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2.
F: Hello, Mike. It’s Carrion here. I’ve just been reading the paper and the job in there with Alba, the publishing group. I think it will be perfect for you.
M: Oh, what’s the job?
F: They want a marketing manager. Isn’t that the kind of thing you’re looking for?
M: Yes. Does it say what the job involves?
F: There’s a quite a big job description, but the main thing seems to be that you’ll be in charge of sales planning. Sounds quite interesting.
M: Well, it will be better than the administration work I’m doing at the moment. What sort of qualifications are they looking for? I suppose they want you to have an MBA.
F: No, there’s nothing here about that. But it does say that they’re looking for someone who can speak foreign languages. Well, that’s OK for you because you’ve lived abroad and you speak German, don’t you?
M: Yes, and Spanish, too. When do the applications have to be in by?
F: What’s it today? The 9th of June. So you’ve plenty to time. The 3rd of July is the closing date. Do you want me to fax you the adverts so you can see yourself.
M: Yes. That’ll be great. Thanks.
F: OK. I’ll do it now.
3.
M: Hello! Mike here.
F: Mike. It’s Angela.
M: Oh, Hi.
M: Oh, look, Mike. I’m phoning because I’m quite worried about last month’s figures.
M: They don’t make pretty reading, do they?
F: No, they don’t. I think we need to have a meeting to talk about the rising costs.
M: Sounds like a good idea. When were you thinking of?
F: As soon as possible. I think we should try to put together new department budgets. Each department will then have set limits for their spending.
M: Yes. I’m sure that will help. Who would you specially like to have at the meeting?
F: Well, us, obviously. And can you make sure that the sales coordinator is available. And also the buildings manager? We’ll need their input.
M: Sure. I’ll get on to them. And I’ll book the boardroom.
F: Oh, can you make sure that there’ll be a laptop available there on the day. I’d like to show the figures for this year and last year.
M: No problem. I’ll get back to you later to confirm the details.
F: Fine. Thanks.
Part II
13. Very useful indeed! The general manager and the research director showed us around their high-tech production unit and there was a presentation of some of the products they’re planning. They’re certainly coming up with plans for some innovative products. I’m fairly sure we can come to some agreement about working together on at least two of them, though there’ll be some hard bargaining, I should think.
14. They were really excellent. The best group I’ve ever worked with. I was able to cover the theoretical ground very quickly and got to the practical stuff earlier than I’d expected. This meant that they had much more practice than other groups and won’t need too much support from us, even in the initial stage of using the program.
15. They weren’t easy, Mark. They were not easy! They asked us extremely detailed questions about our products and our ability to meet deadlines. In fact, at one point I thought we’re going to have to withdraw because it looked as if we wouldn’t be able to meet all their requirements. But then they made a number of concessions. In the end I think we’ve managed to get a good deal. Certainly it’s the biggest contract I’ve been involved with.
16.The first day was particularly useful because there were some interesting speakers, mainly from big multinationals, talking on such as I’m interested in, like the international aspects of industrial relations and employment law. Then in the evening I had some extremely interesting conversations with ??? speakers. I hope there’ll useful contacts in the future. But other delegates thought it wasn’t very well attended, because the organizers ad decided against having an exhibition area so fewer people came.
17. We revealed the month’s work and discussed next month’s targets. We decided that we definitely need some extra help with the personnel selection because there’s just too much for one person. Generally I think we’re a pretty good team. Of course there’re a few problems now and again, but we always discuss them in a very calm and sensible way and come up with solutions that work, so far, anyway.
18. All I can say is that I’d stood out as the best applicant straight away or they took an instant dislike to me. I’d expected it to last at least 45 minutes, and possibly to involve 2 sessions. But I left I managed to go for a swim and do some shopping before I got back to the office for lunch.
19. I’ve been over all the obvious things I knew they would ask me with a colleague and I practiced all my answers over and over again. I felt sure I could deal with anything they’d put to me. Well, they started asking me what I though my weaknesses were. I just hadn’t prepared for that, but because I had done so much preparation for other questions I managed to come up with a really good answer.
20. Well, I got there and I thought I am really well prepared for this. I was wearing my best suit. I arrived on time and so did the other three applicants. But they kept us waiting for an hour and a half while they tried to sort themselves out. By the time I went I was so patient with the company I didn’t want the job any more.
21. It’s fine, isn’t it. I can do it now. I knew what they were going to ask me. But when you are under all that pressure and all those questions are coming at you, something let you down. And whatever you say, you know you haven’t got the message across right and they haven’t understood what you really meant. If only could get a second chance.
22. I got home late from the meeting than I before (???) and I was really tired, but I lay awake all night. I guess I should have thought more carefully about wearing the right sort of things. But I was a bit disorganized and rushed out of the flat as if it was just an ordinary day and then felt like an odd one out when I got there and saw everyone else in suits. I was so embarrassed.
Part III
F: With me today is Peter Williams from Kingston University. Welcome! Peter.
M: Thank you.
F: Peter, you recently a large research study on training in small businesses. What made you focus on small businesses? After all, most of your experience has been with the huge multinational Cleantex. And in fact you eventually you ran their training department, didn’t you?
M: Well, you are partly right. You see, when I joined the university a year ago they wanted me to start a training program for small businesses. I’d just sold my own small business, which I’d started when I left Cleantex. The 8 years I ran my own business taught me more about training than all my years with Cleantex. But I felt I couldn’t base a training program on my experience alone. So I decided to do research first.
F: And how much training did you find in most small companies. Can they afford to do much training?
M: Well, firstly small businesses are often accused of not doing enough training. But that is the opinion of big businesses of course. It’s true that the government is encouraging small firms to increase their training budgets. They’re trying to introduce financial assistance for this. But I have to say I find lots of training going on. The real problem is that most small businesses don’t always know how much training they’re providing or how much it’s actually costing them.
F: But surely businesses have budgets and training records.
M: Unfortunately most small companies don’t set aside a specific training budget. It’s not that they don’t want to spend the money but that they operate differently. You see, things change very quickly in small firms and it’s impossible to predict the training needs. An employee can be moved to a new project very suddenly and then training has to be organized within days. And most small businesses prefer to use their experienced staff to do any training on the job.
F: Did you manage to work out the costs of training?
M: Well, it took time to work out the indirect costs.
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