Vocabulary
IDIOMS
Ex. 2. Read the entries from McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs38 and complete the sentences below. Translate them into Russian:
think outside the box also think out of the box
Fig. to think freely, not bound by old, nonfunctional, or limiting structures, rules, or practices. (As if thinking or creativity were confined in or limited by a figurative box. Compare this with think inside the box.)
Etymology: based on the idea that limiting your thoughts is like thinking inside a box which can contain only a certain number of ideas
think inside the box
Fig. to think in traditional fashion, bound by old, nonfunctional, or limiting structures, rules, or practices.
You won't come up with good ideas until you think ……………………
You won't come up with good ideas if you think only ………………
These guys are incredibly creative - they really know how to ……………..
You, guys, only think ……….. and will never find a better solution.
Let's think ……………. for a minute and try to find a better solution.
Ex. 3. Translate from Russian into English. Pay attention to the expressions in bold:
Мы ориентируем наших научных сотрудников на поиск нетривиальных решений.
Среди вас есть студенты, которые могут мыслить нестандартно?
Если мы хотим справиться с этой проблемой (cope with), то должны подойти к ней по-новому.
Если ты хочешь заниматься исследовательской работой, старайся мыслить нестереотипно.
Все говорят «надо мыслить нестандартно», а как этому научиться?
Ex. 4. Read and translate the abstract from the article 11 Ways to Think Outside the Box by Dustin Wax39. Pay attention to the ways the author plays with the word box.
We’re told to “think outside the box” all the time, but how exactly do we do that? How do we cultivate the ability to look at things differently from the way we typically look at things? Thinking outside the box starts well before we’re “boxed in” – that is, well before we confront a unique situation and start forcing it into a familiar “box” that we already know how to deal with. If you would like to develop your out-of-the-box thinking skills, make an effort to push your thinking up to and beyond its limit every now and again – the talents you develop may come in handy the next time you face a situation that “everybody knows” how to solve.
READING
Value of Professional Organizations
By Laura Raines40
When employment goes down, membership in industry associations and professional organizations generally goes up. Job seekers come to meetings to meet new contacts and possible employers and market their skills.
“Some people wait until they get a [termination] notice to reach out and build a network. Then it’s almost too late,” said Elizabeth Wysong, director of human resources technology for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “People shouldn’t wait for a career crisis to join”, she said. “You want to get involved and start building your network all along, because there are so many benefits from it. Membership is an investment in yourself and your career.”
When Wysong started her career in human resources at St. Thomas University in Miami, a colleague suggested she join the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as a way to network and build knowledge about her profession. “I found it to be a tremendous opportunity to meet people who were similarly focused and wanted to learn the same things I did,” Wysong said. “I have not found a better vehicle [than associations] to build up my body of knowledge and establish great relationships in the community,” she said. “When I had challenges at work, I knew people who had done that and who could give me a different perspective and advice.”
She has also found it a great way to hone and display her skills. “I’ve only worked for three employers, and my last two career moves came from my direct involvement with local SHRM chapters,” said Wysong, who has worked in human resources in education, banking and health care. “I never had to market myself to find a job. Opportunities came to me,” she said. “Because they came from people I trusted, it was easier to leap into a new organization and industry. An association is a great place to be mentored in whatever skills you need to learn,” she said.
Career development
A lot of people join an association the way they do a church, said Paul Terlemezian, president of iFive Alliances LLC, an Atlanta firm that helps companies make strategic alliances. “They go to a service and notice that other people seem to know each other and be getting more out of it,” Terlemezian said. “People tell me that they are waiting for their career to get better and I say, ‘Why are you waiting?’ Be proactive. If you want to grow and increase your value, join an association and get involved.” “It’s a great place to get to know people and be known. You can sell your product or your skills, find a job and make friends. Associations often offer low-cost ways to sharpen your skills, stay abreast of industry trends, and earn certifications needed to advance in your career,” Terlemezian said.
Terlemezian joined the American Society of Training and Development because it gave him a chance to learn about emerging technologies, to gain leadership experiences, and take that knowledge back to his company. “When the 6,000-member Technology Association of Georgia speaks, it is representing industry interests. People listen,” Terlemezian said.
