Widgets Inc.: A task-based course in workplace English by atama-ii

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Widgets Inc. A task-based course in workplace English

Marcos Benevides â&#x20AC;˘ Chris Valvona

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Second Edition

Widgets Inc.

Welcome to Widgets Inc., a different kind of English language course! Widgets is a business themed communication course using a task-based approach to language learning. It is designed for classes of 12 to 40 young adult or older students who are placed into teams in order to complete a series of connected projects.

Great for mixed-ability classes from Pre-Intermediate to High-Intermediate!

•

CEFR B1 and above: students are engaged and challenged at their own level of achievement even while working together in mixed-level teams. Task situations provide useful language and excellent incidental practice for TOEIC speaking and writing components.

A task-based course in workplace English

• Integrated skill development: students develop fluency and confidence in speaking,

listening, reading, and writing via discussions, presentations, self and team evaluations, report writing, viewing video instructions, and many more highly-contextualized tasks.

• Meaningful assessment: students are assessed primarily by task outcome in accordance with Communicative Language Teaching and TBLT principles; however, a secondary focus on the use of language forms is still possible.

Widgets is arranged by task complexity, not language complexity! The course starts with fairly easy tasks, and quickly builds to more complex projects. This puts the focus and the challenge of the course on the practical use of English, rather than on passing language tests. It also encourages students to develop fluency and confidence in using English in ‘real world’ situations.

Stage 1 Interns join the company orientation Stage 2 Teams prepare new product proposals Stage 3 Teams discuss and evaluate product proposals Stage 4 Teams perform market research on the product Stage 5 Teams plan a multimedia advertising campaign Stage 6 Interns prepare a resume and interview for a job

Marcos Benevides • Chris Valvona

Widgets Project Sequence

Marcos Benevides • Chris Valvona

00_Widgets2_Cover.indd 1

2018/08/12 0:41

Second Edition

Widgets Inc. A task-based course in workplace English

DIGITAL EDITION This edition of the Widgets Inc. coursebook is available for purchase online. Please visit www.widgepedia.com for digital purchase information. The print edition is available internationally from www.englishbooks.jp. You may print any part of this legally purchased coursebook for your own use. Teachers, please encourage your students to purchase their own copy. It is your support that keeps us in business, writing quality books for you! Thank you, Marcos and Chris

Intern name: Supervisor: Project Team:

Marcos Benevides â&#x20AC;˘ Chris Valvona

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Widgets Inc.: A task-based course in workplace English by Marcos Benevides and Chris Valvona Published by Atama-ii Books, Tokyo Printed in Hong Kong ÂŠ 2018 Atama-ii Books All rights reserved; this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, organizations, or events is purely coincidental. References to trademarked properties are made in respectful compliance with the doctrine of nominative fair use, and do not imply endorsement. Contact: publisher@atama-ii.com. Print version ISBN 978-194-11-4000-0 Publisher: Marcos Benevides Project Editor: Chris Valvona Consulting Editor: Rachel Wilson Designer: Junko Takahashi Principal Illustrators: Harry Kearns, Marcos Benevides Legacy illustrators: Marcio Benevides, K. Y. Chan, Bernd Wong Video Production: Jack Henry, Wide Island Films Commissioned photography: David Chapman Stock photography: DepositPhotos, Shutterstock Soundtrack: Crescent Music Video Talent: Shizuka Anderson (Jessica), Ben Deluca (Titus), Mami Sue (Miki), Iselita Arlen (Lily), Aaron Dods, Chris Valvona, Kayla Johnston-Mitchell, Henry Aberle, Takato Yoshino, Leah Wood, Franklin Sussman, and Kei Masuda. Acknowledgements: The number of people who have supported or guided Widgets over the past decade has grown too large to list without invariably leaving someone out. From the dedicated staff at Pearson Japan, to the dozens of colleagues who trialed or reviewed the original book, to the hundreds of teachers who have supported us at JALT and around the world, and the thousands of students who have shared with us their creativity in the classroom, we owe you much more than we can possibly say in one paragraph. We know that we would not be here without your wind at our backs. With this new edition, a special note of thanks should go to Mark Firth for his tireless availability for feedback, and to Sayaka Toshikiyo, Ryo Inui, Rilla Roessel, Ben Dyer, Amy Lee, and Alastair Lamond for helping us transition the book into its new incarnation. We also cannot forget Michael Tom, who set such an extraordinarily high editorial bar that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still trying to live up to it ten years later. Finally, three names are hereby inducted into the Widgets Hall of Fame for their absolutely outstanding support and guidance since the very beginning. They are Michiyo Mitamura, Steve King, and Marc Helgesen; thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

To the teacher Welcome to Widgets Inc., a different kind of communication course! Widgets is a task-based business themed course using a communicative approach to language learning. It is designed for classes of 12 to 40 students who are at a pre-intermediate level or above (CEFR B1+). The course is ideal for building English communicative fluency and confidence while developing practical workplace language and skills. What makes Widgets different from any other coursebook is its focus on creating a believable “reallife” English-speaking environment in the classroom. Students imagine that they are new interns at a fictional company where they work together in small teams to perform a series of carefully linked tasks and projects. Widgets begins with an orientation where interns meet each other and learn about the company. Then, it moves through four increasingly challenging stages of a product-development cycle. Finally, the course ends with a job interview task in which the interns can highlight their newly developed or acquired skills. The stages of the course are sequenced by gradually-increasing task complexity rather than by the usual grammar syllabus. This means that Widgets starts with fairly easy tasks (e.g. shaking hands and meeting coworkers), and builds up to relatively complex tasks (e.g. delivering a multimedia presentation or preparing a resume). The primary focus of the course is always on the practical use of English for communication, and task outcomes (rather than language tests) provide valid criteria for proficiency development and performance grading. Students are able to succeed because all course work is realistically connected – that is, all of the team projects, conversations, presentations, reports, and interviews are presented in the context of the larger simulation. This means that even lower-proficiency students can draw from their background knowledge and follow what they are being asked to do, and why. In other words, the effect of the extended simulation reduces language anxiety and builds confidence. The following two pages offer an overview of the course. In brief, at each of the core stages (2-5), product ideas are created, evaluated, improved, and then passed on between teams. Widgets is easy to use. However, we cannot stress enough that it really is different from other courses you may have used before. Therefore, we strongly suggest that teachers familiarize themselves with the whole student book before beginning to teach the course. It is particularly important to set aside enough time for preparation and presentation tasks, as these can be longer than they appear on the page. Visit widgepedia.com to access the video components, lesson plans, and other resources to help you plan and manage your course. Our very best wishes – and please let us know how you get on! Marcos and Chris widgets@atama-ii.com

visit widgepedia.com for lesson plans, answer keys, and more! iii

S TA G E

Welcome aboard: Orientation Task Complexity: Teacher

Student

The teacher introduces the Widgets Inc. concept to students, presents videos about the company, and guides students through a series of short get-toknow-each-other activities.

Team

The student begins the Widgets training program as a newly-hired intern. They get to know other interns, listen to video instructions, and learn about the company. At the end of Stage 1, each student completes a self-evaluation form.

Outcome Students participate in short tasks such as self-introductions, greetings, shaking hands, making conversation, and learning about the company through videos and readings.

S TA G E

Think outside the box: Brainstorming product ideas Task Complexity: Teacher The teacher places students into small permanent teams of 3-4 members, then guides the teams through a brainstorming process and preparation for an ‘elevator pitch’.

Student In teams, each student brainstorms several product ideas, then prepares a product proposal and an elevator pitch on their best idea. At the end of Stage 2, each student completes a self-evaluation form.

Team The team chooses a project manager, who then helps guide team members to brainstorm and choose their best ideas and to prepare product proposals and elevator pitches. The project manager participates in a performance interview at the end of the stage.

Outcome Each team produces four product proposal forms (main Stage 2 writing task) and four elevator pitch videos (main Stage 2 speaking task), one of each per team member. These are collected by the teacher for assessment and to be distributed to new teams in Stage 3.

S TA G E

Call the shots: Choosing the best product idea Task Complexity: Teacher The teacher distributes the Stage 2 product proposals and elevator pitch videos to a new team, then guides the teams to discuss and choose the one best idea and prepare a poster presentation.

Student Each student helps their team in discussing product ideas, choosing the best one, and preparing and delivering a poster presentation. At the end of Stage 3, each student completes a self-evaluation form.

Team The team chooses a new project manager, who then guides the team to discuss product ideas and to prepare the team’s written report and poster presentation. The project manager participates in a performance interview at the end of the stage.

Outcome Each team produces a one-page SWOT analysis report (main Stage 3 writing task) and participates in a poster presentation (main Stage 3 speaking task). The report is collected by the teacher for assessment and to be distributed to a new team in Stage 4.

S TA G E

Know your market: Doing market research on a product Task Complexity: Teacher

Student

The teacher distributes the Stage 2 product proposals and Stage 3 SWOT analysis reports to new teams, then guides teams to identify and research the market, find out what customers think of the product idea, and present their findings to the class.

Each student helps their team to do market research on the idea, including getting and analyzing information, and presenting it to the class. At the end of Stage 4, each student completes a self-evaluation form.

Team The team chooses a new project manager, who guides the team through the market research process and also helps to organize a presentation of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conclusions. The project manager participates in a performance interview at the end of the stage.

Outcome Each team conducts a focus group then delivers a formal presentation of their findings (main Stage 4 speaking task), including a slideshow and handouts (main Stage 4 writing tasks). The handout is collected by the teacher for assessment and to be distributed to a new team in Stage 5.

S TA G E

Get the word out: Preparing an advertising strategy Task Complexity: Teacher

Student

The teacher distributes Stage 2, 3, and 4 materials to new teams, then guides them to plan an advertising campaign based on the market research findings, and present it to the class including several components â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example: a video commercial, a billboard ad, a music jingle, social media posts, etc.

Each student helps their team to prepare an advertising campaign and a multimedia presentation based on the proposed ideas. At the end of Stage 5, each student completes a self-evaluation form.

Team The team chooses a final project manager, who guides the team members to plan a multimedia advertising campaign for their assigned product. The project manager participates in a performance interview at the end of the stage.

Outcome Each team presents an advertising campaign plan to the class, including several multimedia samples. These will include several main writing and speaking tasks, such as a video commercial, print ads, a social media strategy, etc. Other teams observe and vote on the ad campaign plan which is likely to be the most successful.

S TA G E

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell yourself short: Participating in a job interview Task Complexity: Teacher The teacher disbands the teams, then guides students through a job application process.

Student

Team

Each student draws from their experience during Stages 1 to 5 to create a resume and to participate in job interviews. At the end of Stage 6, each student completes a self-evaluation form.

Outcome Students prepare a resume and cover letter (main Stage 6 writing task) and participate in job interviews with other students (main Stage 6 speaking task).

To the student Welcome to Widgets Inc.! Get ready to begin your internship at Widgets Inc., the exciting startup company that creates useful products. To help you prepare, here are some important features of the Widgets Inc. Student Book.

Widgets Inc. executives You will be guided through your training by the Widgets Inc. executives. When you see a green text box, read it carefully. The executives may have an important tip or extra information about your project.

Good luck!

