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Three habits you already have.

Two habits you'd like to change.

What your ideal working week would look like

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“You are a consultant helping a company improve its corporate culture.”

Recommend:

2 changes

1 working practice

1 reason why it would improve efficiency or employee satisfaction

Use:

implement

transform

putting in place

procedures

Hello, my name is Ignacio Szperling, I'm a strategy consultant focused on corporate culture.

I analyzed your company in 3 layers:

1) Principal Processes

2) Organizational Structure

3) Career Development Plan

I strongly recommend 2 quickwins that will improve your organization with a high impact: 1) Understand the gap between what the company wants to improve and what employees want to improve. 2) Integrate your HR team across all business units to conduct a comprehensive diagnostic and identify opportunities to enhance your organization's work environment.

From there you can focus on reviewing procedures and processes, analyzing whether there are more efficient ways to execute them or opportunities to use new technologies — such as AI-powered applications.

To maximize the chances of success, it's a must to run a pilot program, implementing changes with a selected group of employees, measuring results, and then rolling out the improvements across other areas of the organization.

Once the pilot proves effective, changes can be formally established and communicated company-wide, ensuring everyone is aligned with the new ways of working.

Over time, this approach will transform the organization to a stronger, more competitive, and more people-centric company.

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• 2–3 pieces of advice

• at least 2 phrases from the lesson

• one linker: because / so / however

🧩 Use these expressions: (all of this)

• broaden your horizons

• take a step backwards

• move horizontally

• put yourself in a better position

• follow less conventional paths

💡 Example:

I think you should broaden your horizons and try something new. You could move horizontally to learn new skills. It might feel like a step backwards, but it can put you in a better position in the future. However, you need to be patient and open to change.

Hi Luke I was thinking about what we talked a few days ago about your professional career. I believe that you have to put yourself in a better position trying to be more confident on your oratory, so I strongly recommend you to do some training.

Maybe you can move horizontally to another area or take a step backwards, just to have a fresh new air and start using those new concepts in action.

If you want to go In another way, you can follow less conventional paths and start a new job, however you will be leaving from your family’s company and I guess that wouldn’t be a good move. So Luke, you know that you have to do something different and better, try to broaden your horizons and get align with the family office.

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Answer these questions:

1. Would you like to work independently? Why / why not?

2. What kind of work would you choose?

3. What would be difficult for you?

Then write one short paragraph (4–5 sentences)

Try to use:

• 2 expressions from the lesson

1) Yes, I would like to have the opportunity to being a patchworker. The fact of use your time as you wish, without any work structure feels very well, although you would have to be more discipline with your agenda and being effective converting

2) Consulting, being able to manage my schedule and do things with impact

3) I guess that organize it, it’s not so difficult, but chasing prospects and convert it to clients would be the hard part.

I think being a patchworker is not for everyone. First of all because you have always to stand up to something new, and you are the new haha. Dispite of that kind of situation, you will always come up with new and fresh ideas. So if you have good ideas that can deliver, and know how to do it I definitely think that you will be a great patchworker.

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Hi, my name is Ignacio Szperling. I’m 43 years old, I'm a Business Administration graduate from UBA and hold a Master's in Strategic and Technological Management from ITBA and EOI Spain. I'm based in Buenos Aires, and I have over 18 years of experience in consulting and product management, primarily in financial services and fintech.

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Hi, my name is Ignacio Szperling. I’m 43 years old, I'm a Business Administration graduate from UBA and hold a Master's in Strategic and Technological Management from ITBA and EOI Spain. I'm based in Buenos Aires, and I have over 18 years of experience in consulting and product management, primarily in financial services and fintech.

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Most recently, I worked at Credencial Payments as Regional Head of Strategy, where I built the digital business unit from scratch — designing the product area, defining processes from opportunity detection all the way through commercialization, and leading a team across multiple markets.

What I'm most proud of from that period is directly relevant to what LaFinteca is building. I led the development of a crypto-backed card for Binance, and similar programs for Bit2Me and Gate.io. We also built ARS on/off-ramps for crypto and developed real-economy use cases — things like paying utility bills and retail purchases using crypto. On top of that, I commercialized white-label digital wallets for insurance companies and cooperatives, and worked on an acquiring model combining crypto and local currency for merchants.

