ESL Podcast 944 - Working as an Intern
exactly - precisely; fully meeting a definition; just so
Exercise isn't exactly enjoyable, but I know it's good for me, so I keep doing it.
internship - a temporary position with a business or organization, usually unpaid, performed by a student or a recent graduate to get more experience in a field or industry
All business students in this program are require to complete a two-month internship with a local business during the summer after their first year.
lackey - servant; a person who performs basic tasks for another person
Does Sheila really pick up her boss's dry cleaning? She's such a lackey!
pittance - a very small amount of money; almost nothing
This would be the perfect job if it paid more than a pittance.
scut work - boring, repetitive work that is not challenging
Bryan has been looking for a job for more than one year, and at this point he would accept anything, even scut work.
on-the-job experience - professional experience obtained while performing job duties, not by studying
This job provides a lot of on-the-job experience, so even if you've never used the software before, you'll be an expert by the end of the first six months.
to fetch - to retrieve; to get something and bring it back; to bring from somewhere
Kyle is trying to teach his dog to fetch his slippers and the newspaper.
to run errands - to perform a lot of tasks that require going to many different place
Phuong spent all afternoon running errands at the bank, the pharmacy, the dry cleaners, the library, and the grocery store.
yippee - hooray; a phrase used to show excitement and joy, sometimes used sarcastically
It's going to be sunny tomorrow! Yipee!
slave labor - work performed by people who are not paid for their work, and who work because they do not have a choice
Slave labor was responsible for much of the economic growth of the early United States, particularly in the south.
to shadow - to follow a person around, observing what he or she is doing as a way to learn from those experiences
Our program tries to get your girls more interested in science by having them shadow professional female scientists for a day.
to sit in on - to attend a meeting or event, but mostly as an observer, without actively participating
Geoff is hoping to sit in on the product development meeting and get some ideas for his own invention.
mentor - a person who provides professional guidance and advice to a younger, less experienced individual who hopes to have a similar career in the future
The university tries to pair students up with mentors from the local business community.
diddly-squat - little or nothing
That conference was such a waste of time! We didn't learn diddly-squat.
menial - unimportant, not challenging, and not requiring special skills
Why don't you hire an assistant to do all of the menial tasks, so you can focus on making the important decisions?
unpaid - without receiving payment for one's work; with volunteer labor
These volunteer projects are unpaid, but they're really great to list on your resume.
racket - an unethical or illegal way to make money; a scam
If you get an email asking you to help make an international bank transfer in exchange for a percentage of the amount, don't believe it. It's a racket.