Video calls

Water cooler chat

Sometimes, the Widgets Inc. executives may make a video call to give you instructions, advice, or show your team an example presentation. Review these video calls with your team, and watch again at home if you need to. You can also read the video scripts at the back of this book. The videos can be streamed or downloaded by going to widgepedia.com

Working all the time can be hard. Sometimes you need to take a break. You can go to the water cooler and chat with other interns at anytime before or after class, or during a special water cooler break. Talk about a recent event in your life, or try the water cooler chat cards on pages 84 and 85.

Paperwork!

Project manager From Stage 2 to Stage 5, you will need to pick a project manager for your team. Each team member will be the project manager at least once. The project manager is responsible for making sure that all team members are present, participating in the team project, and using English as much as possible.

At the end of each stage of your training, you will be asked to evaluate your own performance at Widgets Inc. This will help you set your learning goals and measure your progress. Sometimes you may also be asked to evaluate other interns â&#x20AC;&#x201C; be fair and try to give helpful advice!

Glossary Look at the Glossary on pages 108 to 113 for definitions of new words. There is a space for you to take notes or write the definition in your own language.

CONTENTS To the teacher

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

To the student Stage 1

•• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Welcome aboard

page

iii

page

• • • • • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Intern orientation: Get to know your fellow interns; learn about the company; participate in workplace conversations; meet the company executives; meet your team.

Stage 2

Think outside the box

• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

page

Brainstorming product ideas: In teams, choose a project manager; receive a recorded video call; think of new product ideas; write a product proposal form; prepare and deliver a one-minute video.

Stage 3

Call the shots

•• • • • • • • • • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Choosing the best product idea: In teams, choose a new project manager; analyze a product idea; agree and disagree politely; write a one-page report; give a poster presentation.

Stage 4

Know your market

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Doing market research on a product: In teams, choose a new project manager; prepare and conduct a focus group; analyze your data and make conclusions; prepare and give a group presentation.

Stage 5

Get the word out

• • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Preparing an advertising strategy: In teams, choose a new project manager; plan and present an effective multimedia ad campaign; produce example videos, social posts, print ads and more for the campaign.

Stage 6

Don’t sell yourself short

•• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Participating in a job interview: Your training is now complete – take what you know and prepare a strong resume and cover letter, including all of your Widgets achievements. Finally, practice interviewing for a job.

Appendix A: Water cooler chat cards Appendix B: Product proposal pages Appendix C: Video scripts Appendix D: Glossary

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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page 84 page 86 page 98

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vii

S TA G E

Welcome aboard You’re hired!

Congratulations! You have been selected to work as an intern at Widgets Inc. Widgets is a fast-growing international company. We specialize in exciting new technology. Soon, you will

My Notes: • fast-growing • specialize in• hands-on-

learn what it’s like to work with us. You will join a team of other interns, and together you will experience the hands-on Widgets training program. Teamwork is very important at Widgets. Working together, your team will create, develop, and market new product ideas. You can learn important management and communication skills this way, but only if you are an active participant. At the end of the training program – if your team is successful – you will be invited to interview for a permanent position in the company. We’re always looking for creative and hardworking new employees! I look forward to meeting you at this year’s orientation. Bring us your enthusiasm, your creativity, and an open mind. I’m sure you’ll do really well! All the best,

Jessica Sparks Chief Technology Officer, Widgets Incorporated

Jessica Spark

d C TO, Co-founder an Widgets Inc.

S TA G E

It’s your first day on the job! Hi there! Welcome to the Widgets Internship Program. I’m Jessica, the CTO at Widgets. I’m going to show you around. But first, let’s get ready to meet your fellow interns. We’ll start by making nametags.

A Look at these example nametags.

HELLO My name is

An interesting fact about me:

Michael

I’m a drummer in a band

Rachel

I have a black belt in judo

B Read their “interesting facts”. Can you think of a question you could ask each person? Michael:

Rachel:

C Now make your own nametag. Use this space to practice.

HELLO My name is An interesting fact about me:

Your ‘interesting fact’ can be anything. Think of something that people will remember about you.

Shake on it Knowing how to shake hands is important when you want to make a good impression. Do you know the do’s and don’ts of handshakes?

A Read the advice below. When shaking hands, 1.

Always make eye contact and smile. This shows that you are friendly and honest. Looking away can seem like you have something to hide.

Use a firm grip – not too strong, not too weak. A strong grip can feel aggressive, but a weak grip can signal that you are not confident.

Don't

Let go at the right time. For most professional situations, pump your hand up and down two or three times, then pull it back.

Don't

Now let’s try it! B Introduce yourself to the other interns. Shake hands, say

your name, and say “Nice to meet you.” Ask a question about their interesting fact. Meet as many people as you can.

S TA G E

Welcome to Widgets! OK, now that you’ve met each other, let’s learn about the company!

A Watch Video 1. Don’t worry if you don’t catch all of the information at first. If you can, complete the sentences below.

Widgets was started

Welcome to Widgets. Your

Widgets has

years ago by three

Meet Miki May, the

in New York, Hong Kong, and

Titus Pinsch. This superstar

Widgets. A magazine called her CFO a true Widgets' profits year after year. of our time.

Jessica Sparks. CTO and , she is the creator of many of Widgets' best-selling products.

B Check your answers with another intern. Don’t look at their answers – ask and listen! C Watch Video 1 again. Take notes below.

D Now discuss Widgets with another intern. You can ask and answer the questions

below, or ask your own questions. Continue until your supervisor asks you to stop. What kind of company is Widgets? Is it big or small? Who started it? What are some Widgets products? Do you want to use them? Why or why not? Does Widgets seem like a good place to work? Why or why not? Does Widgets remind you of any other companies you know?

Order now! Now that you know about the company, let’s look at some of the Widgets products in our online catalog.

A Read the product descriptions on pages 6 and 7. When you finish, write a comment

about each one. Your comment can be positive or negative. Give each product a score from 1 - 5 stars.

iShave Phone Case Shaver Call your friends! Check your messages! Shave your face! Now you can do it all with the Widgets iShave phone case!* The iShave is completely waterproof and can be washed clean in seconds. It also includes an extra battery, so your phone will last longer than ever. iShave colors include blue, pink, gold, and black. *Warning: Texting while shaving can be dangerous. Comment:

X-Ray Fridge We know you care about saving money, and so do we. That’s why we’ve created the amazing X-Ray Fridge, which can save up to 20% on your electric bill! Now there’s no more need to stand in front of your open fridge while you decide what looks good to eat. Instead, cameras on the inside send an image to the giant touch-screen on the door. Even better, download the app and keep an eye on that chocolate cake from anywhere! Comment:

Scale Shoes Do you often forget to weigh yourself? Sure, who doesn’t? Well, with the Widgets Scale Shoes, now you can check how much you weigh at any time of the day or night. Just stand up straight, tap your shoes together, and your weight displays across the toes. Easy! Have you ever wondered whether you’re a bit heavier on Mondays than on Fridays? No? Well now you won’t be able to stop wondering – so just go on and get Scale Shoes to find out! Comment:

S TA G E

Soy Sticks

Do you love sushi, but hate opening those messy little soy sauce packs? Well now you can get Widgets Soy Sticks! These high quality chopsticks hold the perfect amount of soy sauce for one meal. Just press a small button at the top, and squirt the right amount of soy sauce from the tip. Soy sauce right where you want it, every time, with no mess. Sushi just got even better! Comment:

Doggy BFF We’re animal lovers here at Widgets. But sometimes we’re too busy inventing cool new products to give our best friend the walk he needs. So we did the next best thing: We created a best friend for our best friend! Set the Doggy BFF to follow an online map or use the Random Walk feature. And don’t worry: the Doggy BFF avoids roads and always returns home within one hour. Best of all, the extendable poop-scoop hand will clean up any mess that Rex tries to leave behind! Bow-wow! Comment:

Kitty Floats Everyone knows that cats don’t like water, but until recently, no one knew why. Now, our researchers have discovered the reason: they don’t want to drown! With the new Kitty Floats from Widgets, your cat will have nothing to be afraid of. Based on the same technology as ‘water wings’ for children, Kitty Floats keeps your pet safely on the surface of the water for hours!* Kitty Floats is also 100% bite-proof and scratch-proof. Mee-wow! *Results may vary Comment:

B Now work with another intern and discuss your comments and scores. Do you

agree about which products are the best and which are the worst? Can you think of any way to make these products better?

Water cooler chat It’s important to take a break. In most workplaces, there is a water cooler, a coffee maker, or a vending machine where co-workers often run into each other and chat. It’s a great way to be friendly and get to know your co-workers!

A Read these tips about how to have a short casual conversation. 1. Ask follow-up questions

Let’s see... On Saturday morning, I went jogging.

What did you do last weekend?

Answer, then ask another follow-up question:

Really? How far did you run?

. ?

Don’t just say “yes” or “no”. Give details.

Did you watch the big game last night?

No.

Give a possible answer:

Oh. Did you do something else instead?

Avoid long pauses. If the conversation stops, ask a new question to change the topic.

Yes,

... and that's how you make glue!

...

... You don't want to talk about movies. Politely change the topic:

Oh, hey, did you hear about the new Marvel movie?

B Watch Video 2. Can you find examples of 1-3 above? 1.

A follow-up question: “

?”

A detailed answer: “

?”

A change of topic: “

?”

C Now it’s your turn. Look at the “Water cooler chat” cards on pages 84 and 85 for ideas. Continue the conversation until your supervisor asks you to stop.

S TA G E

The dream team It was nice chatting with you. Now let’s get back to work. Soon your supervisor will put you into teams. But before that happens, watch this video about the very first Widgets team.

A Watch Video 3. How did the first Widgets team get started?

B Think about the three Widgets co-founders. Who best matches each personal quality? Add two other qualities.

caring confident creative decisive energetic focused friendly

�

good with people good at business good with numbers hard-working a leader organized outgoing

a perfectionist productive sensible a team player trustworthy

C Discuss your answers with another intern. Do you agree about Miki, Jessica, and Titus? Do you think they are well balanced as a team? Why or why not?

D Now think about your own skills and qualities. What kind of a person are you? Write down some of the words from the list above which best describe you.

E Based on your answers,

which Widgets co-founder are you most like? Tell your partner.

I think I’m like Miki, because I’m decisive.

I’m not like Titus, because I’m not good with numbers

Meet your team OK, here we go! Now your supervisor will put you into a team. You will work together with this team for most of your time at Widgets, so get to know each other.

A Meet your team members. Shake hands and introduce yourself. You can talk about your personal qualities on page 9.

B Share your contact information with your team members. Important: only share what you want to share, and always respect your co-workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; privacy!

Name:

Contact:

Notes:

Name:

Contact:

Notes:

Excellent. Now here is a team-building activity to get your team going!

C Think of a team name, a motto, and draw a logo for your team. You can make notes below.

Team Name:

Motto:

Logo:

S TA G E

Paperwork! Complete the Intern Evaluation Form. When you finish, make a copy and give it to your supervisor.

Date:

Intern name:

Attendance and participation 1. 2. 3.

I am present and on time every day. I participate with a positive attitude. I speak only in English.

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Performance 4. I can meet people and shake hands. 5. I can ask and answer questions in a conversation. 6. I can take useful notes from video information. 7. I can discuss and explain my likes and dislikes. 8. I can answer questions with enough information. 9. I can describe a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s character and personality. 10. I can cooperate as part of a team using only English.

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

What have I learned so far?

What can I do to improve?

Grading I would like to receive a final grade of: So far, I think that I deserve a grade of:

F D C B A F D C B A

Comments:

Good wo rk. Now your rea l tra ining begins! -Jess ica

S TA G E

Think Outside the Box Today we’re going to start your training in the R&D department. R&D is short for “Research and Development”. It’s where all of the great Widgets products come from.

