关于职场你可能不知道的第二件事：如何向领导邀功而不讨人厌

　　Confidence is key to getting ahead in your career, but how can you communicate your expertise without sounding boastful? To help you assert your talents in a polished, professional way, we've come up with some key suggestions that make tooting your own horn a cinch。

　　自信满满是闯职场的关键，但是如何做到既能展示自己的才能又能听起来不那么骄傲自满呢？下面就告诉你几招让你用优雅专业的方式来“自吹自擂”。

　　1.Be prepared。

　　1.时刻准备着。

　　In order to properly and thoughtfully sing your own praises, it's best to prepare for those moments year-round. First, keep an email folder where you can save all the positive feedback you receive, and then use specific quotes as a reference during your reviews. Next, make sure to monitor and note all the important statistics for your position, like major sales, new clients, and year-over-year improvements. Managers can't remember each and every assignment you've ever completed, either, so maintain a running list of your major projects and the goals that you achieved。

　　为了能及时全面地展示你的成绩，全年你都需要为此做好准备。首先，准备一个文件夹，里面存放所有你收到的积极的反馈，并且挑选几条具体的放到你的工作回顾中。然后，了解你的职位所涉及的所有重要的数据，比如销售额、新客户数量和与去年同期相比的增长情况。经理们是不可能记住每一件你完成的任务的，所以你要自己记下来，包括你完成得重大的项目和你取得的成绩。

　　2.Be humble。

　　2.态度要谦虚。

　　Modesty and positivity are crucial. There's a fine line between expressing your potential and conveying arrogance, so try to tread carefully. For one thing, you need to make sure that the accomplishments you're highlighting are your own. If others contributed to your success, then give your colleagues credit too. That won't take away from your efforts; in fact, it shows both leadership and intelligence. Likewise, it's best to acknowledge any mistakes or shortcomings that arise — just be sure to end on a positive note by calling attention to any lessons that followed。

　　谦虚的态度和积极的心态是很要紧的。在表现你的潜力和流露傲慢情绪之间的界限是很微妙的，所以你要小心地把握好这个度。有一点你必须要弄清楚，那就是你要确保所有你汇报的成绩都是你自己取得的。如果你的成绩里有其他同事的功劳，那也不要独自居功。事实上，如果你提到同事所做出的贡献，那也能从中体现出你的领导力和智慧。同理，你最好也要提一下你犯过的错误和存在的缺点，只是别忘了在最后要把话题引回到自己所学到的经验教训上。

　　3.Be timely。

　　3.选择恰当的时间。

　　You can toot your own horn all you want, but if you disrupt or annoy your manager, then she's not going to listen to your points. Instead, schedule a meeting dedicated to your review or wait until the appropriate time presents itself. Location is important too, so be sure to reserve a conference room or another private location for your appointment。

　　你随时都可以向领导邀功，不过如果你在不恰当的时候去找经理谈话，还打断了她的工作或惹恼了她的话，那么她就没有心思去听你在说什么了。相反地，你最好和领导预约一次面谈的时间，把你的表现和工作回顾仔细地向老板汇报一下。或者，你就耐心等到一个合适的机会再去表现。地点的选择也很重要，事先预定好一个会议室，或者一个比较私人的地方，然后再慢慢谈。

　　4.Be professional。

　　4.保持专业素养。

　　A good rule of thumb: to maintain healthy relationships and a favorable reputation, you should brag to your manager, not your coworkers. There's no reason to discuss your career status with anyone other than your supervisor or the HR department. That being said, you should work with your manager to refine your job description and professional goals during review sessions. Then, when tracking your accomplishments, you can refer to those specific, mutually defined responsibilities。

　　黄金法则是：在职场中建立良好的人际关系和职业声誉。你邀功的对象应该是你的领导，而非你的同事。除了你的上司和人力资源部的同事外，你不需要和其他人讨论你在公司里的地位。也就是说，你在工作回顾中，要和你的领导一起重新定义一下你的工作职责和工作目标。然后，你在今后的工作中，就可以按照这些具体的、双方都确认过的职责和目标来安排工作了。

　　关于职场你可能不知道的第三件事：教你用六步写出漂亮的邮件

　　It’s easy to assume that we know how to use email effectively: it’s been around for long enough. But if you find yourself struggling to communicate effectively by email, these six tips should help:

　　邮件这样的沟通方式早已经渗入到了我们的生活工作中，因此可以说大多数人都能有效地使用邮件与他人交流。但如果你发现自己还没做得足够有效，我想以下这六点可以帮到你：

　　If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you have an email account. You may well have several – perhaps separate accounts for professional and personal contacts。

　　如果你正在阅读这篇文章，你肯定有一个或若干个甚至是不同帐号的私人或办公邮箱。

　　It’s easy to assume that we know how to use email effectively: it’s been around for long enough. But if you find yourself struggling to communicate effectively by email, these six tips should help:

　　邮件这样的沟通方式早已经渗入到了我们的生活工作中，因此可以说大多数人都能有效地使用邮件与他人交流。但如果你发现自己还没做得足够有效，我想以下这六点可以帮到你：

　　1.Start With an Appropriate Salutation

　　1.邮件开头称呼要恰当：

　　Some people jump straight into the text of an email without so much as a “hi”. It’s polite to add a salutation, just as you would with a letter. That might look like:

　　有些人写邮件不喜欢加称呼，甚至连简单的“你好”都忽略，直接开始正文内容。孰不知就像在传统的信件上一样，写上称呼是一种礼貌的象征。称呼可以这样写：

　　#Dear Sir/Madam 亲爱的先生/女士

　　#Dear Mr. Johnson 亲爱的约翰逊先生

　　#Hi Sue 苏，你好

　　#Hello Fred 你好，福瑞德

　　Your salutation needs to be appropriate. If you’re writing to a prospective employer, “Dear Mr. Johnson” is probably the best way to go. “Hi Bob” is going to look unprofessional。

　　称呼必须恰当。若邮件对象是你未来的上司，“亲爱的约翰先生”这样的称呼应该为最得体的。像“你好，鲍勃”更适用于随意的场合。

　　But don’t assume that formality is always the right answer. If you’re writing to a friend of a friend, using “Dear” plus their surname is going to seem oddly stilted。

