One way to handle this paradox (situation that is contradictory or without a solution) is for students to work in internships.  Internships are jobs that don’t pay any money, but that people can do to get experience.  It is quite common, for example, for a college student to work in an internship while going to school or in the summertime between school years.

Internships provide benefits for both students and employers.  Students get experience, make contacts (become known to people who may help them in future), and get their foot in the door (gain an entry; get an advantage) if the company or organization is looking for future employees.  By the same token (in the same way; similarly), a company or organization gets unpaid labor (work) and can see how well a person works before hiring that person for a full-time job.

Until recently, most interns have been students.  With the weak (poor) economy, however, more and more mid-career (people who have worked in their jobs for 10, 15, 20 years) professionals who have been laid-off (fired from their jobs because there isn’t enough business) are taking internships for some good reasons.

First, internships allow professionals to gain experience in adjacent (nearby; close) fields, giving them a wider range of expertise (knowledge and skills).  Second, internships allow professionals to avoid gaps (empty spaces) in their resumes.  Traditionally, employers don’t like gaps in resumes because the gaps may mean that a person has had difficulty finding a job, had personal problems, or, with a lot of gaps, had difficulty keeping a job.  Employers may also see long gaps between jobs as an indication (sign) of deteriorating (becoming worse over time) skills.  Employers may be more forgiving (willing to overlook or pardon) of gaps these days (now), but as is true for college students, working in an internship also allows these professionals to show a company their skills, which may put them at the front of the line when any new jobs become available.

Internships for professionals aren’t without problems.  There are companies that try to take advantage of (behave unfairly toward someone who doesn’t have the ability to refuse) professionals willing to work as interns for free and replacing paid employees.  In fact, recognizing that this may be a problem, there are U.S. laws that say it is not legal to do that.  However, given the benefits to both employers and interns, professionals working for free is on the rise (increasing; going up).

Are internships popular in countries where you’ve lived?  What can out-of-work mid-career professionals do to make themselves more marketable (attractive to employers)?

~ Lucy

However, it is the beginning of the unlikely road to success for Roy Choi.  Back in 1996, Roy didn’t know what he would do with his life.  Then, one day while watching the Food Network, a cable TV station devoted to (focused on) cooking and food, he got an inspiration (sudden idea).  He wanted to become a chef (professional cook).  He enrolled in a good culinary (cooking) school, and eventually worked his way up to chef at the Los Angeles Beverly Hilton Hotel, where many celebrity events take place.  After he was fired from his next job, he decided to try something different.

After cooking gourmet (high quality, made with a lot of skill) food in some of the best restaurants, he decided to take his cooking on the road — in a lunch truck.  The lunch truck is a large truck with a simple kitchen that travels from place to place to sell food.  Traditionally, in the U.S., lunch trucks sell inexpensive food, such as sandwiches and burgers, and travel to places with a lot of workers, such as near large business buildings or construction sites, where workers are doing the physical work to put up a building.  Roy wanted to turn (change; replace) that traditional lunch truck food into gourmet food.  Instead of unhealthy fast food, he would serve quick, cheap, and convenient gourmet food, and his specialty was a new type of cuisine that combined Korean and Mexican food.  From these lunch truck, he sells unusual dishes such as kimchi quesadillas and (Korean) short-rib tacos.

Soon after the Kogi trucks began traveling around Los Angeles, they became a cult hit (very popular with a small group of people).  The owners of the lunch trucks used viral media to tell people where the trucks would park and serve.  Viral media includes Twitter and Facebook, and is any type of electronic communication that can get information to a lot of people in a very short amount of time.  An announcement would go out on Twitter about the time and location of the next appearance of the truck and people would flock to (many people would move quickly to) that location.  Good food, cheap prices, cooked by a top chef — visiting these lunch trucks become the in thing (trendy; popular thing) to do.

Even though I live in Los Angeles and have heard about these lunch trucks for over a year, I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting one yet, but I hope to soon.  I want to know what Korean-Mexican food tastes like!

Are lunch trucks popular in other countries?  If not, are there special restaurants or food stalls (table or stands on the street) where people can go for a quick meal?

~ Lucy

eBay is probably the most well known Internet auction website, but recently, I heard about a new Internet selling site aimed at (designed for) individual sellers who are crafty (two meanings: 1) clever; 2) able to make things with one’s hands, especially decorative things).

In the past five to ten years in the U.S., there has been a resurgence of interest (increased interest after a period of not being popular) in crafts, especially knitting and crocheting. Knitting and crocheting are two methods of using yarn (thick thread) and long needles (sticks) to make things like sweaters, scarves, baby clothes, handbags, and many other things. (Crocheting (pronounced “crow-shay-ing”) uses one needle with a hook at the end, and knitting uses two needles, with no hook.)

