success at work

Success at Work Nil Zelal ŞEN LANGUAGE series

Success at Work Nil Zelal ŞEN Kitabın tüm yayın hakları Siyah Kuğu Yayıncılığa aittir. Bu kitabı baskı yapan, çoğaltan, fotokopi çeken ve alıntı yapanlar hakkında 5846 sayılı yasa gereği kanuni işlem yapılır. Bu yazı ön uyarı niteliğindedir. Bilgi için; 0312 341 04 00 Basım Yılı: Eylül 2014 Kütüphane Bilgisi: Dil Eğitim Akademik ISBN : 978-605-4664-21-4 Yayıncı Sertifika No : 22736 Black Swan Publishing House . Success at Work . Yayın Yönetmeni: Serkan KOÇ Kapak Tasarımı: Cüneyt Ersöz . Grafik: Samet Zeydan . Baskı: Ümit Ofset +90 312.384 26 27 Kullanılan Görseller Ümit Ofset Form Matbaacılık San. Tic. Ltd. Şti. Üyeliği ile www.shutterstock.com adresinden alınmıştır. LANGUAGE series [email protected] www.blackswan.com.tr

Foreword Success at Work is an excellent source for juniors, seniors, or new graduates of universities, as well as for current or prospective business people who want to take an active role in the world of business. The tips and activities in this coursebook will enhance the communicative competence of learners both in terms of language and business skills. This skills-based coursebook is divided into three modules: communication skills, presentation skills, and job application procedures. Telephoning, emailing, and face- to-face communication – three essential communication tools - are covered under ‘Communication’ module. Presentation skills are also tackled thoroughly in two units: preparing a presentation and delivering a presentation. The last module is on job application process and it provides indispensable information for both fresh university graduates and those who want to apply for a new position at any stage in their career. The book includes a wide range of oral and written communication and interaction skills in various contexts and situations. Learners can find very useful tips for each of the skills mentioned above all through the book, which will considerably ease their business transactions or academic activities. They can also find many oral and written language exercises. Necessary infomation on vocabulary and grammar is provided under each skill. The language exercises aim to make learners communicate in an accurate, fluent, and most importantly, confident way. There is an ‘Insight Into...’ section in most units, which deals with important terms, concepts, or activities in the world of business and/ or academia. There is a reading text on a different topic in each unit, mostly supplemented with a listening activity. Learners can make use of all four skills – reading, writing, listening, and speaking – in this coursebook. It presents readers with the most needed, useful and practical information and language practice to develop and improve their Business Englih Skills.

Contents I - COMMUNICATION UNIT 1 telephoning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Types of Communication ________________________________________________________________________ 9 Telephone Language ____________________________________________________________________________ 10 Identifying the Caller and the Purpose _________________________________________________________ 12 Taking and Leaving a Message _________________________________________________________________ 13 Appointments __________________________________________________________________________________ 15 An Insight into Green Business ________________________________________________________________ 18 Titles at the Workplace ________________________________________________________________________20 UNIT 2 emails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Tips on Writing Professional Emails ____________________________________________________________ 25 Request Email __________________________________________________________________________________ 27 Mentioning ‘Rises and Falls’ in the World of Business and Academia __________________________ 30 UNIT 3 face to face communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 First Contacts __________________________________________________________________________________ 39 Small Talk _______________________________________________________________________________________40 Offers, Requests, and Farewell _________________________________________________________________ 42 An Insight into Personal Skills __________________________________________________________________ 43 Different Cultures ______________________________________________________________________________ 45 II – PRESENTATIONS UNIT 4 preparing a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Successful Presenters __________________________________________________________________________ 54 Preparing Your Presentation ___________________________________________________________________ 55 Preparing Visual Aids____________________________________________________________________________ 57 An Insight into Ethical Values __________________________________________________________________ 59 Ethics and Some Business Cases ______________________________________________________________60 UNIT 5 delivering a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 What is Speech Anxiety? ______________________________________________________________________ 66 Starting a Presen tation _______________________________________________________________________ 66 Introduction of a Presentation _________________________________________________________________ 67 The Body _______________________________________________________________________________________ 70 Presentation Language ________________________________________________________________________ 71 Body Language _________________________________________________________________________________ 72 Closing __________________________________________________________________________________________ 74

