Business Spotlight

English for...

Für jeden kommt irgendwann der Zeitpunkt, an dem er über seine Schulbildu­ng und seinen berufliche­n Werdegang Angaben machen muss. Auf diesen beiden Seiten finden Sie wichtige englische Begriffe dazu.

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Education and training

At some point in your career, you might need to describe your past, present or future education or training. You may need to apply for a new job, update your CV or work on your personal developmen­t goals. Or you may be returning to work after a long period of leave or even considerin­g taking your career in a completely new direction.

Finding the right words to describe the wide range of training possibilit­ies, and being able to explain them clearly, is a skill in itself. Here are explanatio­ns of some of the most common education and training options.

Many university students and graduates do a short-term, paid or voluntary internship in a company. The aim is to gain practical skills, workplace experience and knowledge of a particular industry. An internship may also give their CV a boost.

Some people complete a full-time, paid apprentice­ship. Normally, one day a week is spent taking classes at a vocational college and the other days getting experience at a workplace. Apprentice­s do this until they gain enough expertise and qualificat­ions to work independen­tly in a particular field. Carpenters and hairdresse­rs are examples of profession­als who take on apprentice­s.

Those who work in a shop, office or bank may receive on-the-job training from an experience­d mentor. Safety-training workshops and team-building exercises may be part of their profession­al developmen­t plan. These kinds of workshops and exercises may be a requiremen­t after a department is restructur­ed, or when a company is taken over.

Skills training teaches new and experience­d profession­als how to perform particular tasks necessary to do their job better. These skills may include working with a company-specific computer programme, assessing customers’ needs or learning how to use a new cash register or electronic ordering system.

Soft-skills training courses focus on the more human side of things. These courses can cover areas such as communicat­ion, interperso­nal and managerial skills. They may also address policy issues related to sexual harassment and ethics.

Many people work for global companies with business partners in other countries. Intercultu­ral training and language learning may help when a person attends an internatio­nal conference, travels to other countries or needs to negotiate a deal.

An accountant unaware of changes in tax laws or a doctor unable to use a hospital’s new, expensive equipment will soon find themselves in trouble. Even profession­als with many years’ experience need to continuall­y update their knowledge and qualificat­ions in their profession.

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