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Being More Than Just A ‘Team Player’

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Diana Nadin

I’ve been looking through quite a few CVs recently and one of the things that many people say in the opening (summary) paragraph is that they ‘work well on their own initiative’ They often then go on to claim that they are also a ‘team player’. But, if you don’t just want to be part of a team and, instead, want to manage a team, what skills and attributes should you be looking to develop?

How do you get the results from your team that will help you to shine and make your department function more efficiently?

There are many skills that can help you succeed in the line manager role, and no two people’s style is exactly the same, but here are some qualities that are essential: Continue reading →

Posted in boosting self-confidence | Tagged communication, decision making, empathy, leadership skills | Comments Off

Job Interviews Online

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Diana Nadin

I was watching a report last night on the BBC news about the increase in the use of Skype and other technologies for interviewing job applicants.

For companies that need to recruit many staff each year (large food and clothing retailers, for example) it saves time, money and streamlines the process, particularly for the first round of the interview process.

For you, as the interviewee, it means you don’t have to incur travel costs and it’s probably less stressful if you’re confident using the technology. But, here are some tips on how to succeed:

Make sure you’ve downloaded the correct software and practise being interviewed by friends and relatives in the days running up to the interview. Continue reading →

Posted in job interviews | Tagged interviews by skype, online job interviews | Comments Off

Keywords in Copywriting

Posted on June 14, 2019 by Diana Nadin

Marketing the products or services that your business sells is essential if you are to make profits and see your business grow. This marketing might involve placing adverts in newspapers and magazines; using radio and TV (if your business is making enough profit to afford this); press releases and editorials – and, of course, your website.

As you can imagine, freelance copywriting can be interesting and pays well – whether you are promoting your own business or working for someone else. But these days, being able to write copy for the internet is probably right at the top of the list of copywriting skills and something that you really need to know about is effective keyword usage. Continue reading →

Posted in copywriting | Tagged copywriting, keywords | Comments Off

Meetings – For Or Against?

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Susan Metcalfe

Do you love meetings or hate them? Some people love meeting because they provide a chance to get away from your desk and normal, everyday routine. Also, if you’re confident and want to bring yourself to the attention of your manager or other people who might give your career a boost they can a great place to start…if you impress!

Other people hate meetings. They feel that they can be a waste of time – people sitting around a table chatting and getting nothing decided. If you’re not very confident you may have great ideas but feel overwhelmed by other people talking over you, ignoring you or pushing their own agenda. Or, you could sit there thinking how much work you have to do and how long it will take you to catch up when you return to your desk. Continue reading →

Posted in Business Skills Tips | Tagged agendas, meetings, minutes | Comments Off

How To Communicate Clearly and Correctly

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Diana Nadin

As you probably know, Business Training is part of a group of distance learning colleges that includes The Writers Bureau. Earlier today I was looking at a writing assignment that one of our overseas students had prepared. It was a lovely short story, full of tension, where two people are drawn to one another but know that things can’t go further because one of them is married and wishes to remain faithful to his wife. It positively sizzled with the chemistry between the two characters.

But, and this is a big but, it was let down by the fact that the writer made lots of grammatical mistakes. They had obviously been so engrossed in crafting and writing the story that they didn’t bother to think how they were expressing their ideas, or check their work when they had finished to spot and correct the mistakes. This meant that instead of being able to recommend that they send the story off to a publisher, I had to suggest that they sit down and start doing some serious revision work on it. Continue reading →

Posted in Business Skills Tips | Tagged grammar and punctuation, how to improve your spelling, improving your writing skills | Comments Off

Are You Ready to Start Your Own Business?

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Diana Nadin

Are You Ready to Start Your Own Business?

Many people talk about starting a business, but only a small proportion ever do anything about it. Some people are born entrepreneurs and know exactly what form their business will take. Others may have been made redundant and the only way to earn a living is setting up their own business. A third group might be looking for something to supplement their pension. Whatever your reason, you need to think carefully before you take the plunge because there are certain attributes that you can’t do without if you intend to make a success of your venture. So here are the ‘top ten’!

Determination : You must be fully committed to your new career before making your move; and once you’ve started the business you must be prepared to see it through the difficult times you’ll encounter.
Willingness to work hard: This goes without saying. But, during the early days of setting up your business you’ll probably work longer and for less money than you would for any employer.

Continue reading →

Posted in start your own business | Tagged learning how to run a business, qualities you need to start your own business, start your own business | Comments Off

Finding A Better Way Of Working

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Diana Nadin

The majority of people who work do a particular job because they need to keep a roof over their head, food on the table and pay their bills.

Some lucky people – and I consider myself to be in this category – really enjoy their jobs. But even people who are generally happy in their work occasionally find themselves falling out of love with the routine, or finding it a strain. Handing in your notice and leaving to find something new might be a bit extreme; so it’s up to you to do some self-analysis to come up with some strategies that might just get you enjoying your work again. But in order to do this you need to look at what might be causing your dissatisfaction. Here are some possible reasons: Continue reading →

Posted in boosting self-confidence, improving your career prospects | Tagged enjoying your job again, enjoying your work, revitalising your job | Comments Off

Get 2019 Off To An Ambitious Start

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Diana Nadin

First I’d like to wish you all a prosperous and peaceful New Year.

As the New Year starts, here in Britain the weather is usually horrible – cold, rainy, dark and we may even have snow. So, many people try to cheer themselves up by planning their holidays and deciding where they can go to get a little sunshine and relaxation. I’m no exception – I love to travel.

In fact, I’m privileged to have visited some amazing places over the past few years – the two that stand out most are Japan and South Africa. As a language teacher I’m always interested in how many people use English in the countries I visit, how well they use it – and I usually feel very embarrassed that I can’t speak their language at all. Because English is used so widely and is one of the main languages for the Internet, we are very lazy in the UK. Continue reading →

Posted in Business English | Tagged improve your English, improving your written and spoken English | Comments Off

Christmas Greetings!

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Diana Nadin

I’m going to keep this post very brief as I’m sure you’ve got better things to do at the moment than read our blog!

If you’re making preparations for Christmas then I’d like to send you the warmest season’s greetings. And to all our students and readers around the world, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I wish you peace and happiness.

Until next year…

Author: Diana Nadin

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Find Your Hidden Entrepreneur!

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Diana Nadin

I don’t think there are many of us who haven’t, at some time, thought how wonderful it would be to own our own business and be our own boss. Not having to work nine-to-five, not having to take orders from someone else, using your hard work to make money for yourself rather than someone else. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Many people manage to make this dream a reality. But it isn’t as easy as it sounds and you can only succeed if you go into it with your eyes open to the problems and have people around you who you can rely on and who will support you. Also, it’s essential to have a good, solid, business plan in place.

So why do you need a business plan? Continue reading →

Posted in start your own business | Tagged planning a business, preparing a business plan, starting your own business | Comments Off

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