　　那么，是不是正式的用语就万能呢？绝对不是。若你给你朋友的朋友写邮件，那用“亲爱的+姓”就显得异常别扭。

　　If in doubt, “Dear [first name]” will usually work just fine。

　　当你判断不出哪种场合该用什么称呼合适，你可以使用“亲爱的+名”来应付所有情况。

　　2.Get Straight to the Point

　　2.直奔主题

　　Your correspondent won’t want to wade through paragraphs of waffle – so get straight to the point. If you’re writing to someone out of the blue, don’t give them your life story before you make a request。

　　相信阅读你邮件的人不会愿意仔细浏览你那空洞无聊的长篇大论，所以你需要直奔主题。如果你想写封邮件安慰某个心灵受伤的朋友，开头先把你的建议亮出来，然后再用你的亲身经历来辅助说明。

　　Getting straight to the point might mean that the first line of your email (after the salutation) looks something like this:

　　直奔主题意味着邮件内容的第一行应该是这样：

　　#I’m working on an article about Acme Widgets for XYZ publication, and wondered if you had a few minutes to answer the following three questions。

　　我现在正在写一篇要交给某某出版社关于极致控件的文章，不知道您有没有时间回答3个问题呢？

　　#Could you supply me with a quote for the following project?

　　可否对下面的设计项目进行引证？

　　#I’d like to discuss the revisions with you. Would Tuesday at 2pm be a good time?

　　我想和你谈谈修订的事。这周二下午两点您有空吗？

　　#I’ve attached the documents you requested at our meeting yesterday。

　　昨天会议上您要求的文件已附上，请查收。

　　You may well need to include more details, but if you put the important point up front, your email is more likely to get a timely response. If your question comes too far down, the recipient may not even realise that you need a reply。

　　当然，你需要再增加更多的细节内容。若将邮件重点放到内容的开头，你将收到更加及时的回复信息。如果你的问题在邮件后头，收信人可能都不会意识到你在等他回复。

　　3.Keep it Short

　　3.内容言简意赅

　　Try to keep your email as short as possible. Make the paragraphs short, too – long paragraphs can be difficult to read and take in。

　　尽可能将你的邮件内容写得简单明了。文章太长不易阅读和吸收。

　　Do make sure you give enough information for your correspondent to be able to make a decision, if that’s required. You might find that it’s best to offer this as an attachment – you’ll have more flexibility over formatting, and your correspondent can print out the attachment easily。

　　若对方需要通过你的邮件来做决策，那你一定要在邮件中将相关信息写完整。为了能更灵活地排版，你可以把这些信息作成附件形式，以方便对方将其打印出来。

　　4.Use Numbered Points

　　4.将内容编号

　　If you’ve got several questions or points to make, it’s very helpful to number them. This makes it easy for the other person to respond to each one, especially if some just require a yes/no response or a single word answer. For instance:

　　对于那些为了咨询或提供各种问题的邮件，最好将问题一点一点的列举出来，以便于他人对每个问题作答，尤其当某些人更倾向于对问题只回答“是”和“否”的时候。例如：

　　#Could you let me know:

　　能否告知：

　　#(1)How much it would cost for the website design

　　(1)网站设计费用

　　#(2)How much for the website design plus a tri-fold brochure

　　(2)网页设计加一份三页宣传册的费用

　　#(3)Whether you could complete #2 by the end of April

　　(3)您能否在四月底完成第二点所述工作？

　　It’s also useful to list your questions or points as bullets in this way; if you write a single paragraph, some of your questions might get missed。

　　将你的问题或观点用图标的方式罗列出来是很实用的，倘若你用一段话将几个点全部涵盖，那对方有可能会漏看其中的几点。

　　5.Re-read and Use Spell-Check

　　5.重新阅读一遍，校对拼写错误

　　A typo or spelling mistake can turn one word into an entirely different one. If you’re using email in a professional capacity, that mistake could be embarrassing – or even offensive. It might alter the whole meaning of your email: a missing “not”， for instance, could potentially cause problems。

　　排版或拼写错误有时能导致对一个单词的误解。尤其当你用邮件来沟通专业性内容时，这样的错误就很尴尬，甚至有些失礼。它可能改变你整个邮件的意思。比如：少写了个“不”，就可能会引起某些问题。

　　Spell-check should help you avoid any silly mistakes – but use your eyes and brain too. There are plenty of words that spell-check won’t pick up. If you’re emailing from a device with predictive text and an auto-correct feature, make sure you always re-read what you’ve typed。

　　因此检查拼写将避免你犯这些低级错误，但这里强调——不仅仅用眼睛检查，还得用大脑思考。有些错误不一定能轻易检查出来。如果你的邮件系统有字句联想功能和自动纠错功能，一定要把写出来的内容再通读检查一遍。

　　6.Make Your Signature Useful

　　6.充分利用邮件签名

　　Do you have an email signature? (That’s the text that appears automatically at the bottom of your email。) Some people don’t use one at all; others have a funny quote or favorite saying。

　　你设置过邮件签名吗(它将会在你每次邮件内容的下方自动生成)？有些人从来都没有使用过它，但我们也看过一些非常有意思和哲理的签名。

　　Whether you’re using email for professional or personal reasons, make your signature useful for both you and your recipient. That might mean:

　　无论你是为了工作还是私人聊天，加注签名对你和邮件接收者都有好处，因为这意味着可以：

　　Giving the link to your website

　　加上你的网页链接

　　Including your work address and/or phone number

　　写上你的工作地址或电话号码

　　Adding links to your social media accounts

　　注上你的社会媒体工具帐号(例如博客，微博，论坛)

　　Putting in a line to promote your recent book / blog / product

　　宣传你最新的书籍，博文或产品

　　If your email provider allows it, you may even want to create several signatures to use for different purposes (e.g. one for emailing friends, one for new business contacts)。

