. fell behind/catch up
2.perks/for advancement/work overtime.
3.revamp
4.firm/looks out for
5. jump at it
6. aligned
7. profitable
8. burnt out/stressful/in a row
9.to cope with
10. lose his temper
11. gives it a second thought
12. pampered
13. productive
14. Common sense
15. urge
16. to juggle
17. retain
18. goes a step further

Bus. Eng: "Perks that work"

Vocabulary from the reading:

perks- benefits you get from work other than salary e.g. car, vacation time, bonus etc.
at record lows (3)- the lowest it has ever been
to retain (5) - to keep/continue to have
a firm (8)- a company
being pampered (10)- taking care of/looking after s.o. very kindly, giving them things they want and making sure they are comfortable
shunned (15)- to avoid s.t./s.o on purpose/deliberately
devising (23)- planning/inventing a new way of doing s.t.
goes a step further (30)- doing s.t. extra/special
profitable (40)- producing a profit/making money
custom-fit (45)- made/built for a specific purpose/person
hot trends (48)- s.t. that is popular
labor crunches (56)-  a difficult situation due to a lack of employees
aligned with (62)- to support/agree with s.t. 
designate (76)- to choose someone or something for a particular job or purpose
an urge (81)- a strong wish/desire 
shareholders (86)- people who own shares in a company or business
employee-centric (87)- employee-focused
looking out for me (93)-  making sure s.o. is being treated well/protecting/watching over
cope with (95)- to successfully deal with a difficult situation
revamping (101)-changing s.t. in order to improve it or make it more modern

Bus. Eng: Vocabulary & Listening- Dragons' Den

"You've entered the Dragons' Den, where brave entrepreneurs get that once in a lifetime chance to strike it rich. First, they must win over Canada's savviest investors."

 

A show originating from Japan, Dragons' Den is a series that features aspiring entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists. The Canadian version of this show has run for 6 seasons and airs on CBC television. http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/ 

Today we'll be watching two entrepreneurs face the demanding panel. Today's listening exercise will mainly focus on use of financial vocabulary mixed with phrasal verbs, slang and conversational expressions. Before you watch, look up the following expressions.  Make sure you can explain each expression clearly to someone else in one or two sentences.


GROUP A:  Dougie Dog




"The hot dog is actually a recession food, it is a comfort food." (2:27)
"And we've opened up British Columbia's first hot dog restaurant." (2:53)
"But the hot dogs aren't cheap. At $7 a piece, they're more than double what you'd pay for street meat." (3:40)
"$700,000 to break even." (4:15)
"If you had $700,000 in sales and you could convince me you could get to a million by tweaking the menu or the prices, I'd buy into it." (5:20)
"Here's what I'll tell you on the positive side. Great branding. Well done. Whoever helped you with your graphics, the concept behind it, the store design, then you know what, then even more kudos to you." (6:11)
"As an investment, I'm out. But as an entrepreneur, you rock." (6:32)
"So the numbers don't add up." (6:44)
"You lost 10 grand." (7:47)

 GROUB B:  Fabulous Furballs



"You know, I bet that cat has no friends now." (10:29)
"Krista, that cat is freaking me right out. Even the dog is freaked out by the cat" (10:38)
"And this is your franchisee over here?" (11:10)
"We have an average profit margin of 330-450%" (11:41)
"Krista, did you do something funky to the chihuahua (11:47)
"We know we need to beef up our infrastructure to be able to support more franchises (12:10)
"Have you come across anyone in Canada that you're impressed with as a competitor?" (12:17)
"Boy, did you ever dodge a bullet." (12:39)
"I actually cashed out my 401K to start the company, about a month before my company went under." so I really lucked out." (12:45)

    

 Go check out Dougie Dog on Granville Street! http://dougiedog.com/

 and Fabulous Furballs: http://www.fabulousfurballs.com/about_us.html

Bus. Eng: Loan Sharks

http://www.englishdaily626.com/biz-idioms.php?009
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2085448/Loan-shark-firm-Wonga-targets-students-4-000-offered.html