III – JOB APPLICATION UNIT 6 writing a CV and a cover letter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Application Process ____________________________________________________________________________ 79 Your CV _________________________________________________________________________________________ 81 Components of a CV ___________________________________________________________________________ 82 An Insight into Community Service ____________________________________________________________ 85 List of Power Verbs _____________________________________________________________________________ 86 Further Reminders about the CV ______________________________________________________________ 87 Sample CV ______________________________________________________________________________________90 Writing a Cover Letter _________________________________________________________________________ 92 UNIT 7 job interview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Things to Know Before a Job Interview ________________________________________________________ 98 Before the Interview ____________________________________________________________________________ 99 Types of Interviews ____________________________________________________________________________ 100 On the Interview Day __________________________________________________________________________ 101 How to Act and Dress _________________________________________________________________________ 103 How to Answer Interview Questions _________________________________________________________ 104 Some Basic Interview Questions _________________________________________________________ 104 Some Interview Questions about You_____________________________________________________ 106 Further Interview Questions ______________________________________________________________ 108 Some Behavioral Interview Questions ____________________________________________________ 110 Language Study ________________________________________________________________________________ 111 After the Interview ____________________________________________________________________________ 114 Appendix A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

p.6 I Communication

success at work I 7 UNIT 1 telephoning



success at work I 9 Types of Communication 1. Write down any form of communication in the space provided below. __regular mail __ ______ ______________________ ____________________ ______________________ ____________________ ______________________ 2. Which form(s) of communication do you use most with your acquaintances: ___________________________________________________________ for academic work: ________________________________________________________________ at work (make a guess if you are not working)___________________________________________ Phone calls and emails are the two most common forms of communication in the business world. Face to face communication also has a big place in business interactions. However, there are certain rules for being an effective business communicator. Sometimes how you say something is more important than what you say. This rule applies in most business cases.

10 I success at work telephone language Do the following task to test your knowledge on words and phrases that are required for phone calls. Task 1 Choose the correct answer to complete the following statements. 1. I called him many times on the telephone but I couldn’t __________ through to him so I had to leave a message. a. get b. put c. talk 2. Hey Steve, I’m busy, can you __________ the phone? a. hold on b. pick up c. put up 3. After thanking and saying good-bye to her, I __________ the phone. a. took up b. hung up c. ended 4. Please __________ I’ll transfer you to Ms. Daves. a. hang up b. ring up c. hold on 5. I need to __________ her up as soon as I am done with this work. I should talk to her urgently. a. pick b. dial c. ring 6. Mr. Ahmad has just arrived. I’m __________ you through to him. a. putting b. directing c. getting 7. When leaving a __________ message, you should speak directly into the mouth piece of your telephone so that the receipent hears every word clearly when he listens to your message. a. text b. voicemail c. written 8. My battery is about to ____________. Can you call me on the landline? a. get off b. end up c. run out

success at work I 11 Read the definitons below and check your answers. • If you call someone up, you make a phone call, or you ring up someone. • When your telephone rings, you answer the phone, or you get the phone, or you pick up the phone. • When your conversation is over you put down the phone, or you hang up the phone. But if you hang up on someone, that means you end the talk or put down the phone before the conversation is over, which is considered impolite in most cases. • If you ask someone to ‘wait’ on the phone, you tell them to hold, hold on, or hang on. • If you connect a call to someone, you transfer the call or you put the caller through to someone. • If you cannot reach the person you are calling, you cannot get through to that person. • If you cannot get through to someone you may leave a voicemail message. • If you do not like to leave a voicemail message, you may prefer to send a text message or text someone. • If your battery is getting low, you are about to run out of battery. • A landline telephone, or a home phone, or a fixed line is a telephone that uses a wire line (cable line) for transmission. Listening Listen to the recording in which basic rules for business phone calls are discussed. Read the questions before listening. Then answer them. 1. To give a positive impression to the other party on the phone, you should smile and ___________________________ . 2. The speaker points out the importance of preparation such as writing down the ________________________ or preparing the ________________________ . 3. An appropriate ___________________ at the beginning will give the called person the impression that you are a professional. 4. Before you end the call, it is suggested that you ______________________________ .