Before we get started, there’s one more thing we need to do. Your team needs to choose a project manager.

Take charge! The project manager’s responsibilities are: • to make sure all members are participating • to make sure the team is speaking in English • to lead discussions and to ask for opinions • to be a spokesperson for the team If your team does well, the project manager will receive much of the praise. If the team doesn’t do well, the project manager may receive the blame! Everyone will be project manager at least once.

A What are some qualities of a good leader? Discuss with your team. B Now discuss who should be the first project manager. You should be project manager because you’re outgoing.

She should be project manager because she’s creative.

C Now vote. The Stage 2 project manager is:

I shouldn’t be project manager because I’m not decisive.

S TA G E

Creative inventions Good, now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get your team and your new project manager warmed up! Take a look at some of my favorite creative ideas in history.

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Simple ideas that changed the world! Sometimes, the smallest idea can make a huge difference in our lives. You already know these ideas, but do you know what they are called? Or where they come from? Read on! 1

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A Talk to a partner. What is the correct name for each product or idea? 1. a) road reflector b) paint line marker c) night lights

2. a) zipper b) hook-and-loop fastener c) double-sided sticker

3. a) duct tape b) memo paper c) sticky notes

B Do you know the brand name for the original version of these products? 1.

Turn the page to learn how these products were first created.

C Read the description of how each product was created, and match the number from above.

In the 1940s, a Swiss scientist was walking his dog. He saw that burrs (small hooked seeds) stuck to his pants and to his dog’s fur. This gave him an idea: maybe he could create something like the burrs to hold things together. Today, this product is used on all kinds of items that need to hold together strongly, but also need to be easy to open and close. For example, jackets and children’s shoes.

In the 1970s, a scientist in the USA was trying to invent a new, extra strong type of glue. However, he accidentally created a very weak type of glue instead. At first, the glue seemed useless – but then he got the idea to put it on the back of small pieces of paper. He used them to mark pages in books or stick on things as notes. Today, more than 50 billion of these colored pieces of paper are sold each year!

In the 1930s, a UK driver noticed how animal eyes often reflect a car’s headlights along a road. This gave him the idea to make reflectors that could be put all along the road for safety. What’s more, by driving over these bumps on the road, a driver can feel that they are going off the road. Also, when a car drives over them, the reflectors sink against a small wiper, which keeps them clean and shiny. Genius!

D Work with your team. Can you think of some other simple ideas that have changed the world? Here are some popular categories and examples:

Kitchen items

Medical equipment

Car accessories

Other

The project brief

S TA G E

Those were some great ideas, and that’s the kind of thinking we want here at Widgets. So let me get you started on your team project. There are four important steps.

STAGE 2 PROJECT: Step 1: Think of some problems you have in your life. Step 2: Imagine new ways to solve those problems. Step 3: Write one product proposal per team member Step 4: Give a short ‘pitch’ for each product idea

Your team will show that you are creative and can explain your ideas to other people. It’s easier than you think! Let’s have a quick video chat and I’ll explain.

A Watch Video 4 and take notes.

B Discuss with your teammates: What is Jessica’s message? What advice does she give?

C Watch Video 4 again. Do you still have any questions? Discuss with your team.

Brainstorm! The key to being creative is to start by identifying a problem that needs to be solved. Watch me coming up with a new idea.

A Read the story.

Oh where is it ?

Start by thinking of a problem you have in your everyday life.

For example, I’m always losing my phone.

I know!

A phone that sticks to the wall! Why didn’t I think of that before? Hmm… How can I solve this problem?

Hm, a sticky phone. It's interesting, but is it a good product idea? Good products should be:

useful,

safe,

original, and

possible to make.

B Discuss the Sticky Phone. Is this idea useful, safe, original, and possible? Why or why not?

( ) useful? ( ) safe? ( ) original? ( ) possible?

C Would you think about buying this product? Why or why not? 16

Problems and solutions

S TA G E

OK, now it’s your turn. Remember, start by thinking of some problems you have in your everyday life. You don’t need to think of a solution yet, just the problem.

A Write down some problems you have in your life. Think about home, school, work, etc. PROBLEMS IN YOUR LIFE 1.

I always wake up late because there is no sunlight in my room.

2. 3. 4. 5.

B Work with your team. Brainstorm some solutions to each other’s problems. I always wake up late because there’s no sunlight in my room.

Hmm… I know! How about a sunlight alarm clock? It shines a light on your face to wake you up!

Hey, that’s not a bad idea, thanks!

C Write down your best solutions below. SOLUTIONS 1.

A sunlight alarm clock that shines a light on your face in the morning.

2. 3. 4. 5. See? I told you it was easy! Now that you have a few good ideas, let’s think of which ones are good enough to become Widgets products.

The good and the bad Not all ideas are equally good. Let’s think about your ideas a bit more, and see which ones are better than the others.

A Choose your two best ideas from page 16 and fill out the information below. Example product idea

Description

Sunlight Alarm Clock

This is for people who need

sunlight to wake up. It’s a clock that shines a light on your face in the morning. √ useful

√ safe

Your product idea

original

√ possible

original

possible

original

possible

Description

useful

safe

Your product idea

Description

useful

safe

B Now get ready to explain your ideas to your team members. Here are some key phrases that may help. It’s a kind of ~ It’s made of ~ It looks like ~ It’s used for ~ 18

Example: “It’s a kind of alarm clock” Example: “It’s made of plastic and glass” Example: “It looks like a lamp with a clock under it” Example: “It’s used for waking up in the morning”

S TA G E

The best of the best OK, now let’s listen to all of the ideas in your team. Each member of your team will need to choose their one best idea, so listen carefully and ask questions.

Listen to your first team member’s ideas and fill in the information below. Don’t look in their book.

Your team member

Product Idea 1

Product Idea 2

Description

useful

safe

original

possible

useful

safe

original

possible

B Discuss with your team, then circle the better idea. C Listen to your next team member’s idea and fill in the information below. Your team member

Product Idea 1

Product Idea 2

Description

useful

safe

original

possible

useful

safe

original

possible

original

possible

Your team member

Product Idea 1

Product Idea 2

Description

useful

safe

original

possible

useful

D Repeat until all team members have finished.

safe

The product proposal Now that you’ve decided on your best Widgets idea, it’s time to make a product proposal. Take a look at this example. I’ve written some notes on it to help explain what you need to do.

Make sure you fill in the whole form.

Intern name: Sage Parker Team name:

10-sai!

Product name: The Guilt Jar

short and catchy. This is a nice name:

Product illustration

Show what the product looks like and how it works. Be creative–a good picture can make your product really stand out.

Purpose:

It helps people stay healthy by cutting down on cookies.

Product description and other information: Do you have trouble staying healthy? Do you like cookies too much? Your problems will go away with the new Widgets Guilt Jar! Just put all of your cookies (or chocolates, or cakes) in the jar and set the number of cookies you want to be able to eat each day. Once you start getting close to that number, the Guilt Jar will start giving you short messages to make you feel guilty. Example messages include: “It’s a little early for a cookie, isn’t it?”, “Why don’t you go for a run instead?”, and “It’s just food, not love.” You can also record your own messages, or download many more from the Widgets website!

Describe your product in detail so other people can easily understand how it works. This is also a chance to tell people how great the product is, so use exciting, persuasive language.

Give your diet a boost today with the Widgets Guilt Jar!

OK, I think you get the idea! Now write your own product proposal on the next page. Or better yet, make your own product proposal page on a computer, and make it look really professional!

S TA G E

Widgets Inc. Product Proposal Intern name:

Team name:

Product name: Product illustration

Purpose: Product description and other information:

Download this page at: widgepedia.com

The elevator pitch Now that you’ve made your product proposal, there’s only one more thing to do. You need to pitch the idea to the company. You’re going to try an ‘elevator pitch’. You will have one minute or less to get the other person excited about your idea. Can you do it? What can you say? How can you say it? Let’s find out.

A Read about elevator pitches. B Discuss with your team. What are the most important points about elevator pitches?

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Elevator pitch From Widgepedia, the Widgets Inc. encyclopedia

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An elevator pitch is an opportunity to pitch an idea in a short amount of time, often while doing something else; for example, while riding an elevator.

Main page

Other examples could include activities such as riding together in a taxi, walking down a hallway, or waiting in line. The target of an elevator pitch is often a person who is busy, and therefore difficult to catch at other times.

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An elevator pitch is usually one minute or less, and presents the idea in a clear and exciting way.

C Watch Video 5. Don’t take notes yet. D Discuss with your team. How does the intern try to make the idea exciting?

Planning your pitch

S TA G E

Good. Now you're going to prepare and video record your own elevator pitch using your product idea.

A Plan, practice, and video record your own elevator pitch. You can talk directly to the camera, or you can speak to another person.

Some important tips:

• • • •

Keep it short. One minute or less is good. Smile and use positive, exciting language. Explain the idea clearly—who will like it? Why? Make the idea easy for another person to tell.

Elevator pitch preparation Location: Camera person: Actors: Costumes or props:

Other comments:

Script: (see next page)

Writing your script Great! Now all you need is to prepare what you're going to say. Remember: a good elevator pitch must be clear and exciting!

Elevator pitch script

er sure that each memb end of Stage 2. Make the is ll is wi Th d rs: an , ge ch na pit Project ma al and elevator ared a product propos and then of your team has prep ll grade your projects wi r so rvi pe su ur Yo . ssion bring it to the next se ms. tea er oth to m pass the

S TA G E

Paperwork! Complete the Intern Evaluation Form. When you finish, make a copy and give it to your supervisor.

Date:

Intern name:

Attendance and participation 1. 2. 3.

I am present and on time every day. I participate actively and with a positive attitude. I speak only in English during my time at Widgets.

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Performance 4. I can participate in small group discussions. 5. I can share ideas and give my opinion to the team. 6. I can ask and answer questions about product ideas. 7. I can communicate well in short free topic conversations. 8. I can understand and take notes during a video call. 9. I can prepare a professional product proposal. 10. I can give an effective elevator pitch presentation.

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

What have I learned so far?

What can I do to improve?

Grading I would like to receive a final grade of: So far, I think that I deserve a grade of:

F D C B A F D C B A

Comments:

Grea t

job I knew you c ould do it! -Jess ica

S TA G E

Call the shots Hello. My name is Titus Pinsch. I am the Chief Financial Officer at Widgets – the CFO, for short. I will take you through the next stage of your training. In this stage, your team will consider different product ideas.

We have a lot to do, so let’s get started. First, it’s time to choose a new project manager for your team.

Take charge! Remember, the project manager’s responsibilities are: • • • •

to make sure all members are participating to make sure the team is speaking in English to lead discussions and to ask for opinions to be a spokesperson for the team If your team does well, the project manager will receive much of the praise. On the other hand, if the team doesn’t do well, the project manager may receive the blame! Everyone will be project manager at least once.

A List reasons why – or why not – each team member should be the next project manager. Be polite!

B Discuss who should be the next project manager. You should be project manager because you’re confident.

She should be project manager because she has great ideas.

C Now vote. The Stage 3 project manager is:

I shouldn’t be project manager because I did it last time.

S TA G E

New product analysis Excellent. I like decisive people. Very soon, you will make an even more important decision – one which could change the future of Widgets. Before we get to that, let’s learn a way of making business decisions called a SWOT analysis.

