Question 1
Choose the most appropriate response to each sentence:
We purchased an entire office building in New York for a song a few years ago when the economy was bad.
For a song means very cheaply. They bought the building at a low price when the economy was bad, so today it would cost much more. Not the third option: if they got a bargain then, it would not be cheap now.
Question 2
Carol, our new finance manager, is the type of person who can take the ball and run with it.
To take the ball and run with it means to take a task and move it forward on your own, without needing to be told what to do. That is a person with initiative. Not the first option: someone who needs a lot of direction is the opposite.
Question 3
Jesse won $5 million last month in a lawsuit. He really struck it rich.
To strike it rich means to suddenly get a lot of money. With $5 million, Jesse doesn't need to work any more, so it makes sense that he has decided to retire.
Question 4
We're looking to hire somebody who'll stay with our company for at least a few years. You wouldn't jump ship after just a year, would you?
To jump ship means to leave your job or company suddenly, often for another one. The speaker wants someone who will stay, so the right answer promises to stay at least three years. Not the sailing answer: the idiom has nothing to do with real ships.
Question 5
You might get rich investing in biotech companies, but you're just as likely to lose your shirt.
To lose your shirt means to lose almost all your money, usually in a bad investment. The sensible reply is to be careful about putting too much money into these companies. Not the first option: the speaker is warning about risk, not recommending heavy investment.
Question 6
While in Russia, you should snap up some lacquer boxes. They're beautiful and inexpensive there.
To snap up something means to buy it quickly, often because it is a good deal. The boxes are beautiful and cheap in Russia, so the right reply is a promise to buy some. Not the first option: snap up is about buying, not packing.
Question 7
I bought plane tickets on Econo-Airlines, and a few days later they went belly up!
When a company goes belly up, it goes bankrupt and stops doing business. The airline no longer exists, so the tickets are useless and the person needs to buy new plane tickets.
Question 8
Working on Wall Street for an investment bank sounds wonderful, but it's not all it's cracked up to be.
Not all it's cracked up to be means not as good as people say. The right reply mentions the bad sides of the job: demanding work and long hours. The other options say the job is wonderful, which is the opposite.
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LESSON 29 – Job Interview 2
JOB INTERVIEW 2
Sam currently runs his own company selling used office furniture online. He’s tired of running his own business and wants to get a job with a big company.
Nick: I see from your resume that you’re running your own show as the owner of OldOfficeChair.com.
Sam: That’s right. I’ve carved out a niche selling used office chairs over the Internet.
Nick: That sounds like a great business.
Sam: I was making money hand over fist after the dot-corn bust. Companies were going belly up every day, and I snapped up all their chairs for a song. But these days it’s becoming harder and harder to find used chairs.
Nick: Wouldn’t you rather continue working for yourself?
Sam: No, I’m tired of working for myself.
Nick: I can see the writing on the wall: you’ll jump ship when you think up another good business idea.
Sam: No, I won’t. I’d always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I got that out of my system. I realize now that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Nick: It certainly isn’t. You work really hard and you’re just as likely to strike out as you are to strike it rich.
Sam: Tell me about it! My best friend invested all his money in starting a company. He ended up losing his shirt!
Nick: Right, we all know people like that…One final point about the position. As you know, this is a large corporation. Are you sure you wouldn’t be happier at a start-up?
Sam: Start-ups are exciting, but at this point in my life, I’m looking for stability over excitement. I’ve got four kids at home, and they like to eat!
Nick: I hear what you’re saying. We could use somebody around here who thinks like an entrepreneur. If you’re someone who can take the ball and run with it, you’d be a great addition.
IDIOMS
- (to) run one’s own show
→ to run one’s own business; to have control over an entire business or a part of a business
EXAMPLE: Anne can’t imagine working for somebody else. She loves running her own show as CEO of Anne Global, Inc.
- (to) carve out a niche
→ to start a specialty business
EXAMPLE: Teresa carved out a niche selling DVDs on eBay.
NOTE: A “niche” is the market segment served by a particular product, service, or product line.
- (to) make money hand over fist
→ to make a lot of money; to make a lot of money fast
EXAMPLE: AstraZeneca made money hand over fist with the drug Prilosec. It was a huge success.
- (to) go belly up
→ to go bankrupt
EXAMPLE: Shortly after Borders bookstore opened downtown, the small bookshop went belly up.
- (to) snap up
→ to buy for a very good price; to buy a large supply of something, usually because it’s on sale or in short supply
EXAMPLE: While in Vietnam, Monica snapped up dozens of inexpensive, beautiful silk scarves to sell at her Manhattan clothing boutique.
- for a song
→ cheaply, inexpensively
EXAMPLE: Monica was able to buy jewelry and clothing in Hanoi for a song.
- (to) see the writing on the wall
→ to know what’s coming; to see what’s going to happen in the future
EXAMPLE: The company has canceled this year’s holiday party. I can see the writing on the wall: soon, they’ll be announcing lay-offs.
NOTE: You will also see the variation: handwriting on the wall.
- start-up
→ a small business, usually one that’s been operating five years or less (and often in the technology industry)
EXAMPLE: Julie took a chance by leaving her secure job at IBM to join a risky start-up.
- (to) jump ship
→ to quit a job; to leave a job suddenly
EXAMPLE: When the accounting scandal broke, several financial managers at the energy company jumped ship immediately.
- (to) get something out of one’s system
→ to no longer feel the need to do something; to experience something to one’s satisfaction
EXAMPLE: Tom had always wanted to be a lawyer, but after his summer internship at a law firm, he got that out of his system.
- not all it’s cracked up to be
→ not as great as people think; not as great as its reputation
EXAMPLE: Working for a big public relations firm is not all it’s cracked up to be. The pay isn’t great and the hours are long.
- (to) strike out
→ to fail
EXAMPLE: I’m sorry to hear that you struck out on the job interview. I’m sure something else will come along soon.
- (to) strike it rich
→ to attain sudden financial success; to get rich quickly
EXAMPLE: Victor struck it rich when Microsoft bought out his small software company.
- Tell me about it!
→ I agree with you
EXAMPLE: “Our CEO really needs to get some new suits.” – “Tell me about it! His suits are all at least 25 years old!”
- (to) lose one’s shirt
→ to lose everything one owns; to lose a lot of money in business; to make a very bad investment
EXAMPLE: It’s risky to invest all of your money in the stock market. If the market goes down a lot, you could lose your shirt.
- (to) take the ball and run with it
→ to take initiative; to take charge without a lot of supervision
EXAMPLE: We told the graphic designer what to include in the brochure, and she was able to take the ball and run with it.