12 I success at work Politeness, clarity, and professionalism are the key elements of successful business phone calls. Although your voice tone and pleasant attitude tell a lot to your callers, the words and phrases that you use should also be proper. Avoid sounding abrupt. For example, instead of saying ‘Who’s calling?’, you may prefer to say ‘May I ask who’s calling, please?’. Instead of ‘Hold on’ you may say ’May I put you on hold, please?’ When you are aware of the language you use, you will have more opportunities to gain new customers or keep the existing ones. But more importantly, you will make the caller feel good. To learn more about telephoning language, study the following language checklists and do the related tasks. Identifying The Caller and The Purpose You can’t see the face of the other party on the telephone; therefore, it is essential to create a good first impression by introducing yourself in a clear and friendly way. In order to create a desire to continue the conversation for the other party, you should also give them a clue as to why you are calling and who you want to speak with. Identifying oneself Asking for someone Hi, this is Maria calling from… Could I speak to…? Hello, my name’s … I’d like to speak with… This is Maria Sanchez speaking. Could I speak to someone who… May I speak to ...please? Asking for who is calling Asking for purpose of call Who’s calling, please? May I ask what it is about? Who shall I say is calling? May I ask the purpose of your call? Could I take your name, please? May I ask what it’s regarding? May I ask what it’s in connection with? Task 2 Fill in the blanks of the following conversation. You may use phrases from the above chart or come up with your own. Mary : Hello, MC Company. Mike : _________________________________________? Mary : Please hold on. Let me see whether Mr. Pouch is available. …. Mary : Hello, Mr. Pouch is on another line. ______________________________________ ? Mike : It’s about the vacant position in the finance department. I talked to him last week. He asked me to call him today to talk about the recruitment process.

success at work I 13 Mary : Oh, OK. _____________________________________ ? Mike : This is Mary Hanson. He has my number. Could you ask him to call me back, please? Mary : OK Ms. Hanson, I’ll tell him to call you back as soon as possible. Mike : Thanks. Bye. Vacant position: A job opening offered by a company that wants to hire an employee. Recruitment: Employment, hiring Taking and Leaving A Message Taking or leaving a message over the phone is very common in business life. Taking a message is an important skill because your colleague needs to get accurate information about the call. Leaving a message is also very important as you probably wish to get your work done accurately and efficiently. Read the following tips on how to successfully take and leave messages. Taking a message: • Give a reason for your colleague’s absence and ask if the caller has a message. • Note all the necessary information such as the name of the caller, company, contact number, and the message. • Confirm the information. Ask the caller to repeat the information more than once if necessary. • Ask the caller to slow down or speak more clearly if needed. • Ensure the caller that the called person will get the message. Leaving a message: • Identify yourself, spelling your name if necessary. • Give your company name. • Leave your contact information (number or email address). • Leave as brief and clear a message as possible. • If the other party does not ask for confirmation, ensure s/he got the information right. Taking messages Leaving messages Would you like to leave a message? Could you please tell him to..? (Do you have) any message for…? Please tell her that… Can I take a message? I need to speak with her on an urgent matter.

14 I success at work Confirming information Ensuring to give the message So, let me repeat… I’ll tell Ms. Johnson that you called. So, that’s… I’ll make sure Ms. Johnson gets the 555 3747, is that right? message. I’ll inform Ms. Johnson about your call. I’ll ask her to call you as soon as possible. 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? Task 3 Fill in the blanks of the following conversation. You may use phrases from the chart above or come up with your own. John: Hello, John Mash speaking. How may I help you? Tilda: Hi, can I speak to Jose Morte, please? John: He’s out for lunch. ________________________________________________________ ? Tilda: Yes, please. He was supposed to send me a fax this morning regarding the shipment of goods but I haven’t received it yet. _________________________________________ to send it until 3 o’clock today? My fax number is 555 9721 and my name’s Tilda Hooks. John: I’m sorry, the line’s very bad, I couldn’t get your name. ____________________________ ? Tilda: Oh, sure. It’s Tilda Hooks and my number is 555 9721. John: _______________________________________________________________________ ? Tilda: Yes, that’s right. John: Alright Ms. Hooks, _________________________________________________ . Tilda: Thank you, I appreciate it. Shipment: the act of sending off goods by a large vehicle

