Happy Tuesday! Many of you are working remotely or hybrid, and with this, comes a lot of online meetings.

Today you will learn:

• vocabulary for describing microphone problems

• how to talk about promotions

• the effect of remote working on job opportunities

VOCABULARY

Microphone problems

Use more varied and rich vocabulary when you’re in an online meeting. Instead of just saying, “I can’t hear you”, try:

• muffled: when it sounds like something is covering the microphone

  A: Your voice is muffled. I can’t hear you clearly.

  B: Oops, sorry. My finger was over the mic.

• faint: when the voice is clear but not strong

  Your voice sounds faint. Can you move the mic closer to your mouth?

• pick up: if you don’t think the mic is detecting your voice

  Can you hear me? My mic is turned on but I don’t think it’s picking up my voice.

You might have heard the phrase ‘on mute’, for example: I can’t hear you. I think you’re on mute.

There are a few phrases with a similar structure related to electronic devices, such as:

• on air - used in tv/radio to say that something is being broadcasted

  “The radio show is currently on air.”

• on hold - when a phone call is paused or you are asked to wait

  “He has put me on hold while he asks his manager.”

• on standby - when a device is on low-power mode and ready to be used

  “I haven’t turned off the TV, it’s just on standby.”

IN THE NEWS

Does working remotely affect your chance of getting promoted?

What? Remote workers receive fewer promotions and raises compared to in-office workers. They were promoted 31% less often last year and receive less mentorship, especially women.

Why? “out of sight, out of mind” - employees not physically present may be forgotten about and have less opportunity to demonstrate their skills. Some managers view remote workers as less engaged and connected to company culture.

How to stand out? Communicate consistently and share project updates. Schedule 1-to-1’s with your manager. Demonstrate company values.

LEARNING TOOLS

Build confidence in speaking English

Did you know you can search for teachers who specialise in business English and interview practice? You can even find qualified teachers with backgrounds in your industry, from Law to Marketing to Finance.

QUIZ

(Answers at the bottom of the page)

A hybrid working style is a flexible arrangement when employees can divide their time between working from home and going to the office.

Question: What is the correct pronunciation of hybrid?

A: /ˈhaɪˌbrɪd/

B: /ˈhɪˌbrɪd/

C: /ˈheɪˌbrɪd/

D: /ˈhuːˌbrɪd/

JOBS BOARD

Remote Roles with Visa Sponsorship

Remote Rocketship has a huge database of work-from-home jobs and non-standard filters that allow you really pinpoint what you’re looking for.

You can filter by things like visa sponsorship, tech stack, minimum salary and even company size (I know that start up vs. large corporation is a polarising topic!)

And if you choose a membership with this site, you can get daily emails to find out about jobs 24 hours before their posted. If you do decide to sign up to the premium version, it would be great if you could support us by using our link 😀