　　有些邮箱甚至还提供用户根据不同目的设计不同签名的服务(比如：一个对朋友使用，一个对新结识的企业伙伴使用)。

　　关于职场你可能不知道的第四件事：午休时要做的14件事

　　What you do during your midday break might vary depending on your job, company culture or personal priorities—but the experts agree all workers should try to do these 14 things during lunch hour:

　　你在午休时做什么也许和你从事的工作、企业文化和个人事务的轻重缓急有关，但是专家建议所有员工在午休时都应该做以下14件事：

　　What you do during your midday break might vary depending on your job, company culture or personal priorities—but the experts agree all workers should try to do these 14 things during lunch hour:

　　你在午休时做什么也许和你从事的工作、企业文化和个人事务的轻重缓急有关，但是专家建议所有员工在午休时都应该做以下14件事：

　　1.Make a plan.Don’t squander your lunch break because it’s ‘free time’. Time is a non-renewable resource, wherever you are, whatever the time of day. Try your best to plan it out and make the most of it.You should also plan your activities immediately after lunch. Giving thought to how you prioritize and schedule events in the afternoon can maximize your productivity。

　　1.制定计划。不要因为午休是自由时间就去浪费它。无论你身处何地，身在何时，时间是一种不可再生资源。试着最大限度地利用你的午休时间来制定一个好计划。你还需要为午休后的活动做一下安排。想一想下午的时候要如何安排工作的先后顺序，这样有利于你最大地提高效率。

　　2.Take a real break.Breaking from work for 60 seconds to chow down your lunch at your desk doesn’t count. In order to get a period of true respite, the time has to involve an actual break from work. Try not to check your e-mail, bring work with you or talk about work during lunch。

　　2.真正地休息。只花60秒钟在办公桌上狼吞虎咽下你的午餐并不是真正地休息。要想真正地获得喘息，你就需要确实地离开工作一段时间。不要去查看你的电子邮件，不要随身携带工作，也不要在吃午饭时聊工作。

　　3.Get up from your desk or work space.Staying at your desk is a big no-no. There are more and more reports on the dangers of sitting too long, so even just getting up to walk to another room to eat is important, or better still, getting outside for some fresh air and a quick walk can do wonders for the body and spirit。

　　3.离开你的办公桌或办公区域。午休时坐在办公桌前是绝对的大禁忌。有越来愈多的报告已经证实了久坐的危害，所以即使只是站起来走一走，走到另一件房间去吃饭也是很重要的。或者更好一点，到室外去呼吸一下新鲜空气，快速地散散步，都对你的身心是很有帮助的。

　　4.Eat. Don’t try to be a hero and starve yourself for the sake of being a hard worker or checking off another “to-do” item. You’ll pay for it later when you can’t concentrate and throw your body off balance。

　　4.吃东西。不要想着当英雄，把饿着肚子努力工作或者边吃边做事当成是理所当然。当你稍后没办法集中精力工作或者把自己的身体搞坏了你就会吃到苦头了。

　　5.Enjoy your food. Lunch should be about having lunch. Treat yourself to something you enjoy that fits with your diet. If you have a favorite place or a particular food you enjoy make sure to go and enjoy it at least once a week. You only live once。

　　5.享受食物。午饭时间就是要吃午饭。在午饭时间就吃点自己喜欢吃的食物。如果你有特别喜欢的餐馆或者食物，那就去享受这些你喜欢的食物吧，至少每周去吃一次，毕竟人生不会重来。

　　6.Do what you can’t do in the morning or evening. Some errands—like going to the Post Office or the bank—must be handled during work hours. Be strategic and use your lunch break to accomplish some of those personal errands that can’t be handled before or after work。

　　6.做那些早晚无法去做的事情。一些琐事，比如去邮局或去银行，这些事必须要在工作时间才能去做。战略性地在午休时间安排这些事情，把无法在上班前或下班后去做的事情放到午休时间来做。

　　7.Use the time to connect with someone new. Our workplace interactions can be so fleeting that we really never actually get to know the people we spend most of our days with. When you don’t really know those you interact with it’s easy to dehumanize them and take them for granted. Take some time to get out of the office, grab a sit down lunch, and get to know your co-workers。

　　7.去结识新朋友。工作中的交流都是来去匆匆，所以我们很少有机会真正地认识工作中的伙伴。当你无法真正了解你的同事时，你就很容易忽视他们的感情并认为这样是理所当然的。花点时间走出办公室，找个地方坐下来吃顿午饭，好好认识一下你的同事。

　　8.Catch up with old friends. If you have a friend who works nearby, try to meet him or her during lunch occasionally. Remember, your personal life needs tending to just as much as your work-life, so be sure to take the spare time you have and use it to fulfill your personal needs. Your midday break is a good opportunity to catch up and socialize, in person or by phone—but don’t lose track of time, and don’t treat it like happy hour。

　　8.与老朋友叙旧。如果你有个朋友在附近工作，那么就试着在午休时间联系一下对方。记住，个人生活和工作一样也需要时时维护。所以，要留出一点时间，并好好利用这些时间来满足你的个人需要。你的午休时间是与老朋友叙叙旧、唠唠嗑的好机会，见面也好，打电话也行。但是不要忘了时间，别把午休时间的小聚当成是下班后的欢乐时光。

　　9.Have a system for dealing with your absence.This will allow people inside and outside the company to know when you will be back, how to contact you in an emergency or have an alternative point of contact. It may also help you relax and avoid obsessively checking your e-mail during lunch。

　　9.自己不在时要做好安排。这样公司内外的人就会知道你什么时候回来，有紧急事件时要怎么联系你或者去联系谁。这样做也能帮助你放松下来，避免在午休时间还要查看邮件。

　　10.Engage in activities that will help you re-energize.Take a walk outside, visit the gym or meditate. Get out and do something that will make you feel better about yourself. A quick dose of sunlight and fresh air is the perfect elixir for the midday blues。

　　10.参与一些有助于你恢复精力的活动。外出散步，去健身房或者做冥想。到室外去，并做一些能够让你感觉更好的事情。晒晒太阳，呼吸一下新鲜空气都是驱散午间烦闷的理想方法。

