Business English

20 February to 14 March 2024

Lesson 1
What do you do?
 A. What do you do?
To find out what someone’s job is, you ask ‘What do you do?’

Kerstin talks about her job:

‘I work for a large European car maker. I work on car design. In fact, I run the design
department and I manage a team of designers: 20 people work under me. It’s very
interesting. One of my main responsibilities is to make sure that new model designs
are finished on time. I’m also in charge of design budgets.

‘I deal with a lot of different people in the company. I’m responsible for coordination
between design and production: I work with managers at our manufacturing plants.

NOTE
in charge of + noun
responsible for + verb + -ing
responsibility + infinitive / -ing
One of my responsibilities is to make sure that … One of my responsibilities
is making sure that … You don’t say: ‘I’m a responsible.’

‘I work for
____________________________. I work ___________. In fact, I
___________________________________________________________________
________________. It’s very interesting. One of my main responsibilities is
__________________________________________________________. I’m also in
charge of ___________________________________.

I deal with a lot of different people in the company. I’m responsible

_________________________________________: I work with _______
______________________________________________________.
Word combinations with ‘work’
If you work or have work, you have a job. But you don’t say that someone has ‘a
work’. Work is also the place where you do your job. You don’t say for example, ‘at
the work’ or ‘to the work’. Here are some phrases with ‘work’.

The economy is growing fast and more people are in work – have a job – than ever
before. The percentage of people out of work – without a job – has fallen to its
lowest level for 30 years.

Frank talks about his job:

‘I work in a bank in New York City. I leave for work at 7.30 every morning. I go to
work by train and subway. I get to / arrive at work at about 9. I’m usually at work till
6. Luckily, I don’t get ill very much so I don’t often take time off work – away from
work due to illness.

‘I work ___________________________________. I leave for work at _______

every morning. I go to work by ___________________________________. I get to
/ arrive at work at about __________. I’m usually at work till _________. Luckily, I
don’t get ill very much so I don’t often take time off work – away from work due to
illness.

Ex0ercise:
Margaux is talking about her work. Correct the expressions in italics. (You can find
clues in the first exercise.)

‘I work for a large French supermarket company. It is an international company and

(1) I work about the development of new supermarkets abroad. (2) In fact, I running
the development department and (3) I am manage for a team looking at the
possibilities in different countries. It’s very interesting. (4) One of my main is to make
sure that new supermarkets open on time. (5) I’m also charged with financial
reporting. (6) I deal at a lot of different organizations in my work. (7) I’m responsible
of planning projects from start to finish. (8) I work closely near our foreign partners,
and so I travel a lot.’

1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4. 8.
 B. The Working Environment
My work is so rewarding
'I work in advertising. I love my work! It's really rewarding and stimulating-
satisfying and interesting. Originality and creativity are very important in this
industry, of course; we have to come up with - produce - lots of new ideas.

'No two days are the same. I could be contacting film companies for new
advertising campaigns one day and giving client presentations the next. I like the
client contact and I am very much hands-on - involved with the productive work of
the agency rather than managing it.

'When I joined the agency, I hit it off with my colleagues immediately. I still get on
well with them and there's a very good rapport between us. This is all part of my job
satisfaction.

My work is so rewarding
'I work in __________________. I ________ my work! It's really rewarding and
stimulating- satisfying and interesting. __________________ and ____________
are very important in this industry, of course; we have to come up with - produce -
_________________________.

'No two days are the same. I could be _________________________________

___________________________________ one day and ___________________
________________________________. I like the _______________________ and I
am very much hands-on - involved with the ______________________________
______________ agency rather than managing it.

'When I joined the ___________________, I hit it off with my colleagues

immediately. I still get on well with them and there's a very good rapport between
us. This is all part of my job satisfaction.
 C. Teamwork
I like the teamwork

'I'm an aircraft engineer. I work on research and development of new aircraft. I love
putting ideas into practice. I like working on my own, but it's also great being part
of a team. I like the teamwork and the sense of achievement when we do
something new. And of course, the planes we produce are very beautiful.

'Is there anything I don't like? I dislike days when I'm chained to a desk. I don't like
admin and paperwork. Sometimes I feel I'm snowed under - there's so much to do
I don't know how to deal with it. And in a large organization like ours, there can be a
lot of bureaucracy or red tape - rigid procedures - that can slow things down.'

I like the teamwork

'I'm ______________. I work ________________________________________. I

love ________________________. I like __________________________, but it's
also great _________________________________. I like the teamwork and the
sense of achievement when we do something new. And of course, the _________
_________________________________________________________________

'Is there anything I don't like? I dislike days when ____________________________.

I don't like ___________________________________________________.
Sometimes I feel I'm _______________________________ - there's so much to do I
don't know how to deal with it. And in a large organization like ours, there can be a lot
of bureaucracy or red tape that can slow things down.'
 D. Advantages or Perks
I like the perks
'I'm in luxury goods sales. I have some nice perks, like a company car. I have to
meet demanding sales targets every month, so the work can be very stressful (see
Unit 6). But I enjoy the flexibility that I have in working when I want to without
someone breathing down my neck all the time. Unlike my husband, who has to
travel into London every day,

I don't have to commute to an office - I'm out seeing clients most of the time. My
boss allows me to work from home when I'm not seeing clients. My office uses hot-
desking, so when I do go into the office

I use whichever desk is free. I only get two weeks a year vacation time. If there's a
family emergency, I can take time off without having to ask my boss. I work quite
long hours - about 60 hours a week - but I enjoy my job.

I like the perks

'I'm ____________________. I have some nice perks, like a _______________

______________. I have to _________________________________________
every month, so the work can be very stressful. But I enjoy the flexibility that I have
in working when I want to without someone breathing down my neck all the time.
Unlike my husband, who has to travel into London every day,

I don't have to commute to an office - I'm out seeing clients most of the time. My
boss allows me to work from home when I'm not seeing clients. My office uses hot-
desking, so when I do go into the office I use whichever desk is free. I only get ____
________________ a year vacation time. If there's a family emergency, I
can/cannot take time off without having to ask my boss. I work ________________
- about 60 hours a week - but I __________________________.
Exercise

Complete what these people say with appropriate forms of words and expressions
from “I like the perks”

1. Our boss comes into the office four times a day to see what we're doing. She's
always _____________________________________________________
2. Being on the train two hours a day to and from work doesn't bother me. I quite
like _____________________________________________________
3. I start at 6 in the morning and finish at 8 in the evening. I work really _______
__________________________________________________________
4. Sometimes I work from home, sometimes in cafes and sometimes I go into the
office. I really like the ________________________________________
_____________
5. She even works on holiday, so it doesn't really count as ______________
______________________________________
6. I hated working in an office. When there were family 'emergencies', I didn't like
to ask for _____________________________________________________
7. I'm a car salesman and I have to sell at least ten cars every month - it's very
_____________________________________________________
8. When you work in a travel agency, getting free holidays is one of the
_____________________________________________________
9. I sit at home all day working and never see anyone. I don't like
____________________________________________