success at work I 15 appointments Making appointments over the phone can be tough - especially if it is your first contact with the person on the other end of the phone. If you intend to arrange an appointment with the person you call, you should definitely be prepared. Keep your diary in front of you with all your available dates and times. You may need to suggest a new date and time if the other party rejects your first offer. Moreover, it is also very important to check and confirm the details for the appointment you make: right time, right place, and right date. Putting on hold and connecting Stating an excuse Please hold, I’ll put you through to I’m sorry, it appears Ms. Johannson is finance department. not available at the moment. Could you hold on for just a minute? I’m afraid Mr. Willow is in a meeting right now. One minute, I’ll transfer you now. Please hang on a minute while I see if Jim is available. Making an appointment Ending the call I’d like to arrange an appointment to It’s been great talking with you. I’ve see Ms Bates. got a meeting now so I better run. I was wondering if we could set up a Thanks for calling, Mr. Willow. Is there meeting to discuss.. anything else I can help you with? I’m calling to find out if we could Thanks for calling. I hope to speak meet to. .. with you again soon. I’ll just look in the diary. I’ve got another call coming in. Let me check my schedule. Good talking to you. When’s convenient for you? Be sure to contact me if there are any more problems. Would June 13 be okay? Shall we say Thursday 4 o’clock? I’m afraid I’m tied up all Tuesday. How about Wednesday afternoon? Unfortunately, I can’t make it on Thursday. Would Monday be all right?

16 I success at work Task 4 Fill in the blanks of the following conversation. You may use phrases from the above chart or come up with your own. Sam: Hello, this is Sam. How may I help you? Semra: Hello, I’d like to speak to Marianne Soth, please. Sam: Please hold. _____________________________ . Semra: Thank you. …. Marianne: Hello? Semra: Hi, Marianne. This is Semra returning your call. Marianne: Hi, Semra. ___________________________set up a meeting tomorrow to discuss the procedures on our new project. Semra: Sure. Let me check my calendar. I’m afraid I’m tied up all day tomorrow. ___________________________Wednesday? Marianne: I’m expecting some visitors from overseas Wednesday morning. But we can meet up after lunch if that’s all right with you. Semra: That sounds fine. ___________________________2 pm? Marianne: Great. Wednesday 2 pm it is, then. Semra: Alright. Thanks for calling back. ___________________________tomorrow. Bye. Marianne: Bye. roleplay Pair Work Student A: Your manager has asked you to call his counterpart in another company and make an appointment for next week on his behalf. Your manager’s schedule for next week is given below. Try to arrange an appointment. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 10:00-12:00 13:00 – 15:00 will 12:30 – dentist wiil be in Izmir Staff meeting be attending a appointment on a business fair trip

success at work I 17 Student B: Student A calls you to arrange an appointment for next week for his manager. Below is your schedule for next week. Ask for name of caller, purpose of call, and then fix a date and time for the appointment. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 12:00-14:00 16:00 14-00 14:00 Visit the new Meet Ms. Attend Department plant Özdemir daugther’s meeting graduation ceremony In business life, you will most probably take messages for your colleagues. When taking a message, make sure you write down the name, contact information, and message of the caller accurately. Record the message briefly and clearly. Remember to write the date and time of the call. Listening 1. a) Listen to a phone conversation and fill out the message pad. For ___________________________________________________________ From ___________________________________________________________ Date ______________________ Time _______________________________ Message ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Contact information ___________________________________________________ Received by _________________________________________________________ 1. b) Now listen again and write down the relevant phrases for the following. Introducing oneself: _______________________________________________________________ Asking for someone: ______________________________________________________________ Offering to take a message: _________________________________________________________ Confirming information: ___________________________________________________

