Homonyms - Tie (As a Noun and Verb)

Tie

1.   (verb) – fasten

Ø     Tie your shoelaces before you trip over them.

Ø     Tanya likes to tie her hair back when she’s at work.

2.   (verb) – finish equal

Ø     I was delighted when John and I tied for the first time in the Mathematics quiz.

Ø     We tied with a team from the North in the football match.

3.   (noun) – a long, thin piece of material usually worn by men, and tied in a knot at the front.

Ø     My father always avoids wearing a tie if possible.

Ø     All male employees in this company are expected to wear a jacket and tie to work.

Homophones: Branch v Brunch

Branch (noun) 

1. one of the offices that form part of a big organization.

• Jessica is always so busy because she's a branch manager of a large bank.
• The company is planning to close several of its rural branches.
• I like banking with HSBC because they have two branches near where I live.

2. tree part.

• We are going to try and pluck the mangoes on the lower branches of the tree.

Brunch (noun) - a meal eaten in the late morning and combines both breakfast and lunch.

• My family and I love having brunch together on weekends.
• Since we woke up late this morning, we decided to skip breakfast and have brunch instead.

Verbal Idioms: Bring to Light

Meaning - Reveal, Disclose, To make sth known

Ø      Her research has brought to light new information about the singer’s life as a poor student.

Ø      The police investigation brought to light the extent of the corruption in   the company.

Homophones: Heal v Heel

Heal (verb) 

1.   to become well again (after a cut or injury)       

Ø      I can't wait for my wound to heal! It's been almost a week since I've been to the gym.

Ø      John had to rest for months before his torn muscle healed.

2.   used to refer to painful emotions or bad experiences.

Ø      It often takes a long time for a broken heart to heal.

   

Heel (noun) – the rounded part at the back of the foot.

Ø      Tim couldn’t walk properly initially because of a stone that was digging into his heel.

How to Write the Perfect ‘Thank You’ Email for Any Situation By Abigail Hess

1. After a networking meeting

Danny Rubin, email expert and author of "Wait, How Do I Write This Email?," says that the secret to the perfect thank you email after a networking meeting is to keep the conversation going.

Rubin writes, "Within 24 hours of your networking meeting, you need to send a thank you email. It's not enough to say 'Thanks so much' when you're in the room with the person."

One way you can increase the likelihood of your contact responding to your message is to recap what you learned from your conversation. "Show the person you value his/her advice. In fact, you find the person's wisdom so notable that you repeat it back."

Rubin explains that repeating a person's advice is "a major ego boost and an added incentive for the person to pass along your resume, meet up again or send networking emails on your behalf."

    2. After hosting an event

If you host an event, thanking your guests is the best way to keep in touch and take advantage of the social capital your event hopefully generated.

In this situation, Rubin suggests using the "wrinkle method." A "wrinkle" is a moment that caught people by surprise and made the event memorable. By including one of these special moments in your email, the "wrinkle method" allows you to develop a personal relationship before you "jump right into business."

*To read more about the 'wrinkle method', please go to https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/17/use-the-wrinkle-method-to-get-people-to-respond-to-your-emails.html.

     3. After an interview

Sending a follow-up email after an interview is a crucial step when applying for a job. The key with the follow-up message is to include something the person said in the conversation that stood out to you. That way, it proves you listened and makes the message stronger than a basic 'Thanks again!

Another way to make sure that your email improves your chances of landing the job is to read their website, brochures and pamphlets to get a sense of how they communicate and what they value. If a company repeatedly uses the word "synergy," use similar but more conversational words like "teamwork" and "collaboration."

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/22/3-ways-to-send-the-perfect-thank-you-email.html

How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter By Emily Moore

Cover letters are your opportunity to not only show that you have the background and knowledge needed to do the job well, but that you're also passionate, charismatic and well-informed. For many people, though, it's a daunting task. With so much information to convey, where do you get started?

1. Contact Info

Don't make recruiters dig through your cover letter to find your name and contact info — include it up top so they can easily reach out.

2. Greeting

Forget "To Whom It May Concern." If you can find it, address the recruiter/hiring manager by name.

3. Intro Paragraph

• Relevant anecdotes, quotes, fun facts, etc. are all good ways to make your opening line stand out.
• Make it clear that you know who the company is, what they do and what they care about.
• Mention a few roles, projects, experiences, traits or passions that make you the ideal candidate.
• If someone at the company has referred you, this is the place to name drop them.

4. Body Paragraph(s)

• Incorporate keywords directly from the job description.
• Whenever possible, include concrete metrics that illustrate the results you've achieved.

5. Closing Paragraph

Summarize, don't plagiarize. Reaffirm your interest, passion and qualifications from earlier in the letter, but don't make it sound redundant.

6. Additional

• Cover letters should be clean and easy to read — skip the intricate designs and crazy fonts for party invitations.
• Like a resume, keep the cover letter to one page. If necessary, hyperlink your portfolio, website, or samples of your work.
• Saving your cover letter as a PDF file will ensure the formatting won't change.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/12/how-to-write-the-perfect-cover-letter.html

Homophones - Week v Weak

Week (noun) - a period of seven days

• I'm looking forward to an exciting week of fun and excitement in London!
• My brother tries to go to the gym at least three times a week.

Weak (adj) - not strong 

• It's normal to feel weak when you are sick.
• Due to his weak leadership, the company is now bankrupt.
• John gave a weak excuse when asked why he was late. 
• How do you like/take your coffee - weak or strong?