　　11.Network. Even if you’re perfectly happy in your job, and you’re not looking for a new one, it can’t hurt to continuously build and maintain your professional network. This is critical to success in any line of work。

　　11.维护人际网。即使你对现在的工作百分百地满意，你也不想换工作，那也不妨碍你继续去建立和维护你的职场人际网。无论你的工作是什么，职场人际网都是成功的关键因素。

　　12.Don’t get stuck in a routine.Many of us are creatures of habit. Maybe you go to the same pizzeria everyday or eat with the same colleague. You might always use your lunch break to run errands or make personal calls. Try to mix things up in order to clear your head and boost your energy。

　　12.不要陷入常规。我们大多数人都会习惯成自然。也许你每天都会去同一家披萨店或者和同一个同事一起吃饭。也许你常常会利用午休时间去做些琐事或者打些私人电话。试着变换些花样，让你的头脑更清晰，让你的精力更充沛。

　　13.Avoid all screens.Try to stay away from your iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and computer. Give your eyes a break. Most office jobs require you to stare at a screen all day—so try to avoid that during lunch.If you can’t help it for whatever reason (maybe you want to shop online or e-mail a friend)， get up from your desk so your body perceives this as a true break。

　　13.远离所有的屏幕。试着远离你的手机、平板电脑和电脑屏幕。让你的眼睛休息一下。大多数办公室的工作都会要求一整天盯着电脑屏幕，所以在午休的时候就想办法离开一下屏幕吧。如果你无论如何也要坐在屏幕前，比如要网购或者要发邮件给朋友，那么就站起来，这样你的身体才能真正感到休息。

　　14.Don’t take too long or too short of a break.If you’re allotted an hour for lunch, take it. Maybe not every day, but when you can, use the full sixty minutes to get out, eat, exercise your mind or body, catch up with an old friend or a colleague and/or tackle items on your personal agenda.However, if everyone else in the office takes shorter breaks, follow suit so you don’t stand out。

　　14.休息时间不要太长或太短。如果你有一个小时的午休时间，那就好好利用。即使不能每天都这么做，一旦有机会，就把这整整60分钟的时间好好地用来出去走走，吃吃东西，锻炼深陷，与老友或同事聊聊天，或者处理一下私事。但是，如果办公室里的其他人午休时间都不长，那么你也要随大流，不然就会显得太不合群了。

　　关于职场你可能不知道的第五件事：不能和同事说的秘密-办公室禁忌话题

　　Friendships with your co-workers are inevitable — and a great way to connect to your workplace — but it's important to set a few conversation boundaries. Avoid these four topics to maintain a sense of professionalism and keep your office relationships work-appropriate。

　　同事间交朋友是不可避免的，这是职场人际的好办法，但是一定要为同事之间的谈话设个限。为了在职场显得更专业并保持正常的工作关系，职场人在办公室请不要讨论以下四大话题。

　　Friendships with your co-workers are inevitable — and a great way to connect to your workplace — but it's important to set a few conversation boundaries. Avoid these four topics to maintain a sense of professionalism and keep your office relationships work-appropriate。

　　同事间交朋友是不可避免的，这是职场人际的好办法，但是一定要为同事之间的谈话设个限。为了在职场显得更专业并保持正常的工作关系，职场人在办公室请不要讨论以下四大话题。

　　1.Dollars and cents:

　　1.金钱

　　It's no secret that salary talk should be avoided, but it's not just paychecks that ought to remain private. Debt, mortgage, and loans — yours or anyone else's — are a personal concern, and if money matters come up, the best thing to do is sidestep the subject and steer the conversation elsewhere。

　　职场不谈薪水已经不是什么秘密了，但是除了真金白银的工资外，债务、贷款、借贷等状况，无论是你自己的还是别人的，也都应当保护个人隐私而不予以讨论。如果别人讨论了有关钱的话题，那么你要做的就是回避并转移话题。

　　2.Office rumors:

　　2.办公室谣言

　　There will always be cubicle gossip, but that doesn't mean you need to participate. You want to be known for your work, not your rumor radar. Even if you trust a co-worker and your intentions are good, there's still a chance that you'll be misunderstood, overheard, or otherwise caught up in the drama. Use your wit to comment on last night's TV highlights instead。

　　办公室的格子间里总会产生各种流言蜚语，但这不意味着你也要参与八卦的讨论。你应该以你的工作表现而为人熟知，而不是你的八卦能力。即使你很信任某位同事，或者你的出发点是好的，你也可能在八卦的过程中被人曲解，偷听或者卷入是非之中。不谈办公室谣言，你还可以动动脑筋，聊聊昨晚电视里的八卦嘛。

　　3.Job status:

　　3.职位

　　If your boss offers you a raise or a promotion, by all means, celebrate! Call your family, or your friends, but don't bring it up to a co-worker unless asked directly. Wait until an announcement is made or until your title officially changes; raising the subject yourself might seem boastful or rude。

　　如果老板给你升职加薪，你的确应该好好庆祝一番！你可以给你的家人朋友打电话，但不要和你的同事说，除非有特别要求。等到有正式的文件下来或者你的头衔变更之后，你才可以和同事说。提早说的话，会让人觉得你是在沾沾自喜，或者会让人觉得你很傲慢。

　　4.Intimate issues:

　　4.个人私事

　　Of course you'll mention the happenings in your life to the people around you, but remember to set limits on what you reveal. Even if you feel close to your co-workers, they're still your co-workers, and some things simply shouldn't be shared with office-mates. When in doubt, ask yourself if it's something you'd want your superiors to know. That will put things in perspective。

　　在与同事的谈话中，你不可避免地会谈到生活中发生的事，但是记住要分清楚什么可以说，什么不可以说。即使你和同事的关系再好，你们也只是同事关系，有些事情是不能和同事分享的。如果你吃不准到底什么能说的时候，那就想一下，你希不希望这件事被你的上级知道。这样你就能正确地看待要讨论的事情了。

　　The bottom line:

　　底线

　　You will and should befriend the people who work alongside you, because getting along with co-workers can make your 9 to 5 pass in a snap. Just remember that those relationships are rooted in the workplace, so how and what you communicate can shape your business reputation。

