ESL Podcast 416 – Finding a Niche in Business

Hello, business students. I’m here today at your professor’s request to talk to you about the importance of finding your own niche¹ in business. Conventional wisdom says that people in business need to diversify² their skill sets so that they can be the most flexible in whatever field they decide to enter. While there is some truth to this, that’s only half of the picture.

Those who diversify too much run the risk of being a jack³ of all trades and master of none. Not having a focused set of skills may also be seen as indecisive from the standpoint of a potential employer, and your application may fall by the wayside as a result. Having a niche will help you stand out in the crowd.

In business, it’s a balancing act between having the general skills that any company will want, and also possessing specialized⁴ skills that will make you the go-to person in your organization. Keep this in mind and you’ll go far.


Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

2 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

4 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。