This new selling website takes advantage of this interest in crafts and is called Etsy. All of the products listed on the website are crafts, or things that are handmade (made by one’s hands, rather than by machines in factories). On the website, you will find sweaters and scarves (long pieces of fabric you put around your neck to keep you warm), of course, but also handmade greeting cards (such as birthday cards, Christmas cards), cases for cell phones, candles, furniture, clocks, jewelry, and much more. On the site, the seller sets (determines) the price. And if you don’t find what you’re looking for on the website, there is a page where customers can ask for custom (made for a specific customer) products and the price they are willing to pay.

For many people, crafts are a hobby (activity done in one’s free time for fun), but many people are turning crafts into cash, especially in these difficult economic times. When I was little, my mother taught me how to knit, and later on, my sister taught me how to crochet. Looking at the nice quality products that other people can make on this site has really put my own efforts to shame (makes me embarrassed about the low quality of the things I’ve made).  If you ever see me with an odd-shaped (strangely-shaped) scarf or a lopsided (with one side smaller or lower than the other) hat, you’ll know I didn’t get it from Etsy. I made it myself.  I’m afraid I’m not too crafty with my crafts.

Are you crafty?  What can you make?  What would you like to learn to make?

Me?  I’ve always wanted to learn to make things with wood, perhaps to build small pieces of furniture or other practical things.  But given (considering; keeping in mind) I’m not very good with my hands, I think I better stick with (stay with) writing scripts!

~ Lucy

One way that the music industry is trying to make up for (compensate for; correct; fix) this lost income is by repackaging people’s favorite artists, putting together songs and adding material in a new way.   They are counting on diehard fans (people who love something very, very much) to want everything, or at least something special, that is released for their favorite artist.  Many of these new packages are “anniversary editions,” perhaps 10, 25, or 50 years after the album/CD was first released or since the birth or death of an artist.  What do these reissues (re-releases) include?

Some very old recordings that came out in vinyl (flat, round disks played on a record player) are remastered, using today’s technology to improve the audio (sound) quality.  Other reissues have “extras,” such as never-before-heard versions of songs, commentary (spoken comments) by the artist or people involved in making the music, and remixes, which are new versions of songs created technically, often by changing the tempo (speed) or by putting them in a different order or adding parts to the songs.  Now some reissues include DVDs of live (in front of an audience) performances or interviews. These reissues and repackaged music can sell for between $100 and $200.  For diehard fans, this may be a small price to pay.

Do you have a favorite musical artist that would tempt you (make you want very much) to buy reissued or repackaged music?

~ Lucy

What accounts for (explains) these high-level appointments? The answer is money.

Universities have become big businesses and one of the main duties of a senior university official is fundraising, getting donations and other forms of money for the institution. Apparently, Americans or people exposed to American ways of doing things have good fundraising skills. These skills are a product of (result of) experience and necessity (need).

U.S. universities rely heavily (very much) on philanthropy, which is when someone gives a generous donation of money to build or help an organization or a cause. For example, at Harvard last year, 40% of the total budget came from philanthropy. This is in contrast to (very different from) universities abroad (in other countries): At Cambridge University in England, only 10% came from philanthropy, and at the University of Melbourne in Australia, only 6% did.

In recent months, donations to universities have dropped significantly, making a fundraiser’s job even harder. However, in general, when it comes to separating wealthy (rich) people from their money, I guess an American is the one for the job!

~ Lucy

Do you have a work spouse? (excerpted from CNN)
Here are seven clear signs (indications) you might have a work spouse:

1. You depend on a particular co-worker for office supplies, snacks and aspirin (common medicine for headaches and pain).

2. There are inside jokes that you and a specific co-worker share (jokes that other people would not understand).

3. You can be bluntly (directly; frankly) honest with this person about his or her appearance, hygiene (cleanliness) or hair. You’re comfortable enough to point out that the other’s hair is sticking up (standing up in the air) — or that someone’s fly (pant zipper) is down.

4. When something eventful (important or interesting) happens at work, this co-worker is the first person you seek out (try to find) for a de-briefing (discussion; asking questions to get information).

5. At breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks, your closest co-worker knows what to order for you and how you like your coffee (and vice versa (the other way around; true for the other person, too)).

6. You and your co-worker can finish each other’s sentences.

7. Someone in your office knows almost as much about your personal life as your best friend or real-life spouse does.

Do you have a work spouse? Does your work spouse know things about you that your real-life spouse doesn’t know?

~ Lucy

Excerpted from the article, “10 Most Popular Majors and What They Pay.”
….

Business administration and management
Business administration is one of the more lucrative (money making) majors in terms of starting salary. Graduates with a degree in business administration and management are often on track to (on the path to; on the way to) eventually assume (take power and responsibility for) leadership roles…

Beginning salary: $57,132.
….

Computer science (study and design of computer-related things)

A computer science degree can be used in a number of careers because of the variety of skills that graduates learn. Those skills range from developing software (programs and other computer information) and analyzing systems to more advanced skills like working with language recognition programs and other types of artificial intelligence (using machines to do the thinking and work of humans).

Beginning salary: $46,849.
….

