Objective Proficiency p 130. Vocabulary

Ex 1 & 2

• Network: to try to meet and talk to people who may be useful to you in your work. E.g. Conferences are a good place to network.
• PA: personal assistant. E.g. She's the Managing Director's PA. 
• Stem from something: (not used in the progressive tenses) to be the result of something. Sp. provenir de. E.g. Most people's insecurities stem from something that happened in their childhood.
• Nigh on: /naɪ/ almost; nearly. Sp. cerca. E.g. They've lived in that house for nigh on 30 years.
• Mega-: /ˈmeɡə‑/ very large or great. E.g. a megastore.
• Land: to succeed in getting a job, etc, especially one that a lot of other people want. Sp. conseguir, pescar. E.g. Land something He's just landed a starring role in Spielberg's next movie. I had every intention of landing this job. Land somebody/yourself something She's just landed herself a company directorship. 
• Stepping stone: 1 one of a line of flat stones that you step on in order to cross a stream or river. 2 something that allows you to make progress or begin to achieve something. E.g. a stepping stone to a more lucrative career.

• Gain ground: to become more powerful or successful. E.g. Sterling continues to gain ground against the dollar.

Ex 3

• Hierarchy: /ˈhaɪərɑːki/ a system, especially in a society or an organization, in which people are organized into different levels of importance from highest to lowest. E.g. the social/political hierarchy. She's quite high up in the management hierarchy.
• Sales rep: (sales representative) an employee of a company who travels around a particular area selling the company's goods to shops/stores, etc.
• Copywriter: /ˈkɒpiraɪtə(r)/ a person whose job is to write the words for advertising material. 
• Administrative assistant: someone whose job is to help other people by doing office work.

Ex 4

• For fear that: to avoid the danger of something happening. E.g. I had to run away for fear (that) he might one day kill me.
• Lest: in case something unpleasant happens. Sp. no sea que. E.g. Helen turned the radio down lest she should miss the phone ringing.