Office don'ts

1. Don't ever be late or stay too long on an appointment.

2. A woman should not fix her make-up and no one should do hair-styling at the desk.

3. Don't chew gum in the office.

4. Don't borrow colleagues' things without immediately returning them.

5. Don't sit back with your feet up on the desk or on the drawers.

6. Don't use up the community supply of coffee, tea, or snacks without resupplying.

7. Don't borrow small sums of money without repaying.

8. Don't drop by another person's desk to chat just because you are not busy at the moment.

9. Don't read magazines or books at your desk if it is not part of your work.

Text 2 My work at the office

Speaking about my job, I must say I’m always very busy. In other words, I always have a busy job schedule. It isn’t surprising. I'm the company manager (the director of the firm). Our company is very large. We've got offices in different cities. We do business with different countries of the world.

All the engineers and economists at our office can speak one or two foreign languages. The employees of our company must know foreign languages to do business with foreign firms. Our company sells goods to many foreign countries. We sell mining equipment, power equipment, electronic equipment, drilling equipment and other goods.

My office is in Volgograd. It is very large and comfortable. I've got much work to do every day. I'm usually very busy till 6 o'clock and often stay in the office till late in the evening.

My office hours begin at 9 o'clock but I come earlier to get ready for work. In the morning I get up at 6.30. I go to the bathroom, wash my face and hands and do my morning exercises. Then I have breakfast. I have eggs with bacon, coffee and sandwiches for breakfast. I leave for work at about 8 o'clock. I live far from my office and it takes me about half an hour to get there by car, which I park behind the company.

In the morning my secretary brings me letters and cables. I go through them and write business letters to foreign companies, make different arrangements. Every day I look through newspapers and journals. I'm interested in the latest political and business events. I speak to our customers on the phone. They are interested in buying a new model of office equipment from our company. They'd like to have the latest catalogues and quotations. I often make appointments with our customers on the phone. During the day I receive customers in my office and discuss business problems with them: prices for different goods, terms of payment, shipment and delivery and some other contract terms.

Sometimes I meet foreign businessmen from Great Britain, France, Germany and other countries. From time to time I meet directors or engineers of our factory. When I have a staff session, I have to speak at it. Sometimes I go abroad on business. I take part in organizing trade exhibitions and fairs in European countries. I participate in striking numerous transactions, concluding economic treaties and signing trade agreements. In my activity I attach great importance to the improvement of interstate relations, having in mind, in the first place, the development of trade relations between different counties.

I finish my work at 6 o'clock but if there are some urgent matters I stay in the office later. In the evening I'm rather tired after work, but I like it and do it with pleasure. I can get home at 10 o’clock just in time to sit down to a bowl of frozen yoghurt and a rerun of this season’s most popular drama series before turning in. Sometimes I go for a walk with my dog to relax and breathe fresh air. I also like to watch TV, listen to music or meet my friends. I go to bed at 12.