　　和每天工作在你身边的人交朋友，这点没错，因为这样会使你的工作时间过得更快。但记住，职场中的朋友关系是建立在职场上的，你的一举一动、一言一行都会影响到你的职业声誉。

　　关于职场你可能不知道的第六件事：白领自学英语该用什么书？

　　对于职场人而言，“英语”实在是很多人的致命伤。每个人都了解“英语”的重要性：在外企工作的人要靠它交流，不在外企工作的人要用它做“敲门砖”；升职、加薪、考证，样样它都是必备选项。总之就是绕也绕不过、躲也躲不掉。但很多白领都困惑：毕业这么久，我该从哪里开始呢？

　　在这里，为大家做三大经典英语教材PK！无论你是自学还是要跟培训班，这几种教材都是你重拾英语的首选。但所谓因材施教，没有最好、只有最适合，如何选择就根据自己的实际情况定啦。

　　对于职场人而言，“英语”实在是很多人的致命伤。每个人都了解“英语”的重要性：在外企工作的人要靠它交流，不在外企工作的人要用它做“敲门砖”；升职、加薪、考证，样样它都是必备选项。总之就是绕也绕不过、躲也躲不掉。但很多白领都困惑：毕业这么久，我该从哪里开始呢？

　　在这里，笔者就来为大家做三大经典英语教材PK！无论你是自学还是要跟培训班，这几种教材都是你重拾英语的首选。但所谓因材施教，没有最好、只有最适合，如何选择就根据自己的实际情况定啦。

　　(一)剑桥商务英语BEC

　　适合人群：具备高考[微博]英语相当水平，工作环境对英文有一定要求的人。

　　优点：剑桥商务英语BEC这一套教材实在不用笔者多夸，因为对商务英语稍有了解的人都知道它是实实在在得有用，当之无愧江湖上“外企绿卡”的名号。首先从“出身”而言，这套教材由英国剑桥大学下属的考试委员会开发。该考试委员会除了是BEC证书的直属管理机构外，还负责如雅思[微博]、A-Level(相当于英国的高考、SAT)、剑桥通用五级证书等认可度极高的考试。历史那是相当的悠久(如果百度百科信得过，那得有150年)。所以既然是考委会的指定教材，它的对口性毋庸置疑；

　　另外，这套教材秉承了国外教材的精髓，就俩字：实用！具体说来，BEC是根据不同的商务场景编撰，拓展到相关的对话、词汇、题目。如果你对比过同一领域的国内教材，就会发现它真是大大的有趣。即便是不打算考试的人，学下来也有益无害。完全不用担心只是为了应考学了些条条框框。特别如果你已经在外企，那更是可以现学现用起来。

　　不足：作为一套试图覆盖整个商务领域的备考教材，BEC仍旧逃不开“太泛”的缺陷：因为有“宽度”，难免“深度”不够。在某些专项训练上，如商务文书写作、面试技巧、谈判技巧等，都只能点到为止、没有深入的探讨。这对于有高级需求的学生而言只能通过其他书籍或课程弥补了。

　　另外BEC的教材对职场人士而言更适合自学，因为很多场景是熟悉的；而对于在校大学生，在没有实战经验的基础上，笔者还是建议乖乖报个培训班，在老师的引导下学习，会比自学收获更多。

　　关于职场你可能不知道的第七件事：年终总结时可以提的五个小要求

　　Think back on the past calendar year. What would you like to see different in 2013? And what are the smallest possible changes that could bring those results? Here, five suggestions of potentially painless asks that could bring big rewards in 2013.

　　回顾过去的一年。在2013年你希望有什么变化？有没有小改变可以给你带来你想要的结果的？以下是五个无伤大雅的要求可能为你在2013年带来巨大回报。

　　Think back on the past calendar year. What would you like to see different in 2013? And what are the smallest possible changes that could bring those results? Here, five suggestions of potentially painless asks that could bring big rewards in 2013.

　　回顾过去的一年。在2013年你希望有什么变化？有没有小改变可以给你带来你想要的结果的？以下是五个无伤大雅的要求可能为你在2013年带来巨大回报。

　　1.Flex Time

　　1.弹性工作时间

　　Will flexible scheduling make you more focused on the job? Save stress by letting you skip a traffic-ridden commute? Try asking for an hour or two of flexibility each week (but be sure to stress that you will not be cutting corners or missing meetings)—and watch your well-being soar。

　　灵活的时间是不是能让你更专心工作？避开拥挤的上下班高峰是不是能减轻你的压力？试着向公司要求每周有一两个小时的灵活时间，但要确保自己不会因此偷懒或错过会议。然后就等着自己快乐起来吧。

　　2.Meeting Invites

　　2.会议邀请

　　Ask to be included in bigger projects, meetings with executives for a surefire signal that you want to contribute more to the company and learn more in the process. There’s no cost associated with being a fly on the wall, and the exposure can be career-changing。

　　要求公司让自己参与更大的项目，与公司高层一起开会，以此证明自己想要为公司做出更大的贡献，并在此过程中学得更多。列席管理层会议并没有产生成本，但这种个人展示可能会改变你的职业生涯。

　　3.Mentoring

　　3.工作指导

　　A formal mentorship can be extremely beneficial to your career and requires only a time commitment from a senior employee. Request that you be partnered with a higher-up whose career path you aspire to follow。

　　正式的指导关系对你的职业非常有益处。对于高层来说，也只是抽出一点时间而已。可以提出希望上级能对自己进行指导。这个指导你的人可以是你想要跟随其职业生涯路径的人。

　　4.Career Training

　　4.职业培训

　　Many companies have policies to offset tuition costs to pursue higher education in your field—check with HR for details. But even if there is no set standard, approach your supervisor with suggestions of courses or conferences where you might learn critical skills that will benefit the whole team. An added bonus: your boss will look good to her boss when presenting the idea。