ABC's 'Shark Tank'

Bus. Eng: Answers- Sharks and Angels

p.62

4)
1. What kind of reception can you expect at a bank
-A polite and fair hearing

2. What is more important than enthusiasm?
-Evidence that you've thought seriously about your proposal

3. What should you take to your loan interview?
-Realistic budgets, a cash flow forecast, details of projected income/expenditure, supply evidence of firm orders or contracts

4. What can you expect to happen during the loan interview?
-To be asked tough and searching questions 

5. What should the bank manager's questions show?
-That your ideas make business sense

5)
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. F

p. 63

1) 1. If the business fails/ If you were in the bank manager's position
    2. If + simple present (1st Conditional) If + simple past (2nd Conditional)
    3. Sentence A (will)
    4. Sentence B (would)


2)  1. were/ would make
     2. will lose/ invest
    3. would be/ knew
    4. are/ will never place
    5. meet/ have to
    6. would do/ managed
    7. are able/ will you give
    8. get/ will pay

Bus. Eng: Reading- "Communication- it's much easier said than done" Vocabulary

VOCABULARY 

5 hardest nut to crack- a difficult problem to solve
6 comes up- arise (if a problem or difficulty comes up, it appears or starts to affect you)
8 repercussions- consequence (the effects of an action or event, especially bad effects that continue for some time)
19 paperwork-work such as writing letters or reports, which must be done but is not very interesting
21 logistical- the practical arrangements that are needed in order to make a plan that involves a lot of people and equipment successful 
38 duplicating- to repeat something in exactly the same way
47 to screen calls- to see who is calling before accepting a phone call (to only talk to who you want)
60 allocating- to use something for a particular purpose
67 bombarding- to do something too often or too much, for example criticizing or questioning someone, or giving too much information 
70/71 leaving it up to individuals to sort it out-  to let someone else decide something or be responsible to organize/deal with the problem
76 information overload- when someone gets too much information at one time, for example on the Internet, and becomes tired and unable to think very carefully about any of it
84 error of judgement- making a wrong decision
86 group dynamics-the way in which people in a group behave towards each other when they are working together or doing an activity together
91 loyalities-  the quality of remaining faithful to your friends, principles, country etc
103 highly identified with- very loyal to
108 cost-cutting- when a company tries to reduce its costs

Bus. Eng: Rachel's Job Interview

This is a clip from the Friends episode "The One with Rachel's Inadvertent Kiss." Rachel goes on a series of interviews and makes an "interesting" impression:

 *Some of the subtitles are not accurate

1- WATCH:

2- LOOK UP:

PHRASAL VERBS

“I’ll work right under the director.”  to work under s.o.

“You want to work on your interview skills.”  to work on s.t.

“I’m not some hussy who will just sleep around to get ahead”  to sleep around/ to get ahead

"Now, you’re probably going to hire one of the people who did not yell at you and storm out.  to storm out

“I was not afraid to stand up for myself and that shows courage.”   to stand up for s.o/oneself

IDIOMS

“I’m going to give you a shot.”to give s.o a shot

JOB INTERVIEWS- CANADA 

http://alis.alberta.ca/ep/eps/tips/tips.html?EK=3336

http://www.jobsetc.gc.ca/pieces.jsp?category_id=303 

http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/interview.shtml

http://www.canadianliving.com/life/work/how_to_have_a_successful_job_interview.php 

Bus. Eng: Phrasal Verbs Business

Answers to S13 Phrasal Verbs in Business

1888 catches on, take on
1902 teams up, set up, sell off
1906 turning out
1945 takes over
1954 comes up with
1963 take off, bringing in
1969 buys out
1974 walk out, sparking off
1987 swallowed up, turned around
1992 worn away, falling off, mount up, go under, bailed out
1999 takes over, caught out, shoots up, wind up
2000 laid off, closes down

If you have any questions, please let me know.