EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYABILITY BUSINESS VOCABULARY IN USE (ADVANCED)

 

BUSINESS VOCABULARY IN USE (ADVANCED) 4. EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYABILITY

 

A Outsourcing Nigel, a 30-year-old information technology (IT) specialist, talks about his career so far: ‘I used to work in the IT department of a bank. All the IT work was done in-house. I thought I had a job for life. But then one day the bank decided to cut costs by outsourcing the work to a specialist IT company called IT Services (ITS). B Employability ‘ITS put a lot of emphasis on professional development and we often go on training courses so we can keep up with current trends in the industry. C Freelancers and portfolio workers ‘When I’m about 40, I want to set up on my own as a freelancer offering consultancy services to different companies. The idea of working freelance on different projects for different clients attracts me.’ The management thinker Charles Handy1 calls freelancers portfolio workers because they have a portfolio or range of different clients. Some experts say that increasing numbers of people will work  this way in the future, as companies outsource more and more of their work because they want to concentrate on their core functions. Note: people are called freelancers or freelances. The corresponding adjective is freelance, as in ‘freelance work’. EXERCISES 4.1 Complete the crossword with appropriate forms of expressions A, B and C opposite. Across: 4. Training courses etc. related to work: _________ development. (12) 6. What many companies no longer offer. (3,3,4) 8 and 9 down When you get a better job you make a _________  _________. (6,4) 10. Someone who offers professional advice etc. to companies. (10) 11. Companies that buy in services from outside suppliers _________ these services. (9) 12. If you start work as a freelancer, you _________ _________ on your own. Down: 4.2 Complete the sentences with appropriate forms of expressions from A, B and C opposite. (There are two possibilities for one of the gaps) 1. There’s a lot to be said for __________ __________. I wanted encourage more working men and women to refresh their skills on university short courses tailored to their needs. That way they can keep up with __________ __________ and make sure they are always aware of the latest thinking in their area. 2. I love my new job. This is definitely the best __________ __________ I could have made.

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