Criminal justice (working as police and in other law enforcement jobs)

Graduates with a degree in criminal justice have a number of options for their career path. One initial (first) choice is becoming a police officer. Graduates can also join state or federal police agencies.

They can also become involved with other related areas like law, work as a legal assistant or court administrator, or work for a government agency like the FBI, CIA or Homeland Security.

Beginning salary: $38,182.
…

Elementary education (teaching children from kindergarten (ages 5, 6) to eighth grade (ages 11/12)

Education continues to be a popular major and teachers continue to be sought after (in demand; with many people wanting to hire them) throughout the country, which explains why it is one of the few industries to add workers in 2008.

Despite the importance of the role that an elementary teacher has in a child’s education, the beginning salary for a new teacher is the lowest of the 10 most popular majors.

Beginning salary: $29,414.
…

Nursing (working in hospitals and with doctors to help injured or sick people)

Nursing is the largest industry in health care, with 25 million workers, and is another industry that is adding workers in 2008. Nurses are in high demand nearly everywhere in the country. Registered nurses, who provide a range of general care, are always in demand.

Graduates have a wide range of choices as to what kind of care they wish to provide. There are also jobs in home health care (taking care of sick or injured people in their own home), as well as jobs where nurses can be educators and patient advocates (helping people get the care they need and making sure that doctors and hospitals follow laws and rules).

Beginning salary: $41,173.
…..

To read about the other majors, see the article here.

~ Lucy

Scientists who study sleep say that people who take naps, especially if they didn’t have enough sleep the night before, are more alert (quick to notice and respond to situations), more creative (able to think of new ideas and use their imagination), and have better memory (able to remember things better).

Napping may be good for your health, too. In one study, researchers found that taking naps at least three days per week helped reduce the chance of dying from coronary (heart) problems.

The experts say that the ideal (best; most suitable) length of a nap is 20 minutes. Sleeping more than 30 minutes puts you in a deeper sleep and you will wake up groggy (weak and tired) and not refreshed (with new strength and energy).

Some large companies are taking note (paying attention). They have designated (assigned for a special purpose) sleep areas in their buildings.

Is it acceptable in your workplace to nap? Do you nap?

~ Lucy

As many of you pointed out in your comments, some of the best things in life are free – even the audio files for ESL Podcast are free!  I am not suggesting that there is a relationship between price and value (how much something is really worth to us).  What I am saying is that when we see something that is FREE!, it has a different effect on us than something with a price on it.  We react differently, and sometimes we react in a way that isn’t rational or  does not make good economic sense.

Sometimes getting something for FREE! is a good idea, a good deal.   But we have to be careful not to get something or buy something just because it is free.  You have to compare the options and decide which is really best.  That’s why I gave the example of the candy, where FREE! wasn’t actually the best deal.

~Jeff

Recently I started a book called Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or what we commonly call MIT, one of the best universities in the U.S. for science and math. The book is part of a larger movement in economics called behavioral economics, where economists combine psychology with their traditional tools of research to understand how people behave when it comes to (as it relates to) money, work, trade, and other economically-related activities. The book is basically a description of several experiments that Ariely has done in the past several years.

One section of the book discusses what happens when businesses give away things free (or “FREE!” as Ariely writes it). Everyone likes things that are free, and businesses on the Internet and in the “real” world often will give things away (give things for free) to customers as a way of getting more people to pay attention to their products. But can “free” actually be a bad thing for us?

Ariely conducted some experiments on how people reacted to things that were FREE! He offered a group of students two kinds of chocolates: a small piece of very good, well-known chocolate for 15 cents, and a small piece of chocolate that was not very good quality for 1 cent. The good chocolate piece was probably worth $1.00, so getting it for 15 cents was a very good deal, but the poor quality chocolate was only worth about 5 cents, so getting it for 1 cent wasn’t a great deal (a good bargain, where you get something cheaper than normal).

Which would you choose? Most people chose the high quality chocolate for 15 cents, since it was much cheaper than normal. That’s not a surprise. But then Ariely lowered the price of both pieces of chocolate by 1 cent – 14 cents for the good quality chocolate, 0 cents (FREE!) for the low quality chocolate. Remember that the high quality chocolate is still a much better bargain than the low quality one. If people were rational (thinking correctly or intelligently), then they should still choose the good quality chocolate. But that isn’t what happened. The majority of people actually choose the FREE! chocoloate. This doesn’t make sense in our normal way of understanding economic behavior. People should choose the best deal, which is the good chocolate for 14 cents, but they don’t. They choose the FREE! item instead.

What is going on (happening) here? Part of the explanation Ariely gives is that people want to get a good bargain, but they also want to minimize risk. That is, they want to reduce or lower the chance that they will make a mistake. If you pay 15 cents for a piece of chocolate, and then you don’t actually like it when you eat it, you are out (you have lost) 15 cents. But when something is FREE! and you don’t like it, you haven’t lost anything. People would prefer not to take a risk over getting a better bargain.

So remember next time you take something for FREE! instead of paying a little money, you may actually be better off (be in a better situation) by paying for something else.

~Jeff