18 I success at work 2. Listen to another telephone conversation and fill out the message pad. For ___________________________________________________ From ___________________________________________________ Date ______________________ Time ________________________ Message ___________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Contact information __________________________________________ Received by _________________________________________________ an insight into green business Task 5 a) Match the following words with their correct definitions before reading the text. 1. Consumer the amount which people wish to buy 2. Demand examining records or financial accounts to check their accuracy 3. Purchase a person who buys products for his/her own needs 4. Audit The act of buying b) Read the text on green business and answer the following questions. Environmentally conscious consumers often make purchasing decisions by weighing the environmental cost of a product in combination with considerations of price, quality and convenience. As such consumers increasingly demand green products, many private sector businesses, large and small, have voluntarily started to implement green policies and strategies into their business plans. Green policies not only show a company’s commitment to environmental responsibility but also they save money and reduce the carbon footprint, which is also critical for the planet. Due to the reasons mentioned above, company officials can put their green business policies into practice by educating their employees about the benefits of recycling, its goals and methods. They may also consider hiring a part-time recycling coordinator to help the business contribute

success at work I 19 to a cleaner environment. A professional energy rater can audit their energy usage and offer advice on how to reduce waste and save money. Moreover, firms may consider marketing green products as a way to encourage consumers to build a responsible identity. For example, they can encourage being a good mother by buying organic products for their kids. These businesses should also interact with the public to inform them about how their choices impact the environment. Plastic packaging unfortunately leads to overfilling of landfills. Therefore, businesses that produce products requiring such packaging can take steps to reduce this type of packaging. They can switch to biodegradable packaging, which will also appeal to consumers that prefer environmentally friendly products. 1. Why have companies started to implement green policies? 2. How do environmentally friendly policies affect the companies and the environment? 3. Write one suggestion that company officials can use to encourage green business in their firms. 4. Write one suggestion that company officials can use to encourage public to buy green products. Discussion 1. As a consumer, do you also prefer green products? If so, which products are they? 2. Do you think the demand for green products in your country is rising, falling, or stable? What factors do you think cause this?

20 I success at work Titles at The Workplace In the text ‘Green Business’ you came across some business titles, such as a coordinator, energy rater, and a company official. Study some more titles in the task below. Task 6 Test your knowledge on staff titles and their responsibilities in a company. Fill in the blanks with the correct titles in the box. Executive assistant Technician Coordinator Human Resources Staff Educator/trainer Auditor Manager CEO 1. A (n)__________________ is an executive who is in charge of the operations of the firm; reports to a board of directors; and may appoint other managers. Chief Executive Officer. 2. A(n) __________________ is a person who checks the financial records of a company to make sure they are accurate. 3. A(n) __________________ is a person whose job relates to the practical use of machines in industry. 4. A(n) __________________ is a person who collects, organizes, monitors, and distributes information related quality improvement functions. 5. A(n) __________________ is a person who trains other personnel on quality related topics, tools, and techniques. 6. A(n) __________________ is a person who supports the executive, CEO, or manager. S/he may also be in charge of research, communications, correspondence, and office management. 7. A(n) __________________ is a person who is responsible for activities relating to employees, such as recruiting new employees, orientation and training of current employees, etc. 8. A(n) __________________ is a person who handles, controls, or directs a business generally within a defined segment of the organization.

success at work I 21 further language study Task 7 Read the instructions and write a statement for each without using the words in bold. 1. The telephone is ringing. Ask your colleague to get it, giving her a reason for not getting it yourself. 2. Tell your boss that you couldn’t reach Samual by telephone. 3. Tell your colleague (with whom you are talking on the phone) that you need to put down the phone because you should run to a meeting. 4. Tell the customer that she should hang on and that you will connect her to the manager. 5. Ask the caller to speak louder since you can’t hear her well. 6. Ask the caller the reason for call. 7. Ask the caller if he is available for a meeting Monday afternoon. 8. Tell the caller that unfortunately you cannot attend Tuesday meeting.

22 I success at work roleplay Number of students : 3 Preparation time : 10-15 minutes Task: Provide names for each character. You may also provide a name for the company and the field it’s working in. Work on the details for the reason for call and discuss them in detail while acting out. Staff Trainer Executive Assistant Department Manager 1. You call Department 1. Get the call. Ask for 1. Your assistant puts you Manager. name, and purpose of through to Staff Triner. call. Arrange an appointment 2. Assistant picks up. after checking your Introduce yourself and 2. Put the caller on hold, schedule. ask for Department talk to the manager. Manager. 2. Ask for details before 3. Then transfer the call to setting an appointment. 3. When the assistant him/her. connects you to Department Manager, ask for an appointment. 4. Also give your reason for the request for an appointment.