　　许多企业都有培训政策，为员工在相关领域接受更高级的培训来支付费用，具体细节可以咨询人力资源部门。即便公司没有培训相关的规定，你也可以自己找主管，请求对方让你参加一些课程或出现某些会议，以便从中学习到有利于整个团队的重要技能。这样做还有一个额外的好处：你的上司在向自己的上司提出这个想法时，会觉得很有面子。

　　5.Vacation Days

　　5.假期

　　Additional floating vacation days allow employees the flexibility to simply get away or to observe holidays not recognized by the company calendar. In some cases, additional vacation days have proven increased year-round attendance for employees。

　　额外的非固定假期可以让员工自由安排假期，或者可以不根据公司规定的节日休假。有一些例子证明，额外的假期能提高员工全年的出勤率。

　　关于职场你可能不知道的第八件事：会被炒鱿鱼的十大工作坏习惯

　　You might figure that if you do good work, you don’t need to worry about being fired. Think again—there are some habits that can jeopardize even the best employee’s job. Here are 10 of the riskiest:

　　你可能认为，只要在工作中表现出色，就不会被炒鱿鱼。但是有些习惯甚至能使最优秀的员工失业，还是重新审视一下自己吧！最要不得的十种工作坏习惯：

　　You might figure that if you do good work, you don’t need to worry about being fired. Think again—there are some habits that can jeopardize even the best employee’s job. Here are 10 of the riskiest:

　　你可能认为，只要在工作中表现出色，就不会被炒鱿鱼。但是有些习惯甚至能使最优秀的员工失业，还是重新审视一下自己吧！最要不得的十种工作坏习惯：

　　1. Playing online during the workday. If you’re logged into Gmail chat all day, doing your holiday shopping online, or playing on Facebook when you should be working, it could cost you your job. Your employer has the right to monitor anything you do on your work computer, including checking your personal email. Never use your work computer for anything you don’t want your boss to know about—whether it’s job-searching, online shopping, complaining about your job, hanging out on social networking sites, or anything else。

　　1. 工作时间上网。工作时间登录Gmail聊天，网购假日促销品，或在Facebook上交友，这样，你的饭碗可能就危险了。监控你的工作电脑是老板的权利，查看你的个人邮 件也不为过。如果不想让老板知道，你在网上搜索新职位，在线购物，发牢骚，逛社交网站等等，就别在工作电脑上做这些。

　　2. Complaining about your boss. You never know who might be listening, and if you get a reputation as a complainer, your boss will eventually hear about it。

　　2. 抱怨老板。说者无心，听者有意，如果你经常抱怨，终有一天会传到老板的耳朵里。

　　3. Not owning up to mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time; what matters is how you handle it when you do. If you don’t accept responsibility or—worse— try to cover up that a mistake was made at all, your boss will likely be far more angry at this than at the mistake itself。

　　3. 掩盖错误。人无完人，犯点错误在所难免，可关键在于你处理它的方式。逃避责任，或者做得更恶劣，想方设法掩盖错误，这样做是错上加错，可能比错误本身更让老板光火。

　　4. Being preoccupied with whether something is your job or not. Protesting that something isn’t in your job description is a good way to lose the support of your boss. Job descriptions aren’t comprehensive, and most people end up doing work that doesn’t fall squarely within that job description. (That’s what “and other duties as assigned” means。) People who balk at this often end up at the top of a lay-off list. You want to make yourself more valuable to your employer, not less。

　　4.对工作任务斤斤计较。有时我们在做一些不属于我们工作范围内的事情的时候会产生抵触情绪，而这种情绪就很容易招致老板的反感。招聘时说的职责说明往往不全面，尽管工作不在职责描述中，大多数人还是会做。(招聘要求中写的“其他工作”就是在这种情况下派用场的。)最先被炒的往往就是这些对工作推诿的人。应该让老板觉得你更有价值，而不是反其道而行之。

　　5. Getting angry at work. It’s normal to occasionally get frustrated at work, but it crosses a line if you’re yelling, slamming doors, or snapping at people. It only takes one incident like this to get a reputation as the angry guy who no one wants to work with, and that’s a label that’s very hard to shake。

　　5. 工作中耍脾气。工作中偶尔受挫实属正常，但是，如果你大喊大叫、摔门、或指责同事，事情就升级了。结果呢？被同事冠以过于情绪化的名声，没人愿意跟这样的人共事，而且这样的标记很难抹去。

　　关于职场你可能不知道的第九件事：工作学习如何两手抓？

　　If you’re considering some form of further study, then you’ve probably given serious thought to how this will fit into your already busy lifestyle. There is no doubt that gaining a new qualification while still fulfilling all your existing professional and social commitments can be a challenge. However, the rewards are likely to be worth the extra effort, particularly if you are studying with the express intention of furthering your career。

　　如果你正在考虑某种形式的进修学习，那你恐怕应该好好想想，如何让你的学习和你本来已经很忙碌的工作相适应。一边考取一本新的资格证书，一边很好地完成现有的专业工作和社交任务，这毫无疑问是一种挑战。不过这些额外的努力一定会有相应的回报，尤其是当你把拓展职业生涯作为自己明确的学习目的时。

　　If you’re considering some form of further study, then you’ve probably given serious thought to how this will fit into your already busy lifestyle. There is no doubt that gaining a new qualification while still fulfilling all your existing professional and social commitments can be a challenge. However, the rewards are likely to be worth the extra effort, particularly if you are studying with the express intention of furthering your career。

　　如果你正在考虑某种形式的进修学习，那你恐怕应该好好想想，如何让你的学习和你本来已经很忙碌的工作相适应。一边考取一本新的资格证书，一边很好地完成现有的专业工作和社交任务，这毫无疑问是一种挑战。不过这些额外的努力一定会有相应的回报，尤其是当你把拓展职业生涯作为自己明确的学习目的时。

　　1.Enlist the help of family and friends

　　1.获取家人和朋友的帮助

　　If you are serious about doing some form of study then it’s vital to have support from those closest to you. Talk to your partner, family and friends before embarking on a new course and make sure they understand why this is so important. That way, they will understand that you may not always have quite as much time for them as you would like。