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SWOT analysis From Widgepedia, the Widgets Inc. encyclopedia

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A SWOT analysis is commonly used to organize the good and the bad points of a project or business plan. It is a tool for making a good business decision. The letters in "SWOT" mean:

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• • • •

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

The first two, Strengths and Weaknesses, are internal forces. That is, they are the good points and the bad points of the business or the product being judged.

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The last two, Opportunities and Threats, are external forces. That is, they are characteristics of the world outside the business or the product.

A Think back to the Guilt Jar on page 20. Mark "S", "W", "O", and "T" on each of the following characteristics:

1. It looks like it could break easily. 2. Few people bake cookies anymore. 3. It is cheap and easy to produce. 4. A recent movie made the idea popular.

B Check your answers with your team members.

SWOTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up! Now let's see what last year's interns said when they did a SWOT analysis of the Guilt Jar.

External

Internal

A Watch Video 6 and fill in the chart below.

Helpful

Harmful

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

S W O T B Watch again if necessary, and check your answers with your team.

The project brief

S TA G E

Right, then. Now that you know how to do a SWOT analysis, let’s get to work. In this stage, you will analyze each product idea, choose the best one to go into production, and then explain your choice to the other teams.

STAGE 2 PROJECT: Step 1: do a SWOT analysis for each product proposal Step 2: use this information to discuss which product is the best Step 3: prepare a short business memo about your decision Step 4: give a poster presentation to explain your decision Some friendly advice:

• Be polite. Remember that you are discussing another intern’s ideas.

• Use good judgement. The best ideas are not always the most expensive or advanced.

• Be professional. A well-edited report, a

polished presentation, and smart clothing are important.

Let me be clear: your team is making a very important decision. The new product you choose could mean success or failure for Widgets as a company. I will now call your team to explain. Listen carefully.

A Watch Video 7 and take notes.

B Discuss with your teammates: What is Titus’ message? C Watch Video 7 again. Do you still have any questions? Discuss with your team. My apologies for the poor video quality. I have fired the intern responsible.

Step 1: The SWOT analysis Your supervisor will give your project manager four product proposals and elevator pitches prepared by a different team. Read and watch them together.

A Read each product proposal, then watch its elevator pitch. B Discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for each product. Take notes below.

Product A:

Created by:

External

Internal

Helpful

S W O T

Product B:

Created by:

External

Internal

Helpful

Harmful

S W O T

S TA G E

Product C:

Created by:

External

Internal

Helpful

S W O T

Product D:

Created by:

Internal

Helpful

External

Harmful

S W O T 31

Step 2: A team decision Now that you have carefully thought about each product, you must make a final decision. Which product would be most successful?

A Work by yourself. Write a number from 1-4 in each box. Then add the totals. Disagree 1

Agree 2

Product Name A

This product has many good strengths. This product doesn’t have many serious weaknesses. This product has many good opportunities. This product doesn’t have many serious threats. This product is clearly useful or attractive. This product is safe for people and the environment. This product is original, or clearly different from others. This product is possible to make using today’s technology. I would buy this product for myself or someone else. I think that many people would want to buy this product.

Total

B Discuss with your team. You do not need to choose the product with the highest total.

Product A is clearly the best. We all gave it the most points.

That’s true, but I think Product B would be But Product C is so easy more successful. to make. It would make us more money.

C Now vote. 32

Our team has decided on:

That’s a good point, but what about Product D? It’s also easy to make.

S TA G E

Step 3: The product review memo Good work. Now you must prepare a business memo explaining your decision. Look at this example I received last year from a team of interns.

Widgets Inc. Product Review Memo

May 28th

Team: The Inventoids Members: John Smith, Jane Doe, Jeff Bloggs, Jackie Schitt Our team reviewed four new product proposals: the Backpack Umbrella, the Flying Remote, the LightBob, and the Car-aoke phone app. We used a SWOT analysis and our own impressions to make a final decision. Although all four product ideas had some good and bad points, in the end we decided that the Backpack Umbrella was clearly better than the others. The Backpack Umbrella We chose this product because it has many strengths: It’s a simple idea, it’s convenient, and it’s easy to produce. It does have some weaknesses, for example battery life, but none are very serious. Regarding opportunities, there are several we thought about: first, backpacks are very popular with students these days, so it’s a good time to produce this type of item. Second, global warming is making the weather unpredictable, so people are looking for umbrellas that are easy to carry all the time. Finally, battery technology is becoming better and cheaper, so the cost to produce items should go down over time. We could not identify any serious threats to the success of this idea. The Flying Remote We rejected this product proposal. We thought the idea was very original, but there are too many weaknesses. For example, it could be dangerous, and the remote control could break easily. We also couldn’t think of many people who would want to buy this, so there are not many opportunities. Also, one serious threat is that more and more people are starting to use voice-control technology or phone-based apps, so we don’t think remote controls are going to be popular in the future. The LightBob We also rejected this product proposal. The idea of a night-light robot for kids sounds like fun, but we thought that it would be expensive to make and might break easily. It’s also not that useful compared to

As you can see, the report is simply a short summary. Keep it to a page or two.

And yes, it should be typed. This isn’t elementary school, people!

First draft You can use this space to take notes or write a first draft. Remember my earlier advice: professionalism counts. Impress me!

Widgets Inc.

Step 4: The poster presentation

S TA G E

Your team has made an important business decision. Now it’s time to explain your decision to the rest of the company by participating in a poster presentation.

Poster presentations are more relaxed and less formal than other presentation styles. During a poster presentation, one or two presenters stand by their poster, while members of the audience walk around the room. But don’t relax too much – you are still representing the company!

It’s a simple idea. Watch this video example and you’ll get it.

A Watch Video 8. Take notes as needed.

B Discuss the poster presentation with your team. Ask and answer these questions, or make your own questions.

•

How many people are giving the presentation?

•

What is the product they are talking about? Why is it good or bad?

•

What questions do the audience members ask?

•

What are the presenters’ answers?

Ready… Set… It’s your turn to prepare your poster presentation. You can use some of the information you’ve worked on – for example, your SWOT analysis and your written report. Be sure to clean it up and make it look nice. First, you will design a poster and prepare a script.

• Include information about all of the products your team considered. • Make the poster visually interesting and focus on the chosen product. • Be sure the poster and the script are free of language mistakes.

A Look at these poster examples. Write a good and bad point about each style.

Good point

Good point Bad point

Bad point

Good point Good point Bad point Bad point

B Discuss with your team what your poster will look like.

S TA G E

C Draw a sketch of your poster. When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready, make your real poster.

D Write a script of what you will say, then practice saying it.

… Go! It’s the big day. Your supervisor will now give you instructions on how to set up your poster presentation. Listen carefully. To participate in the poster presentation, first divide your team into Group A and Group B.

• Group A: Stay with your team’s poster. You will present and answer any questions.

• Group B: Walk around and look at the other posters. Listen and ask questions. When Group B has finished going around the room, switch roles. Now Group B stays and presents, while Group A walks around and listens. Group B will evaluate the other teams’ posters below.

Team name:

Poster quality:

Presentation:

/10

Presentation:

Comments:

Team name:

Poster quality:

Presentation:

Total:

/10

Presentation:

Comments:

Team name:

Poster quality:

Presentation:

Comments: 38

Total:

/10

Presentation:

Comments:

Total:

/10

Total:

/10

Total:

/10

S TA G E

Paperwork! Complete the Intern Evaluation Form. When you finish, make a copy and give it to your supervisor.

Date:

Intern name:

Attendance and participation 1. I am present and on time every day. 2. I participate actively and with a positive attitude. 3. I speak only in English during my time at Widgets.

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Performance 4.

I can participate well in small group discussions.

1 2 3 4

I can share my ideas and give my opinion to the team.

1 2 3 4

I can ask and answer questions about product ideas.

1 2 3 4

I can politely explain the good and bad points of an idea.

1 2 3 4

I can work with a team in order to come to a good decision. 1 2 3 4

I can work with a team to prepare a business report.

1 2 3 4

10. I can prepare and participate in a poster presentation.

1 2 3 4

What have I learned so far?

What can I do to improve?

Grading I would like to receive a final grade of: So far, I think that I deserve a grade of:

F D C B A F D C B A

Comments:

Not bad. We'll see how you do in the next stage. -Titus

S TA G E

Know your market Hello. You’ll be glad to know that senior management have given the green light to pilot your chosen products. Your next job is to perform market research on one of the products. Your team will:

•

prepare questions and carry out market research • analyze the results of your research • write a professional market research report • prepare and give a formal presentation of your findings As you can see, you have some hard work ahead – but hard work never hurt anyone. First, you will choose a new project manager.

Take charge! Remember, the project manager’s responsibilities are: • • • •

In this stage you will perform market research and give a big presentation. What skills and qualities do you think are important in a project manager this time?

A Discuss who should be the next project manager. B Now choose. The Stage 4 project manager is:

S TA G E

Market research Read this short article before we continue. It will help you to understand the importance of market research.

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Market research: the difference between success and failure

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Knowing who your customers are, and what your customers want, can make a huge difference. Take Lego™, for example. For a long time, only 10% of children who played with Lego™ were girls, and the company wanted more balance. So, they did a study of over 3,500 girls. The Lego™ company studied how the girls played, and they asked questions to both the girls and their mothers. Their research showed that girls like to build things, just like boys, but they like to build different things – and they prefer different colors for their Lego™ sets. Using this information, the company launched “Lego™ Friends.” It still uses Lego™ blocks, but the characters and colors reflect what girls had said they preferred. The result: in just three years, Lego™’s income in the girls’ construction toys market tripled. On the other hand, making mistakes with your market research can hurt your company and your product. In the mid-1980s, the Coca-Cola™ Company decided to replace their original cola with a drink they called “New Coke.” Their market research showed that taste was important, and that most people preferred the sweeter taste of New Coke. However, there was a problem with their market research: taste is not the only important factor when people choose a drink. Coca-Cola™’s customers had a strong emotional connection with the original cola, and they were very unhappy that it would be stopped. Sales dropped. The result: ‘old’ Coke was brought back, now called “Coca-Cola™ Classic,” and New Coke was eventually stopped. This cost the company millions of dollars. The bottom line is this: it pays to do good market research!

A After you read, discuss these questions with your team. 1. What do you think about boys’ toys and girls' toys? Do you agree that boys and girls like different toys? 2. What do you think about the Coca-Cola™ story? Do you feel a connection with certain products too? 3. How do you think companies carry out market research? Can you imagine how you would do it?

The project brief STAGE 4 PROJECT I want to give you some more information about your work in this stage, so I have recorded another video call. My apologies again for the poor video quality. It is so difficult to find a good video assistant.

A Watch Video 9 and take notes below.

B What are the key points of Titusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; message? Discuss with your team.

C What is your teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next project? Write down the details.

Your supervisor may give you more instructions, so pay attention!

S TA G E

Review the file Your supervisor will now give your team a product file. You will perform your market research on this product. The file includes:

• a product proposal • an elevator pitch • a product review memo

A Project managers, share the file with your team. Team members, read the product proposal and the memo, focusing only on the chosen product. Also watch the elevator pitch video.