Seek roles that match
“When you join an organization, be intentional about your involvement and seek out roles that match your skills and abilities, or ones where you can learn new skills. If you’re not intentional, you may get a volunteer job and then you’ll just check out of participating. Think about what goals you want to accomplish. There’s no reason why benefits shouldn’t go both ways when you volunteer time and talent for an organization. I’ve had business development and career opportunities because people have told me that they liked the way I volunteered in an organization,” Terlemezian said.
Follow your passion
“As long as I’ve had my career, I’ve been interested in associations. In fact, I started my business at an association meeting,” said Peggy Hutcheson, president of the Odyssey Group, an HR consulting firm. She was talking to a friend about wanting to start her own consulting business at an organization meeting, when a corporate project manager passed her his card. “When you decide to do that, call me. I’ve liked what I’ve seen you do here,” he told her. “I had led a couple of volunteer projects and in his mind that validated my skills,” she said.
Hutcheson started with the Greater Atlanta chapter of ASTD while working in internal communications at Rich’s. When the group needed a newsletter, she knew how to do that and volunteered. She took her passion for career development to the national level of ASTD and ended up serving on the board. “I met people that I would never have met otherwise – people whose books and articles I’d read in graduate school, became friends.”
A client suggested that she think outside the box because IEEE, an engineering, technology and telecommunications organization, could use her skills. “As chair of their employment and career services committee, I’ve run conferences and developed a Webinar series. I was also asked to be part of their steering committee on innovation,” she said. Last year she spoke at a global conference in Quebec and led a career fair in London. “As a small business person, I would never have had access to this level of leadership were it not for the association,” she said.
Hutcheson admits to being a “radical” advocate for association membership and involvement. “Let people see what you can do, and as long as you’re learning something you’ll see career growth,” she said. “Start by committing to short-term projects where you can see results and then follow your passion.”
Ex. 1. Answer the questions.
How did a membership in a professional association help Elizabeth Wysong to build up her career?
What did Terlemezian get out of volunteering for the American Society of Training and Development?
Why did Peggy Hutcheson become a “radical” advocate for association membership?
What did you learn from their experiences?
Ex. 2. Develop the following statements:
Membership is an investment in yourself and your career.
An association is a good place to learn the skills you need.
A professional association is a great place to get to know people and be known.
If you want to increase your value, join an association and get involved.
LANGUAGE TRAINING
Ex. 1. Learn the following phrasal verbs. Fill in the gaps below.
end up: reach out: check out: get the best/ most out of: |
to finish by becoming to try; make an effort to inform or persuade smb to examine to see if it is suitable or good to gain as much as possible from smth/ smb |
In spite of the people’s opinions, she ………………………… the winner.
After ……………………….. several colleges, Karen decided on Iowa State University.
You will ………………………. students by respecting their views.
……………………………. our new website!
The course was really good – I ……………………………….. it.
The publisher is ………………to young people in an effort to convince them that being sexy does not mean being successful.
The general began his army life as a soldier and ……………………… as ruler of his country41.
Ex. 2. Match these words and expressions with their definitions.
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a) a local branch of an organization, such as a club or fraternity b) an exposition for employers, recruiters and schools to meet with prospective job seekers. c) a printed report giving news or information of interest to a special group d) to match unsuitably or inaccurately e) to make an attempt to communicate f) to act in advance to deal with an expected difficulty g) a committee to arrange the order of business for some larger body j) to achieve the greatest output of work, effort, etc., out of someone or smth |
o
be proactive
Ex. 3. Match these sentence halves.
1 2. Professional associations provide a resource for people who 3. An association may offer career information, 4. Starting and running a professional organization 5. A professional organization often publishes 6. Some people join a professional organization
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a) to make friends in the business and meet potential client b) can be challenging, but rewarding. c) provide information to potential members. d) earning opportunities, support and networking. e) a monthly or quarterly newsletter or magazine for its members. f) share a common interest, usually career-related.
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.A
website is a good way to keep members informed plus
Ex. 4. Choose the most appropriate word in the box to complete the text42.
requirement |
benefits |
solve |
credibility |
membership |
reasons |
joining |
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There are several 1)……………………for joining a professional organization. In some professions, it's a 2)………………… for licensing. Professional organizations offer 3)…………………… to their members, making it easier to do their jobs and 4)…………………… common problems for members. Most importantly, 5)………………….. a professional organization instantly associates you with the most serious people in the industry and adds to your 6)…………………… as a professional. 7)………………………. in a professional organization isn't a luxury, it's respected and important enough to be deemed as a legitimate tax write-off .