　　如果你真的想要进行某项学习，那么赢得你最亲近的人的支持就是至关重要的。在开始一门新的课程之前和你的爱人、家人以及朋友们聊一聊，确保他们理解为何学习对于你如此重要。这样一来他们也会明白，你可能无法像你期望的那样，有那么多时间来陪他们。

　　2.Talk to your employer

　　2.和你的老板聊聊

　　It may be that your studies are organised and funded by your employer, it would be hoped that your current workload has been taken into consideration and provision made for training leave. However, even if you are advancing your education under your own initiative then it’s still worth letting your employer know about your plans and goals. Employers would rarely frown upon an employee improving their skills and by keeping them in the know you will receive greater understanding and support。

　　也许你的学习是由你的老板组织并赞助的，那么你应该希望老板能够考虑一下你目前的工作量，并且为你的学习提供补助。不过，即便你的进修学习完全是你自己的主意，让你的老板知道你的学习计划和目标也是十分有益的。极少有雇主会对反对雇员提高自己的工作技能，而且让他们知道你的学习计划，你会获得更好的理解和支持。

　　3.Maximise your time

　　3.最大限度利用时间

　　While at first glance it might appear that you are constantly busy, in reality most of us have periods throughout the day where we could be more productive. A commute to work by public transport allows time to catch up on some reading. The television can also be a drain on our time but it doesn’t have to be completely forgone. Plan your watching schedule to only programmes that generally interest you。

　　乍一看你好像总是很忙，但事实上我们大多数人一天当中总有一些时间可以更好的利用。乘坐公共交通去上班的路上我们可以看看书。电视也会浪费掉很多时间，但我们并没有必要完全抛弃它。你可以做好时间规划，只看那些你感兴趣的节目。

　　【沪江小编】时间挤挤就出来啦，欢迎来我们的沪江网校在线学习平台，学习充电最充实。

　　4.Play to your strengths

　　4.量力而行

　　People’s learning styles vary dramatically, so what works for someone else may not work for you. If you perform better in the morning, set aside an hour once or twice a week for studying. Students concentration span also varies so keep this in mind to maximise learning either in bite sized chunks or longer periods. The key is to find what works for you and then plan your time accordingly。

　　人们的学习方式千差万别，所以对别人奏效的方法对你可能完全没有用。如果你在早晨的学习表现更好，每周可以抽一两个早晨，留出一个小时来学习。此外，不同学生注意力集中的时间长度也不同，所以记住这一点，不管是利用零散时间还是较长的完整时间，都要让你的学习效率最大化。关键在于找到适合自己的方法，然后有针对性地安排你的时间。

　　5.Create a study zone

　　5.打造一个学习区域

　　If possible, it helps to have an area that is dedicated to studying, whether that means converting a spare room into a temporary study or tucking a desk into the corner of the living room. If you prefer to leave the house then you could try a quiet local cafe or your public library. Wherever it may be, creating this distinction between study time and the rest of your day will help to engage your brain and get you in the mood for learning。

　　如果可能的话，设置一处学习专用区域会对你有帮助，不管是把一间空房改造成一间临时书房还是在客厅的一角放一个书桌。如果你不想待在家里学习，那么你可以试试一间安静的咖啡馆或者公共图书馆。不论在哪里学习，让你的学习时间和其余的时间区分开来将有助于你思维的集中，并且让你保持学习的情绪。

　　6.Find a study buddy

　　6.找一位学习伙伴

　　Setting goals with fellow students can be a great way of overcoming hurdles and boosting your own motivation. Making new friends is often an added bonus to adult learning, and technological developments mean it is now possible for people on distance learning courses to develop such relationships via the internet. If you are considering home study then it’s worth checking if the course provider has a virtual student community, which can effectively replicate the social environment of more traditional educational establishments。

　　和学友一起制定学习目标是克服困难、增强自我动力的一个好方法。成人学习常常有一个额外的好处就是结交新朋友，而科技的发展意味着进行远程学习的人们现在也可以通过网络来建立友谊。如果你正在考虑在家自学，那你可以去查一下课程提供者有没有建立一个虚拟的学生社区，这种社区可以有效地模拟一种传统教育机构的社会环境。

　　【沪江小编】与千万好友一起学习交流，沪江部落，最火爆的虚拟学生社区。

　　To sum up, often the hardest thing about combining work with study is making the decision to do it in the first place. Once you get started you will probably find that it’s not as difficult as you’d imagined. Choosing a course that allows you to study via distance learning can also be helpful as you can work at your own pace without being tied in to specific timescales. Studying doesn’t have to take over your life: just a few hours each week can make all the difference。

　　总的来说，在职学习最困难的部分往往在于一开始做出这个决定。一旦你开始学习也许就会发现，并没有自己想象的那么困难。选一门允许你进行远程学习的课程也会有帮助，因为你可以按照自己的节奏工作而不必受制于某一个特殊的时间表。没有必要让学习占据你全部的生活：每周哪怕只学习几个小时也会有很大不同。

　　关于职场你可能不知道的第十件事：永远不要跟老板说的9句话

　　“Think before you speak” is always a good policy -- and at work it's even more important. Saying the wrong thing to your boss can do serious damage to your career -- and some of the things bosses don't like to hear may surprise you. We checked in with some managers and came up with this list of nine phrases they strongly dislike -- and we'll tell you what you should say instead:

　　“三思而后行”总是没错的，在工作中这一点尤为重要。对上司说错话会给你的职业生涯造成严重的损失，一些上司不喜欢听到的话可能会让你大吃一惊。我们探究了一些经理人，总结出了如下他们最反感的9句话，并提供了恰当的替代语：

　　“Think before you speak” is always a good policy -- and at work it's even more important. Saying the wrong thing to your boss can do serious damage to your career -- and some of the things bosses don't like to hear may surprise you. We checked in with some managers and came up with this list of nine phrases they strongly dislike -- and we'll tell you what you should say instead:

　　“三思而后行”总是没错的，在工作中这一点尤为重要。对上司说错话会给你的职业生涯造成严重的损失，一些上司不喜欢听到的话可能会让你大吃一惊。我们探究了一些经理人，总结出了如下他们最反感的9句话，并提供了恰当的替代语：