B Now complete the form below. Product name: Purpose: Short description:

Strengths: Weaknesses: Opportunities: Threats :

C Discuss with your team. What kind of people do you think will be interested in this product?

young people

children (age: )

the middle-aged

business people

senior citizens

students (grade: )

men

homemakers

women

families

athletes

What do you think would be a reasonable price for this product? What are three things you may want to ask people about this product? For example: “Do you like the name?” or “How would you use this product?” 1. 2. 3.

Focus group or survey? Two common ways to carry out market research are focus groups and surveys. Both have good and bad points – “pros” and “cons”, in other words. In this stage of your training, you will run a focus group only – but it’s good to know the difference.

A Read the text below. Focus groups To run a focus group, the researchers invite a small group of carefully selected people and ask them to give their opinions and share ideas about a product. Because it is a small group, it is important to select the right people. For example, if you are planning to market a product to teenagers, there’s little benefit in asking young children or middle-aged adults what they think. The researchers lead the focus group by asking carefully prepared questions, and take notes as people discuss the product. Sometimes the focus group is recorded to review later. Afterwards, the researchers will think carefully about what the focus group members said, and recommend possible changes to the product. They may also suggest ideas about how to market the product.

Surveys A survey is a list of questions about the product that can be answered quickly and easily. These days, surveys are often done online, where it is easy to get hundreds, even thousands, of responses. Surveys can also be done face to face or by telephone. After researchers have reached the number of responses that they need, they analyze the results, often by using a spreadsheet app and by creating charts and graphs to display the information. As with a focus group, the researchers think about the results and recommend changes to the product and ideas about how to market it.

B Discuss with your team. Can you think of some pros and cons of focus groups and surveys? Focus groups Pros

Easy to ask follow-up questions

Surveys Cons

Pros

Can reach a large number of people

Cons

S TA G E

The focus group Right. Now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get to work preparing your focus group. First, watch this video of a focus group made by some Widgets interns last year. Pay attention to the kinds of questions the researcher asks, and the kind of answers they receive.

Watch Video 10 and take notes.

B Discuss with your team. 1.

What kind of questions are asked?

What follow-up questions are asked?

Who were the people selected to participate? Do you agree with this target market?

Based on the focus group discussion, what changes would you suggest to this product?

Good work. Now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s move on.

Get ready You’ll need to be well prepared before your focus group session. Work as a team and complete the information below.

1 Who will you ask to join your focus group? You will need 3-6 participants in your focus group. Some focus groups can be larger, but keep in mind that the more people there are, the less time you will have to talk to each participant. Think about your target market (page 43), and choose people who are in that group. Remember, there is little benefit in choosing people who are not in your target market. Who will you ask to join your focus group?

2 Where will you hold your focus group? Location is important. You should plan to hold your focus group in a room where it is not too noisy, and where participants can pay attention to your questions. Try to create a friendly and relaxed – but professional – environment. Where will you hold your focus group?

3 Who will lead your focus group? All of your team members should help, but one person should be the discussion leader. This person explains the product to the focus group members, starts the discussion, makes sure everyone is talking, asks questions, and ends the focus group. The discussion leader doesn’t need to be same person as the project manager. Who will lead your focus group?

4 Who will take notes or record the meeting? One or more of your team members should take notes on what participants say. You could also record the meeting if you like – but if you do, be sure to get permission from the focus group participants first! Who will take notes or record the meeting? 46

Asking the right questions

S TA G E

Perhaps the most important thing is thinking about which questions to ask during your focus group. Think very carefully about this!

5 What questions will you ask? What do you want to find out about your product? Brainstorm a list of questions with your team. Imagine what the answers could be. Also think of follow-up questions you can ask. Focus groups work best when you have prepared a set of specific questions. People know what they like, but they are not always good at explaining why they like it. Help them by asking good questions. Here are a couple of tips: 1. Ask follow-up questions. For example: “Do you like this product?” is a pretty general question, so you may not get a very useful answer. However, if you follow up with, “What do you like (or not like) about it?”, “Do you like the color?”, “Would you wear it to school?”, and so on, you may get more useful information. 2. Ask questions with a limited number of choices: It can be better to ask participants to choose between a few options than to ask them completely open questions. For example: “Which one do you like better, the red one or the green one?”, or “Out of this list of features, which ones are most important to you?”, or “Would you buy it for yourself or for a family member?” Question Follow-up questions

Question Follow-up questions

Well done. It looks like you’re ready to run your focus group. Good luck!

Focus group notes A

Take notes during your focus group session. Write down as much information as you can. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s messy. You can clean it up later.

Participant 1

Participant 2

Name:

Participant 3

Participant 4

Name:

B After the focus group session, compare your notes with your team members. Did they catch some information that you missed? If so, update your notes.

S TA G E

Analysis I hope your focus group went well. Now that you have some information, your next job is to analyze it. First, organize the information by whether participants liked or disliked the product.

A Write down all the positive and negative comments. Positive •

“It looks great. Very stylish!”

Negative •

•

“It’s too expensive” x3 participants

Do you see any patterns? If several participants made the same kinds of comments, you can use that to make your recommendations later.

B Next, make categories from the comments, and make your own observations. Category

Observations

Participants thought it was too expensive. One said he would only buy it at half the price. Maybe we can sell it as a premium product?

Price Attractiveness

C Any other suggestions or comments? Write them here.

One participant suggested that college students may also like this. We should include them in our target market.

Prepare your report Your team has done some good work. Now get ready to show that work to the other teams. First, you will prepare a market research report. Here is an example that last year’s interns prepared on the “Spr-A-OK”.

Widgets Inc. Market Research Report on the Spr-A-OK Description of the product The Spr-A-OK is an edible spray paint to be used on food. It comes in many different colors. It can make food more attractive to children. Overview of focus group We selected four participants for our focus group. The participants were all parents of young children, which is the target market that we think will be interested in this product. They all reported being the primary care-giver to their children, as well as the person who prepares 75% or more of the meals in their home. The participants all live in Tokyo and did not know each other before the meeting. Summary of results The participants in the focus group generally liked the product. On the positive side, they thought that their children would really enjoy eating different-colored food. They were all willing to buy the product to try it. One participant suggested that the product could also be used for facepainting at Halloween or other party events, and should also be marketed to university students. There were some negative comments as well. None of the participants liked the name “Spr-A-OK”, and only one could read it correctly. They also didn’t like the price of $10 for each jumbo-sized can, but would be happy to pay $25 for a set of five smaller cans. One participant was worried about whether the product is really safe to eat. Our recommendations Our market research shows that the product can be successful with some changes. • Change the name: “Spray Fantastic” and “Kitchen Kolors” were popular options. • Change the price from $10 for a jumbo can to $25 for a set of five small cans. • Add the words “100% SAFE TO EAT!” to the product package. • Continue targeting parents with children, but also target university students. • Promote the product on Halloween and at face-painting events.

Now prepare your team’s one-page report. This can be your presentation handout.

S TA G E

Widgets Inc.

Prepare your presentation The last thing to do is prepare and give your market research presentation. This will be a professional presentation, explaining how you set up your focus group, who were the participants in the focus group, what you learned from the discussion, and your recommendations. Your team will prepare a slideshow and print copies of your Market Research Report (page 51) to use as a handout. Your supervisor will give you more details.

The slideshow Use the space below to plan out your slides. The first slide should be a title screen, and the last slide should say â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thank Youâ&#x20AC;? and give your name and your contact information. After you plan, create the real slides on a computer.

S TA G E

Ready? Then practice your presentation with your team. Here are my tips:

•

Don’t read You can check your notes now and then, but always speak to the audience.

•

Use clear, clean slides The audience should be able to understand each slide within 3 seconds.

•

Check your posture When you speak, stand up straight and move with purpose. Show that you are in control.

•

Dress professionally This shows your preparation and your respect for the audience.

•

Practice, practice, practice And then practice again!

Use this space to prepare

Break a leg! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for the big presentation. Get out there and impress me.

Team name:

Product:

Good handout

0 1 2 3 4

Good handout

0 1 2 3 4

Clear data analysis

0 1 2 3 4

Clear data analysis

0 1 2 3 4

Clear slideshow

0 1 2 3 4

Clear slideshow

0 1 2 3 4

Clear presentation

0 1 2 3 4

Clear presentation

0 1 2 3 4

Good preparation

0 1 2 3 4

Good preparation

0 1 2 3 4

Total:

Comments:

Team name:

Product:

/20

Good handout

0 1 2 3 4

Good handout

0 1 2 3 4

Clear data analysis

0 1 2 3 4

Clear data analysis

0 1 2 3 4

Clear slideshow

0 1 2 3 4

Clear slideshow

0 1 2 3 4

Clear presentation

0 1 2 3 4

Clear presentation

0 1 2 3 4

Good preparation

0 1 2 3 4

Good preparation

0 1 2 3 4

Total:

/20

Total:

Comments:

Team name:

Product:

/20

Good handout

0 1 2 3 4

Good handout

0 1 2 3 4

Clear data analysis

0 1 2 3 4

Clear data analysis

0 1 2 3 4

Clear slideshow

0 1 2 3 4

Clear slideshow

0 1 2 3 4

Clear presentation

0 1 2 3 4

Clear presentation

0 1 2 3 4

Good preparation

0 1 2 3 4

Good preparation

0 1 2 3 4

Total: Comments: 54

/20

Total: Comments:

/20

S TA G E

Paperwork! Complete the Intern Evaluation Form. When you finish, make a copy and give it to your supervisor.

Date:

Intern name:

Attendance and participation 1. I am present and on time every day. 2. I participate actively and with a positive attitude. 3. I speak only in English during my time at Widgets.

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Performance 4.

I can participate well in small group discussions.

1 2 3 4

I can share my ideas and give my opinion to the team.

1 2 3 4

I can work in a team to carry out market research.

1 2 3 4

I can analyze and make recommendations based on data.

1 2 3 4

I can help to create a market research business report.

1 2 3 4

I can prepare a handout for a business presentation.

1 2 3 4

10. I can prepare and deliver a short business presentation.

1 2 3 4

What have I learned so far?

What can I do to improve?

Grading I would like to receive a final grade of: So far, I think that I deserve a grade of:

F D C B A F D C B A

Comments:

Again, not bad; you may be gett ing the hang of this. -Titus

S TA G E

Get the word out Hi there. I’m Miki May. I’m the CEO of Widgets, but these days I spend much of my time in the sales and marketing department. Sales and marketing is where we think of new ways to tell people about our great Widgets products. And, you guessed it, your next project will be to create an exciting new advertising campaign!

In Stage 5, your team will:

• • • •

think of different ways to advertise your product plan a multimedia advertising campaign plan, record, and edit a video commercial give a presentation pitching your ad campaign

This is going to be a lot of fun, trust me!

Take charge! Remember, the project manager’s responsibilities are: • • • •

to make sure all members are participating to make sure the team is speaking in English to lead discussions and to ask for opinions to be a spokesperson for the team

If your team does well, the project manager will receive the praise. But if the team doesn’t do well, the project manager may receive the blame! Everyone must be project manager at least once. This is the final project, so there should be only one person who has not been project manager yet. If there are two, they can be co-managers. If there are none, then your team can vote for a previous project manager again. •

The Stage 5 project manager is:

A Previous project managers, take turns giving the new project manager some friendly advice:

• What was the best thing about being project manager? • What was the most difficult thing about being project manager?

S TA G E

The word on the street Before we get started, read this magazine article about some of the most creative ad campaigns in the past. Talk about ‘thinking outside the box’!