I'm very familiar with the ecosystem you're operating in — PSP integrations, wallet architecture, payment rails, and the regulatory complexity of running products across LATAM markets like Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

In terms of how I work: I'm comfortable producing full specification packages — BRDs, FRDs, user stories, workflow diagrams — and I've worked closely with engineering and compliance teams throughout the product lifecycle, from ideation to SIT/UAT and post-launch monitoring. I use Jira and work in agile environments naturally.

Currently I'm at mcLatam Group as an operations manager, managing IDB and World Bank-funded projects, which has sharpened my ability to run structured, high-accountability programs with cross-functional and distributed teams.

I'm genuinely excited about this role because it sits exactly at the intersection of payments and crypto in LATAM — which is where I've spent the most meaningful part of my career. I'd love to bring that experience to LaFinteca and help scale what you're building.

Thank you for your time — happy to go deeper on any of this.

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2 short minidialogues using interest expressions

Me: Hi Claude, yesterday I cooked sushi for the first time.

Claude: No way!! How was it?

Me: Uff horrible, I wasted too much time in cooking rice, and when I tried to make a piece I did it wrong.

Claude: I’m sorry to hear that, I hope you find a better way or leave it to the experts hahah

Me: Hi boss, I got out of the video call meeting because my internet stopped working.

Boss: Oh no! I need you there, could you please go to a coffee shop or a place where you can get internet? Your participation is critical.

Me: Yes, I’m arriving to my parents flat and I will connect in 5 minutes.

Boss: That’s great news! Thanks for advising me.

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Choose 5 false friends from the article and write a dialogue where:
• One person uses the false friend incorrectly
• The other person corrects it

Laura: Hi John, how are you?

John: Actually I'm feeling blue.

Laura: What do you mean? you are feeling blue currently

John: In effect, you are right. Also I can't contest in a correct way.

Laura: wow you feel really bad, because you can't answer to me well.

John: You aren't a sympathetic person right now.

Laura: hahaha I love you so much, and let me tell you that I'm a nice person!

John: Let's walk to the library, I want to buy a book just to forget this day.

Laura: Allright, but it's a better idea if we go to a bookshop.

John: I pretend a hug, not a teacher right now.

Laura: Well, I will give you a hug (if I tell him that is not pretend, it's better to say I would like a hug, he would kill me hahah)

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https://kseacademy.com/collocations-english/

Choose collocations with “work” on the page you find interesting or useful.

Read the example sentences on the site to understand usage.

Write a sentence using one collocation from the site related to remote or hybrid work.

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Homework: try one short mindfulness activity (e.g., mindful eating, 1-minute breathing break) during the week and write 3 sentences about it in English.

1) Yesterday I practiced yoga in the morning

2) Last week I was so nervous for a business meeting, and I took 5 minutes walking on the ground.

3) Today I'm going to read a book called "Mindfulness for dummies"

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Which country is this? Do you know it?

Have you been there? Would you like to go?

What do you think you can do in Scotland for holidays?

1) After reading and completing the text, classify the verbs in the chart below.

REGULAR

IRREGULAR

2) Read the sentences and write the correct pas form of the verb.

1. I get up several times at night to help the baby sleep.

2. He plays golf whenever he can.

3. He has a meeting with his boss.

4. We practice grounding every morning before work.

5. They drive to the countryside for the weekend.

6. I meet a friend for coffee.

7. She takes the subway to the city centre.

8. She buys groceries at the supermarket.

9. He flies to Peru for work.

10. I write some emails in the evening.

1. I got up several times at night to help the baby sleep

2. he played golf whenever he could

3. he had a meeting with his boss

4. we practiced grounding every morning before work

5. they drove to the countryside for the weekend

6. i met a friend for coffee

7. she took the subway to the city centre

8. she bought groceries at the supermarket

9. he flew to Peru for work

10. i wrote some emails in the evening

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Homework - Paragraph using questions like a guide

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Homework - Paragraph using questions like a guide

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Write a paragraph describing your weekend and last week in detail.

“Yesterday, I got up late and worked all evening.

“Last week, I went to the greengrocer’s and bought some vegetables.

What about you?

Did you go anywhere or do something special?