　　1.I need a raise。

　　1.我要加薪。

　　Never enter salary negotiations talking about what you need -- because of rising costs or a new expense, for instance. Your employer doesn't care about your financial problems. However, management probably does want to reward success and keep high-performing employees satisfied. A raise request should always be supported by evidence of what you've achieved for the company -- along with information about what people with your responsibilities typically earn。

　　永远不要在谈判薪水的时候谈论你的需要，比方说因为支出增长或者有某项新的开支。你的雇主不会关心你的经济问题，但管理层可能想要对成功的表现予以奖励并不断满足高效的员工。应该要以你对公司所做的业绩以及同行业代表性收入的信息作依据，来提出合理的加薪要求。

　　2.That just isn’t possible。

　　2.那不可能。

　　Always speak to your boss in terms of what can be done. For instance, rather than saying “We can’t get this done by Friday,” say “We could definitely get this done by Monday, or if we brought in some freelance help, we could meet the Friday deadline。” When you talk to your boss, think in terms of solving problems for her, not in terms of putting problems on her plate。

　　总是要对上司说你能做到的事情。例如，不要说“周五之前我们无法完成这项任务”，而应说“我们肯定会在下周一之前完成，或者如果我们能找些兼职帮忙，我们就能在周五之前完成。” 当你对上司说话的时候，要以为她解决问题为目的来思考，而不是给她制造问题。

　　3.I can’t stand working with ____。

　　3.我不能忍受和某某一起工作。

　　Complaining about a coworker's personality usually reflects more poorly on you than on the coworker. Don’t make these kinds of conflicts your boss’s problem. Of course, management is interested in problems that jeopardize the company's ability to function. If you have to speak to HR about a problem such as a colleague's threatening, illegal or unethical behavior, keep your tone professional and the focus on work -- not personal issues。

　　抱怨某位同事的性格通常反映出你的性格比他更差劲。不要让这类冲突成为上司的问题。当然，管理层对于妨碍公司运作能力的问题是感兴趣的。如果你不得不跟人力资源部门大胆说出某位同事威胁他人、违法或者违反职业道德的行为，那么让你的语气更职业一些，把焦点放在工作上，而非个人问题。

　　4.I partied too hard last night -- I'm so hung over!

　　4.昨晚的聚会太high了，我还没醒酒呢！

　　Buck up and get through the day with some ibuprofen, extra undereye concealer and coffee. But don’t share the sordid details of your night on the town with your boss. Even if you have a friendly relationship, he’s just as likely to react with (unspoken) disdain as sympathy. Maintaining a solid veneer of professionalism will pay off when it's time to discuss promotions。

　　打起精神，吃点布洛芬、多用点眼部遮瑕霜、喝点咖啡来熬过这一天吧。但是不要跟你的上司分享你在城里寻欢作乐的龌龊细节。即便你们的关系很友好，他也只不过可能会做出(未说出口的)轻视的反应来同情你。外表保持职业化会在谈论晋升的时候有帮助。

　　5.But I emailed you about that last week。

　　5.但是我上周因为此事给你发过邮件了。

　　Alerting your boss to a problem via email doesn't absolve you of all responsibility for it. Bosses hate the "out of my outbox, out of my mind" attitude. Keep tabs on all critical issues you know about -- and keep checking in until you hear a firm "You don't need to worry about that anymore."

　　用发电子邮件的方式提醒上司某个问题并不会免除你对此事的所有责任。上司们厌恶这种“邮件发出，心不再烦”的态度。密切关注你所了解的所有关键问题，不断核查这些问题，直到你听到上司肯定地说“你不需要再为此事烦恼了”。

　　6.It’s not my fault。

　　6.这不是我的错。

　　Are you a whiny 8-year-old or a take-charge professional? Assume responsibility and take steps to fix a problem that you did, in fact, create. And if you are being wrongly blamed for a problem, saying “Let’s get to the bottom of this” or “What can we do to make it right?” is much more effective than saying “It’s not my fault。”

　　你是一个爱抱怨的8岁孩童还是一个负责任的专业人士？承担责任，采取措施来解决你要处理的(事实上是你所产生的)问题。如果因某个问题得到误解受到了责备，那么要说：“让我们来弄清真相” 或者 “我们要怎么做才能把它做好？”，这比说 “这不是我的错” 要有效得多。

　　7.I don't know。

　　7.我不知道。

　　If your boss asks you a question you can’t answer, the correct response is not "I don't know." It's "I'll find out right away."

　　如果上司问了一个你无法回答的问题，正确的反应不是“我不知道”，而是“我马上落实一下。”

　　8.But we've always done it this way。

　　8.但是我们之前一直是这样做的。

　　You may find yourself with a new boss who wants to try new things -- and the best way to present yourself as a workplace relic is to meet change with a "we do it this way because this is the way we do it" attitude. When a brainstorming session takes place, be part of it and stay open to new ideas. If you have concerns about a new idea's feasibility, say "I think for this to work, we will have to…" Don't kill new ideas with negativity。

　　你可能会发现自己的新上司想要有些新的尝试，要将自己表现为一个资深员工，最好的方法就是用一种 “我们这样做是因为这是我们的做事方式” 的态度来应对改变。当参加头脑风暴会议时，要参与其中并接受新想法。如果你担心一个新想法的可行性，要说：“我认为要做到这一点，我们必须……”。不要全盘否定来扼杀新想法。

　　9.Let me set you up with.。。

　　9.让我为你跟某某牵根线……

　　Avoid the urge to play matchmaker for your single boss. The potential risk far outweighs any potential benefit. In modern workplaces, hierarchical structures are often less rigid. Smart workers will draw the line at "oversharing" -- definitely something to keep in mind if you're connecting to your company's managers on social networks like Facebook。

　　避免为你的单身上司牵线搭桥的冲动。此事潜在的危险远远超过了任何潜在的好处。在现代化的工作场所，分级结构常常不那么严格。聪明的员工会拒绝“过度分享”。如果你跟公司里的经理们在Facebook那样的社交网络上有所联系，那么这一点一定要铭记于心。