Widgets Online

HOME

ABOUT

CONTACT

The world’s most unusual – and successful – ad campaigns! Advertising is everywhere. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go back to sleep, we are constantly exposed to different kinds of ads: online, on TV, on the radio, on the train, in the newspaper, at the supermarket, on strangers’ clothes…everywhere, and all the time! So, advertisers have to be creative if they want to stand out from the crowd and get noticed. Here are some of the more creative and ‘off-the-wall’ ad campaigns in recent years.

Delite-o-matic

Europe is just next door

The Social Swipe

What would you do for your favorite snack? A vending machine in a busy shopping street asked people to press a button many times to get a free pack of Delites™, a snack made by Australian company Fantastic.

French train operator SNCF also had a great idea for interactive ‘doorto-door’ marketing. They installed large doors in public places in France. Each door had the name of a European city written on it.

The first person had to press it 100 times for a free pack. The second person 200 times…and the number kept rising. In the end, somebody pressed the button 5,000 times just to get one free pack. The campaign got people talking about the product, and sales shot up.

When the door was opened, there was a live screen connecting to a person in the other city, and the two people could interact in real time. It was a great way to get French people interested in traveling by train around Europe.

German charity Misereor wanted to make donations interactive. They made a large screen with a credit card swipe down the middle. On the screen was an image; for example, a person wearing handcuffs. By swiping your card, you gave €2 and the image changed: The handcuffs broke where you swiped your card, and a “thank you” message appeared.

Search for “Delite-o-matic” to watch the video.

Search for “SNCF: Europe is just next door” to watch the video.

Misereor not only raised money, but also made people feel like active participants. Search for “Misereor: Social Swipe” to watch the video.

A Read the text and discuss these questions with your team. 1. Which ad campaign do you like the most, and why? 2. Can you think of other unusual or successful ad campaigns?

The project brief STAGE 5 PROJECT Hello again my interns. I’m sorry that I can’t be with you today. I’m in the studio, directing the latest world-changing Widgets commercial. There are a few things I wanted to say to you, though, so I’ve prepared this video message. Enjoy!

A Watch Video 11 and take notes.

B What are the key points of Miki’s message? Discuss with your team.

C What is your team’s next project? Write down the details.

Your supervisor may give you more instructions, so pay attention!

S TA G E

Review the file Your supervisor will now give you a new product file. You will create an advertising campaign for this product. The file includes: • a product proposal • an elevator pitch video

• a product review memo • a market research report

A Project managers, share the file with your team. Team members, read and watch the material and discuss it with your team.

B Now complete the form below.

Product name:

Suggested price:

Product description:

Key points from the SWOT analysis:

Key findings from market research:

Other recommendations, if any:

Who are the target customers? young people

children (age: )

the middle-aged

business people

senior citizens

students (grade: )

men

homemakers

women

families

athletes

Remember: advertising is all about making people excited about a new product. You should be thinking: “How can we make this product even more exciting?”

Media blitz! First, let’s brainstorm how and where products are advertised. Don’t worry yet whether you will use each one – just write down as many ideas as you can think of.

A Write down many advertising and promotional ideas. Kind of ad or promo:

Video commercial Shopping bags

B Discuss with your team: Which of these ideas are best for your product and your target market(s)?

C With your team, choose your best five ideas. Write a good reason why each one is good for your target market. Each team is required to make a video commercial, so that one is already done for you.

Video commercial online, because many of our target customers use social media.

2. 3. 4. 5.

Excellent work! These will form your ad campaign.

The medium and the message

S TA G E

Ads on different media can be quite different. For example, a small banner ad on a website is usually quite different from a large poster at a bus stop, and both are very different from a message on a t-shirt. Be creative, and think of the medium as you design. In some media, you may want to use the company logo and a slogan, in others you may want an image of a person using the product, and so on.

Choose your media Here are some other advertising media. Do they match what your team chose on the previous page? If not, you don’t need to include these in your final campaign. You can draw in the shapes below, or use another piece of paper.

promo t-shirt

bus stop ad banner ad on a website

A Design some visual ad ideas above. B Once you have finished, show your team members and discuss which ideas you like and don’t like.

I like that idea, but maybe not on a t-shirt. How about on a coffee mug?

That’s great. I think we should use this bus ad.

It’s nice, but isn’t the writing too small to read?

Miki’s ad campaign presentation Soon, you’ll also need to present your ad campaign to the company. Here’s an example presentation I gave last year on the ad campaign for the Widgets xCover. What do you think?

Watch Video 12 and take notes.

B Discuss with your team.

What kind of ads does Miki suggest for the xCover?

What is the target audience for this product?

What unusual idea does Miki suggest to make the campaign successful?

What is the idea for the video commercial? What does Miki hope will happen?

S TA G E

Prepare a video commercial For your ad campaign you will plan and record a video commercial. Your video must be exciting and interesting. Let me give you an example. Let's say we wanted to make a commercial for the Phone Case Shaver. First, we think of some problem situations. What could happen to people who don't have a Phone Case Shaver?

You're late and you look terrible.

This doesn't look like you.

You're fired!

She's wonderful!

Gross, he didn't even shave! At work…

SECURITY!

or t… At the airp

… On a date

A Discuss with your team. Which one is the most interesting situation? Can you think of an exciting commercial you could make about it?

B With your team, now think of some problem situations for your product. What could happen to someone who doesn’t have it?

Your product: Problem situations: • • • • •

C Now decide on your most interesting situation.

It’s the end of the world! Commercials often scare people into buying a product. It’s true! Look what happened to this poor man who didn’t have the Widgets Phone Case Shaver…

Oh no! I'm late for my big date, and I didn't have time to shave!

You're late! Why didn't you call? And you look terrible! Didn't you even shave?

I'm so sorry. Wow, your face is so smooth. Do you want to go to a movie?

Later...

Why didn't I call her and shave? I'm so lonely.

A Describe the worst possible outcome for the situation you chose on page 63.

B Now create your own problem story using simple drawings.

S TA G E

Wait – there’s a solution! Now that your audience is completely depressed, give them a solution. That’s right: a new Widgets product!

Honey, I'm sorry. I'm running late. Luckily, I have my Widgets iShave™ Phone Case Shaver!

I'm so sorry. Hi honey. Sorry I'm late.

Later...

No problem. Wow, you look so handsome today!

Sweetheart, will you marry me?

Thank you, Widgets iShave™ Phone Case Shaver!!

C Describe the best possible outcome for your story, now that the characters are using your Widgets product.

D Now finish your story using simple drawings.

Now you have your story. Use it to make a great video commercial!

Bringing it all together OK, now you have all the pieces that you need. Your team has discussed what kind of advertising campaign you should do, you have thought about designing ads, you have planned a video commercial, and you have seen my presentation. Now it’s time to bring it all together and prepare your presentation. Here is what you need to do. Am I forgetting anything?

• Prepare a slideshow • Prepare a handout • Plan the video script

• Record the video • Perform in the video • Make other ads

• Give the presentation • _________________ • _________________

A With your team, plan who will do what. Be fair: Remember that all team members should help.

Team Member

B Plan the slideshow.

Duties

S TA G E

Use the grid paper on the next three pages to prepare, if you need to.

C Plan your video commercial.

D Plan your presentation handout.

S TA G E

E Plan other components.

OK, it looks like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting there. Remember, as Titus likes to say: practice, practice, practiceâ&#x20AC;Ś and then practice some more!

The main event! Time for the ad campaign presentation. I just know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do a great job!

A Watch each presentation and make notes below. Think of a good question to ask for each one.

Team name:

Product name:

Slideshow Handout Commercial Total effort

Questions or comments:

/20

Questions or comments:

Team name:

Product name:

Slideshow Handout Commercial Total effort

Questions or comments:

Total:

/20

Questions or comments:

Team name:

Product name:

Slideshow Handout Commercial Total effort

Questions or comments:

Total:

/20

Questions or comments:

Total:

/20

Total:

/20

Total:

/20

S TA G E

Paperwork! Complete the Intern Evaluation Form. When you finish, make a copy and give it to your supervisor.

Date:

Intern name:

Attendance and participation 1. I am present and on time every day. 2. I participate actively and with a positive attitude. 3. I speak only in English during my time at Widgets.

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Performance 4.

I can participate well in small group discussions.

1 2 3 4

I can share my ideas and give my opinion to the team.

1 2 3 4

I can think of creative solutions to reach customers.

1 2 3 4

I can work with a team to prepare an ad campaign.

1 2 3 4

I can work with a team to plan and record a commercial.

1 2 3 4

I can deliver a formal, multi-media business presentation.

1 2 3 4

10. I can take notes and ask questions in other presentations.

1 2 3 4

What have I learned so far?

What can I do to improve?

Grading I would like to receive a final grade of: So far, I think that I deserve a grade of:

F D C B A F D C B A

Comments: Brilliant! I knew you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; t let us down!

S TA G E

Don’t sell yourself short You did it – you’ve made it to the end of the Widgets internship program! And that’s not all. It looks like your work has had a real impact on the company. Take a look at today’s top article in The Biz Street Journal:

The Biz Street Journal

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Home World U.S. Politics Economy Business Tech Markets Opinion Life& Arts Real Estate

Tech Startup Widgets Inc. Posts Record Profits Tech startup Widgets Inc. (WIDG 14.5) posted record profits earlier today, surprising many veteran traders on Biz Street. The unusual inventions company is headed by CEO Miki May, who some analysts have called the new Steve Jobs. According to the company’s statement, profits have increased by over 230% from last quarter, a stunning figure. Market analyst Nancy Ezawa explains, “After the initial market excitement around the Shock Watch, it looked like Widgets had started to run out of fresh ideas. But now it seems that a new group of interns has turned that situation around. If CEO May can keep this new talent on board, expect to hear even more good news from the company in the future.”

A Read the article and discuss with a partner. Answer the following questions or add your own questions.

• What is the article about? • What does “WIDG

14.5” mean?

• What does the article say about Miki May? •

What caused things to change for Widgets?

•

What does Nancy Ezawa recommend for the future?

• •

S TA G E

All good things... Jessica, Titus, and I have a few words we’d like to share with you, so we have recorded a group call. Please watch.

A Watch Video 13. What are the main points from each speaker? Take notes below. Jessica

Miki

Titus

•

B Check your notes with a partner. C What is your final task? Write it below. Watch Video 13 again if you need to. • We would like you to at Widgets.

here , including

• First, you will as a Widgets intern. • Then, you will

The right person for the job We are advertising for several permanent positions here at Widgets, and we’d like you to apply! I can’t promise you anything, of course – you’ll have to submit your resume and sit for a job interview like any other applicant. However, as former Widgets interns, I’m sure you’ll have a great shot!

A Read all of the job announcements. Put a checkmark next to the ones you think you should apply for. Choose at least two.

Search Jobs

All Job Types Full-time Part-time Commission

Contract

Temporary

1. ( ) Human Resources Assistant Manager • • • •

Hire and train new employees and interns Lead orientation and team-building sessions Organize teams and deal with problems and complaints Salary and conditions are negotiable

2. ( ) Research & Development Assistant • • • •

Generate and test new product ideas Give feedback and improve existing products Develop knowledge in latest science and technology Salary and conditions: competitive; flexible hours

3. ( ) Finance and Business Development Strategist • • • •

Make key management decisions based on data Evaluate product strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities Manage day-to-day finances, make budgets, future planning, etc. Salary and conditions: highly competitive; performance bonuses

Internship

I' d be good at this job because... 1.

