Companies and careers
English for business
1. Career paths
Retirement
o The age at which people retire (end their working life)
Career paths
o Work your way up the career ladder
o Getting promotion to jobs that were more senior (more important with greater
responsibility)
o You would probably not be demoted (moves to a less senior job)
2. Company structure
Restructured to become more flatter (with fewer layers of management) and leaner (with
fewer, more productive employees)
o Downsize and delayered
Necessary to reduce the costs > increasing efficiency and profits
Company hierarchy
3. In-house staff of freelancers
Note
Freelancers or freelances
Vocabulary
Downsized companies mostly outsource jobs, done by in-house personnel
o They use more freelancers (independent people who work for several different
companies) or ask contractors to work for short periods on temporary contracts
o Often expect flexibility
Job insecurity = the feeling they may not be in their job for long
Performance review = regular meetings with their manager
4. Leaving a company
Note
Someone’s contract has been terminated
Fired, sacked and given the sack = informal
BrE only: sacked and given the sack
Vocabulary
To leave a company
o Resign
o Hand in your notice
You did something wrong and are forced to leave
English for business
1. Career paths
Retirement
o The age at which people retire (end their working life)
Career paths
o Work your way up the career ladder
o Getting promotion to jobs that were more senior (more important with greater
responsibility)
o You would probably not be demoted (moves to a less senior job)
2. Company structure
Restructured to become more flatter (with fewer layers of management) and leaner (with
fewer, more productive employees)
o Downsize and delayered
Necessary to reduce the costs > increasing efficiency and profits
Company hierarchy
3. In-house staff of freelancers
Note
Freelancers or freelances
Vocabulary
Downsized companies mostly outsource jobs, done by in-house personnel
o They use more freelancers (independent people who work for several different
companies) or ask contractors to work for short periods on temporary contracts
o Often expect flexibility
Job insecurity = the feeling they may not be in their job for long
Performance review = regular meetings with their manager
4. Leaving a company
Note
Someone’s contract has been terminated
Fired, sacked and given the sack = informal
BrE only: sacked and given the sack
Vocabulary
To leave a company
o Resign
o Hand in your notice
You did something wrong and are forced to leave