4. ( ) Market Research Junior Analyst • • • •

Organize and carry out focus groups and surveys Prepare and present detailed market research reports Must be willing to travel up to two weeks per month Salary and conditions: competitive; generous expense account

5. ( ) Sales Associate • • • •

Identify new business partners and customers Design and run targeted marketing campaigns Sell products to customers and business partners Salary and conditions: negotiable; up to 50% commission

6. ( ) Public Relations Associate • • • •

Write news releases about product launches and other events Hold news conferences to speak on behalf of the company Must be highly professional and well-spoken; foreign languages a plus Generous salary and conditions, includes grooming & wardrobe budget

B Why would you be good at this job? Write two or three reasons for each job. 74

S TA G E

Looking back, looking forward Soon you will write and talk about your job experience, especially the projects and tasks you worked on as an intern at Widgets. So let’s stop for a moment and look back. Think about all the things you’ve done at Widgets, whether by yourself or as part of a team.

A Discuss with a partner. • • • •

What have you learned since starting at Widgets? Which stage was the most or the least interesting? Why? Which project was the easiest or most difficult? Why? Which tasks were you best at? Which were you less good at?

B With your partner, complete the sentences if you can. Then write two more. 1.

I brainstormed several new

I prepared a new product

. .

3. I successfully gave a 4.

I performed a

I was project manager for a

I prepared a

I helped my team to

. on new product ideas. . report. was selected for production.

9. I

. a poster presentation.

10. I also helped my team to

11.

12.

C Look again at the job listings on the previous page. Which ones do you think you could do well? How about your partner? Discuss.

I could be a good Sales Associate because I really enjoyed designing the ad campaign. How about you?

I'd like to try the Assistant Manager job in Human Resources. I like working with people, and I'm good at dealing with problems.

Write a resume Next, you will need to prepare a resume, also known as a curriculum vitae, or CV. Think of a resume as a kind of advertisement – in other words, it’s a way to sell yourself to an employer. Look at the example on the next page. This is a common resume style in English speaking countries. Like you, Sage Parker is applying for a full-time position at Widgets.

A Read the resume on the next page. What is different from resumes in your country? 1. 2 3.

B Check your answers to A with another intern. Discuss the differences. C Use page 78 or your computer to write a draft of your own resume. D Check your resume draft for mistakes, then make a good copy on a computer and print it out.

Here are a few resume writing tips: • Always check for mistakes very, very carefully! Even the smallest mistake can look very unprofessional on a resume. If they see a mistake, employers may think that you are not careful, or you don’t care about the position. • Include the best, most recent, and most relevant information If you have graduated university, you usually don’t need to include your high school. If you have worked full-time for several years, you can cut unrelated or part-time positions. • Keep to one or two full pages If you don’t have much experience, one full page should be enough. Even if you do have a lot of experience, never go over two pages. Also, avoid half pages. • Think carefully about what the employer may want to know This will help you to include only the best and most relevant information. For example, usually you would not write “Good at video games” under Skills. But you might, if you’re applying to a video game company!

S TA G E

Sage Parker Flat W, 8F, Alastair House, Sun Valley, Hong Kong. Phone: 555-1172 Email: sparker@widgets2.com

Education April 2013 ~ March 2017

B.A. Honors in International Business, London School of Economics

Employment 04/2019 to present

Widgets Inc. Position: Intern Roles and responsibilities: • Created and developed a successful new commercial product • Participated in several important management decisions • Project manager for a major new market research project • Planned a strategic advertising campaign • Directed and edited two professional videos

07/2017 to 03/2019

Michiyo’s of London Position: Head server and bartender Roles and responsibilities: • Served customers in a busy high-end restaurant • Successfully prepared specialty mixed drinks and cocktails • Assisted with bookkeeping, scheduling, and staff training

Skills and Experience • • • •

Extensive leadership and teamwork experience Excellent numeracy skills; proficient in making spreadsheets Outstanding public speaker; won “Best Speech Award” in high school Fluent in English and Spanish, proficient in Chinese and Japanese

S TA G E

Write a cover letter A cover letter is a short letter or email that goes along with your resume when you apply for a job. The cover letter introduces who you are, the position you are applying to, and any other information which may be important for an employer to consider. However, don’t simply repeat what’s on your resume. If you don’t have any other information to add, keep your cover letter short. The cover letter can be shorter than a full page.

Here’s an example:

Sage Parker Flat W, 8F, Alastair House, Sun Valley, Hong Kong. Phone: 555-1172 Email: sparker@widgets2.com

July 1, 2020 Miki May, CEO Widgets Incorporated 10 Saidori, Atama City, Tokyo Japan 194-5555

Re: Assistant public relations manager position at Widgets Inc. Dear Ms. May, Please find attached my resume for the public relations manager position at Widgets. As you can see, I am a recent university graduate with a major in international business. I also have a strong background in customer service, public speaking, and learning languages. As you may recall, I recently participated in the Widgets internship program. This gave me an excellent insight into the needs of the company. For example, when I participated in the research and development of the Guilt Jar, I made several recommendations to improve that product. I believe this helped to make it a bestseller in several markets. In closing, thank you very much for your time and consideration. I look forward to meeting with you soon to discuss this application in more detail. Sincerely,

Sage Parker

Now write your own resume and cover letter on a computer. Then print out a copy for your interview.

Face to face The last step is to have an interview. Watch the interview from our HR files and take some notes. What are some strong points and weak points in the interview?

A Watch Video 14. Take notes.

B Discuss with a partner. â&#x20AC;˘ Did the applicant do well? â&#x20AC;˘ What about the interviewer? Did they ask good questions?

C Watch the interview again. Pay attention to these questions and answers. 1.

Can you tell me about yourself?

Yes, I

After that, I

Finally, I

S TA G E

On your resume, it says that you ‘created and developed a successful new product.’ Can you tell us more about that? Yes, that was the .

It was

My team also

What do you think you did well here at Widgets? Let’s see, I .

I see. And what do you think you could have done better here at Widgets?

Well, I .

I guess I could have

In the future, I

D Discuss with a partner. Do you think the applicant did well? What could they have done better?

E Take turns with a partner. Ask the same questions, but give your own answers. 81

The interview The best way to prepare for a job interview is to practice with a friend. Start by thinking of some questions the interviewer may ask you. You saw some general interview questions in the video:

1. Can you tell us about yourself? 2. What are your strengths? What are you good at? 3. What are you not good at? What is your greatest weakness? Now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s add some specific questions from your resume and cover letter.

A Read your partnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resume and cover letter. Think of three more questions you can ask.

4. 5. 6.

B Take turns. You and your partner interview each other using these six questions. C After the practice interview, fill in the information below. Interview Evaluation Form Interviewee name:

Position:

Resume and cover letter are attractive and clear.

1 2 3 4

The job applicant seems calm and confident.

1 2 3 4

The job applicant speaks clearly and at a good speed.

1 2 3 4

The job applicant answers questions in a professional way.

1 2 3 4

The job applicant gives enough good quality information.

1 2 3 4

Comments:

Well done! Now go out there and change the world!

S TA G E

Paperwork! Complete the Intern Evaluation Form. When you finish, make a copy and give it to your supervisor.

Date:

Intern name:

Attendance and participation 1. I am present and on time every day. 2. I participate actively and with a positive attitude. 3. I speak only in English during my time at Widgets.

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Performance 4.

I can share my ideas and give my opinion in a small group.

1 2 3 4

I can understand short employment announcements.

1 2 3 4

I can relate my skills and experience in a positive way.

1 2 3 4

I can talk about my own strengths and weaknesses.

1 2 3 4

I can write a strong, attractive resume and cover letter.

1 2 3 4

I can answer questions effectively in a job interview.

1 2 3 4

10. I can interview someone for a job in a professional way.

1 2 3 4

What have I learned so far?

What can I do to improve?

Grading I would like to receive a final grade of: Being honest, I think that I deserve a grade of:

F D C B A F D C B A

Comments: You have a bright future ahead! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Miki

Appendix A: Watercooler Chat Cards

Last night you had some free time for your favorite hobby. What did you do? How long did you do it? How was it?

You watched an old movie on TV last night. It was terrible! What movie was it? Who were the main actors? Why was it so bad?

Someone did something really nice for you recently. What was it? Why did they do it? What did you do in return? How do you feel about it?

Something bad happened to you; for example you missed the bus or dropped your phone and it broke. What happened? What did you do about it? How do you feel about it now?

You are planning your next vacation. Where are you going? For how long? What are you going to do there? Who is going with you?

You watched a new movie recently. What was the movie? Who were the actors? Did you like it? What was your favorite thing about it?

You went to a wedding or another big party recently. How was it? How was the food? What did you wear? Did anything interesting happen?

Your friends planned a surprise for you recently. What was it? Where was it? Were you surprised? Did anything interesting happen?

There is a musician or band that you discovered recently. Who is it? Why do you like them? Describe their songs or performance.

You had a great meal at a restaurant recently. What did you eat? Why was it so good? Who were you with? Give interesting details!

Appendix

You could not sleep last night because the neighbor’s dog barked all night. What do you think about pets or noisy neighbors?

You spent a very nice time with a family member recently. Who was it? What did you do? Why was it so nice? When are you going to do it again?

You were surprised about a world event you heard about recently. What was it? Why did it surprise you? What do you think will happen next?

You were very late for work or school recently. Why were you late? Was it your fault? How are you going to avoid this problem next time?

Someone you know had a baby recently. How is the baby? Have you met him or her yet? What is their name? How do you feel about babies?

You were angry with a family member yesterday. What did he or she do? What did you say to them? Ask the other interns for advice.

You did something nice for someone recently. What did you do? Why did you do it? How did you feel? What did they say to you?

You are planning to buy an item that you really want. What is it? Where are you going to buy it? What are you going to do with it?

Your best friend is dating someone you don’t like. Why don’t you like them? Give some reasons. Ask the other interns for advice.

You are worried about something in the near future. What is it? Why are you worried? What are you going to do if it happens? 85

Appendix B: Widgets Product Catalog Sell, sell, sell! It’s important that Widgets interns know about our best-selling products. In pairs, describe your product to a partner. Then, listen to your partner’s product and write down the information. When you finish, look at each other’s product and discuss them.

Follow these steps. Don’t look at your partner’s page! 1. Read about your product at the top of the next page. 2. Tell your partner about your product. Below are some helpful sentence starters.

It’s a kind of ~

It’s made of ~

or ~ It’s used f

It’s for people who ~

It looks like ~

It could be good for ~ B

Follow these steps. Don’t look at your partner’s page! 1. Listen to your partner tell you about their product. 2. Write notes and draw a sketch of the product at the bottom of the next page. Below are some questions you can ask.

What is it? d for? What is it use

What does it look like? C

What is it made of? Who is it for?

ints? What are its good or bad po

After you and your partner are both finished, discuss each other’s product. Which do you like best? What are the best/worst features? Which would you like to buy? Etc.

Appendix

Widgets Catalog Your product

Desktop Park™

No time to leave the office and take a walk outside? No problem – with the Widgets Desktop Park you’ll never need to take a break again!* Look at the real miniature trees! Listen to the sound of running water! Smell the fresh flowers! You can design your Desktop Park yourself, or choose from one of our many exciting parks:

Clean! No bugs! Only $299!

• Japanese Garden • Enchanted Forest • Alien Landscape • …and more! Widgets researchers have discovered that workers are 50% more productive when they feel calm and relaxed – and what better way to relax than being at the park, all the time! So, what are you waiting for? Get your Desktop Park today! *However, you probably should.

duct Your partner's pro Purpose:

Product name

Features:

$ 87

Sell, sell, sell! It’s important that Widgets interns know about our best-selling products. In pairs, describe your product to a partner. Then, listen to your partner’s product and write down the information. When you finish, look at each other’s product and discuss them.

Follow these steps. Don’t look at your partner’s page! 1. Read about your product at the top of the next page. 2. Tell your partner about your product. Below are some helpful sentence starters.

It’s a kind of ~

It’s made of ~

or ~ It’s used f

It’s for people who ~

It looks like ~

It could be good for ~ B

What is it? d for? What is it use

What does it look like? C

What is it made of? Who is it for?

ints? What are its good or bad po

After you and your partner are both finished, discuss each other’s product. Which do you like best? What are the best/worst features? Which would you like to buy? Etc.

Appendix

Widgets Catalog Your product

Surfboard X-TREME™

Do you love surfing but get bored waiting for that perfect wave? Brah, we hear you! The Widgets Surfboard X-TREME is not just an awesome wave rider. It also comes with wi-fi, GPS, and a touchscreen computer so you don’t have to waste your time on the water waiting for waves. Now you can watch your favorite TV show, check your messages, play a game, or even call your grandma.

rld’s The wo ry u first lux d! ar surfbo

Only $2,275!

The on-board computer is 100% waterproof, and 200% awesome! The Surfboard X-TREME also includes a powerful jet, so you don’t have to get tired from paddling out to the sickest waves. Get it, and be the coolest surfer at the beach!*

*Results may vary.

duct Your partner's pro Purpose:

Product name

Features:

$ 89

Follow these steps. Don’t look at your partner’s page! 1. Read about your product at the top of the next page. 2. Tell your partner about your product. Below are some helpful sentence starters.

It’s a kind of ~

It’s made of ~

or ~ It’s used f

It’s for people who ~

It looks like ~

It could be good for ~ B

What is it? d for? What is it use

What does it look like? C

What is it made of? Who is it for?

ints? What are its good or bad po

After you and your partner are both finished, discuss each other’s product. Which do you like best? What are the best/worst features? Which would you like to buy? Etc.

Widgets Catalog

Appendix

Your product

SkyTent™

The Widgets SkyTent is perfect for people who want the feeling of sleeping under the stars, but without all of the risks. It looks like a normal tent, but a powerful video projector displays the night sky on the inside. A built-in sound system provides any audio you want to go with your amazing sky experience: sounds of nature, relaxing classical music, hard rock – it’s your choice!

oors! Indoors or outd f! o 100% Waterpro

Only $250!

The best thing is, you don’t need to worry about the weather outside. It could be cloudy, rainy … you could even be in the middle of a typhoon*, and you’ll still get the best night-sky view possible, safe and sound in the comfort of your SkyTent. You can try other exciting sky scenarios for only $20 each: • The Northern Lights • Shooting Stars • Alien Attack *Camping during a typhoon may be dangerous.

duct Your partner's pro Product name

Purpose:

Features:

$ 91

Follow these steps. Don’t look at your partner’s page! 1. Read about your product at the top of the next page. 2. Tell your partner about your product. Below are some helpful sentence starters.

It’s a kind of ~

It’s made of ~

or ~ It’s used f

It’s for people who ~

It looks like ~

It could be good for ~ B

What is it? d for? What is it use

What does it look like? C

What is it made of? Who is it for?

ints? What are its good or bad po

After you and your partner are both finished, discuss each other’s product. Which do you like best? What are the best/worst features? Which would you like to buy? Etc.

Widgets Catalog

Appendix

Your product

Heavy Handbag™ Buy now, and we’ll include the Weighty Wallet™ for free!

Going to the gym regularly can be difficult. However, Widgets has the perfect solution: the Heavy Handbag! With the Widgets Heavy Handbag, you will exercise every time you go out, without even thinking about it! The Heavy Handbag has a thick layer of lead, so it’s about three times heavier than other bags of the same size. That’s three times more exercise for you! And that’s not all – because of the lead layer, whatever you put inside your Heavy Handbag will be 100% safe from X-rays and radioactive materials.*

Only $99.99! *Do not use for transporting radioactive materials.

duct Your partner's pro Product name

Purpose:

Features:

$ 93

Widgets Online Catalog A

Complete the information for these products to go in the Widgets Online Catalog. Choose a name for the product, and write a description of its features.

Product name

Purpose:

Features:

Now describe your product to a partner, and listen to their product description. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look at each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s page. You can take notes below.

Widgets Online Catalog A

Appendix

Complete the information for these products to go in the Widgets Online Catalog. Choose a name for the product, and write a description of its features.

Product name

Purpose:

Features:

Now describe your product to a partner, and listen to their product description. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look at each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s page. You can take notes below.

Widgets Online Catalog A

Complete the information for these products to go in the Widgets Online Catalog. Choose a name for the product, and write a description of its features.

Product name

Purpose:

Features:

Now describe your product to a partner, and listen to their product description. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look at each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s page. You can take notes below.

Widgets Online Catalog A

Appendix

Complete the information for these products to go in the Widgets Online Catalog. Choose a name for the product, and write a description of its features.

Product name

Purpose:

Features:

Now describe your product to a partner, and listen to their product description. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look at each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s page. You can take notes below.

Appendix C: Video Scripts Stage 1 Video

their new products on the market. They tested

Welcome to Widgets!

Welcome to Widgets. Your future, today.

disliked, and prepared advertising campaigns. It was hard work, but soon the Widgets catalog was

At Widgets, we make products for your life and

online, and products were flying off the shelves.

comfort. Do you have a problem in your life?

In just three short years, the company grew to

Widgets has the solution. And if we don’t yet...

become one of the most successful tech start-ups

well, we’re working on it!

in the world.

Widgets was started just five years ago. That was

Today, Widgets hires the most creative minds

when three university students had the idea to

in business and technology through its famous

start a new kind of company. A company to make

internship program. Working directly with the

exc`iting products that no one had ever seen

founders, Widgets interns work hands-on to

before. A company to... change the world! Today,

brainstorm new products, do market research,

Widgets is a major international company, with

prepare advertising campaigns, and much more.

offices in Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong, London,

Many apply to be an intern at Widgets, but only the

and more.

best and most hardworking are chosen to join the

You have seen Widgets’ many exciting products in stores and online...but have you met the young visionaries behind this amazing success story? Meet Miki May, CEO of Widgets. Last year, The Economist magazine called her “a true marketing genius of our time.” Titus Pinsch. This superstar CFO has doubled Widgets' profits year after year. Jessica Sparks. CTO and head of R&D, she is the

company full-time. Do you have what it takes? Widgets. Your future, today.

Video KAYLA:

Water cooler chat (Stage 1)

So how was your recent trip?

JESSICA: It was great. [Um] I just got back two days ago, actually. KAYLA:

Oh cool! Where did you go?

JESSICA: I went to Canada and LA, actually.

creator of many of Widgets’ best-selling products.

KAYLA:

How did they do it? It wasn’t easy. Miki, Jessica,

JESSICA: It was! It was my first time there, so

and Titus worked around the clock to get all of

new ideas, asked customers what they liked or

LA – so fun.

really exciting.

Appendix

KAYLA:

I heard it’s kind of hard to navigate.

JESSICA: It was, but you know, luckily I had

Video MIKI:

The dream team

It all started back in university. I was

some friends there, so they showed

always so tired from my part-time job

me around, they took me to some cool

and studying all

places, had some good food. Yeah, I had

night, that I often fell asleep in class.

some avocado toast, ‘cause that’s really

My teachers were very angry, and my

big there right now.

grades were going down. So one day I had this idea: What if I had a device to

KAYLA:

That’s so awesome.

JESSICA: Yeah, and how about you? Are you gonna go anywhere for the long weekend? KAYLA:

I am. I’m gonna go back home to Michigan to visit my mom.

quickly wake me up when I fell asleep? What if my smart watch could check my heart rate? What if... it could wake me up when my heart rate got too low? “I got it!” I thought – what if my watch could give me an electric shock to wake me up? That would change...

JESSICA: Oh that’s great. [Um] are you gonna have a big family dinner? KAYLA:

[Um] no, not really. This time it’s just gonna be me, and a couple of friends of my mom.

JESSICA: Oh that’s good. That sounds really fun. KAYLA:

I’m really excited.

JESSICA: Yeah, well I hope you have a great trip. KAYLA:

Oh thank you so much.

everything. At the time, Jessica was my classmate, and she was an engineering student, and she said, “Hey, you know what? I can make that!” That’s how the Widgets Shock Watch was born. JESSICA: Oh, yeah, of course I remember the first Shock Watch! [Um] well, first I made one for Miki, and then it started getting really popular at our university. [Um] and before you know it, like, everyone in our class wanted a watch.

JESSICA: I guess I’ll see you around then. KAYLA:

Definitely!

[Um] I think we made about twenty watches the first year, and students were offering us more and more money

to make these watches for them. [Um]

for short. I’m so excited to meet you guys. [Um]

one guy actually even offered us $1,000

the Research and Development department is

to make him a watch!

where all of the new product ideas at Widgets

[Um] and then that’s when Titus came into the picture, and he wrote up some

TITUS:

Are you a creative person? Do you always come

the rest is history.

up with exciting new ideas that other people just

Yes, I was the head of the Young

day, these two women walked in and wanted to talk about this electronic torture device they had created. At first I thought things seemed a bit... off. But when I saw how many of these watches they had sold, I started to think, “Perhaps there’s some money to be made here.” After I saw some of their other ideas, I became convinced. The three of us shook hands, and I started on a business plan that same day.

don’t think about? If your answer is “yes”, then great! You’re gonna do really well here at R&D. If your answer is “no”, well then, listen carefully because here’s the thing: Everyone is creative– it’s just that some of us don’t know it yet! And it’s true…you’ll see really soon. All right, so let’s jump into the fun part: your team project. Ahh, your supervisor’s gonna go over all the details with you, but for now, here are the basics. [Um] first, your first project is gonna be divided into three parts. First of all, you guys will brainstorm some new product ideas. Each member of your team will come up with three or four ideas. Next, you’re gonna write a product proposal. This is basically

I did all of the market research, found

a summary of your best product idea. And

investors, and registered the business.

finally, each member of your team is gonna write

All of the real work, if we’re being honest.

something called an “elevator pitch,” which is essentially a short but very exciting speech about

Stage 2 4

your best product idea.

Message from Jessica

Hi there! I’m Jessica – I’m Chief Technology Officer here at Widgets. I work right here at the Research and Development department, or “R&D”

100

company wouldn’t be here today.

business plans, and then, you know,

Capitalists Society at the time. One

Video

are created. Without new successful ideas, this

All right, so I think that covers just about everything. So go on and get started, and have some fun. And I’m really looking forward to hearing all of your great new ideas.

Appendix

Video

Elevator Pitch

LILY:

Excuse me, Mr. Pinsch!

TITUS:

Yes?

Stage 3 Video

The SWOT Analysis

INTERN 1: OK, the first product we need to analyse is The Guilt Jar. Let’s see…according

LILY:

TITUS:

I’m really sorry to take up your time, but

to the product proposal, its purpose is

I have a new product idea that I think

to “help people stay healthy by cutting