What did you eat yesterday or last week?

Did you see or meet anyone?

Did you do any work-related or personal tasks?

Did anything surprise you or make you happy?

Which activity did you enjoy the most? Why?

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Word bank: strolled – fascinated by – crowded – passed by – visited – stopped for

Alejandro: Last weekend in Buenos Aires was amazing! On Saturday morning, I _______ the library to borrow a new novel.

Cousin: That sounds nice! And what did you do after that?

Alejandro: I _______ the train station on my way to the cinema. The street was really noisy and _______ with people.

Cousin: Wow! Did you enjoy the cinema?

Alejandro: Yes! After the film, we _______ through the city centre and looked at the lights.

Cousin: And did you eat anything special?

Alejandro: Yes, we _______ coffee and cake at a little café. I was really _______ the colorful displays in the supermarket nearby.

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Homework - Opinion + like / dislike + expressions

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Homework - Opinion + like / dislike + expressions

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Imagine you’re meeting a new colleague or classmate online. Write a short conversation (4–6 lines). Use at least 3 of today’s expressions (for example: I’m into… / I can’t stand… / In my opinion… / As a matter of fact…).

👉 Talk about:

Your hobbies or free-time activities

One opinion (about music, food, sports, etc.)

Something you don’t like or can’t stand

* Me: Hi John, nice to meet you! I hope this new professional chapter is great! Why don't you tell me about your expectations?

* John: Thank you Nacho for your welcome. I'll do my best to understand how the methods are working in this company.

* Me: Allright!! That's a good attitude. In my opinion first of all, you must know all the team and talk to them about the culture of the company, the time, team objetives, etc.

* John: I think it's a good move. It would be very useful for all of us.

* Me: What do you think about working from home?

* John: I don't like it, because you can't have better quality of conversations if you are remote. I prefer coming to the office. Is it OK?

* Me: As a matter of fact, we set it free, everyone decides what to do, and when to come. But from my point of view what you said is totally true.

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I choose:  “Working long hours means you are more dedicated”

Me: I don’t agree with that argument. So I asked my work team about what they think.

Member team 1: I support what you said, I definitely believe that working more hours doesn’t mean that you are more dedicated.

Member team 2: I strongly agree, just because the real thing is to work the hours you need to accomplish your objectives, if one time you need to spend more time working doesn’t matter, but if it becomes the rule that is another thing.

Me: I couldn’t agree more with your opinions and how are thinking about this idea.

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Me: Sofi in 3 months we will be 1 year being married.

Sofi: Yes Nacho, it’s amazing how fast time goes by

Me: Shall we celebrate our anniversary with a party with friends and family?

Sofi: Oh Nacho! My dream comes true!! Maybe we should go out for dinner and start thinking about it.

Me: That sounds great, let’s go to sushiclub

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Preparing for a Job Interview – Homework Worksheet

Name: Ignacio Szperling

Date: 25/7/25

1. Research the Company

Find a company where you would like to work. Answer the following questions:

What is the name of the company? ONCITY

What does the company do? It’s a retail company, a business model based on a Marketplace and commercial locals that provides house products to consumers

Write three interesting facts about the company:

It Has too many users / customers

It Has several business units that are desintegrated (for ex. Loans)

It Needs to develop a digital ecosystem

2. Understand the Role

Choose a job you are interested in and write a short job description.

Job Title: Product Manager

Main Responsibilities:

Develop a digital ecosystem that provides solutions to customers

Care about the customer experience

Detect pain points and transform it to improvements opportunities

works with a multi-disciplinary team (system engineers, commercial executives, c-levels)

Define KPIs

Skills Needed:

Business administration / industrial engineer title (mandatory)

MBA or Strategic management Magister (Deseable)

+ 10 years working experience

Knowledge about retail industry

3. Practice Common Interview Questions

Answer the following interview questions in complete sentences:

Why should you be hired for this position?

I think that my working experience matches with the desire skills needed. Also I believe that I can contribute in the challenge of developing an efficient digital ecosystem, putting the customer on the center of all the processes. Lastly,  I’m confident that I can contribute in growing the business model and succeed in all the challenges that we define.

Do you prefer working alone or with others? Why?

I prefer working with a team, and I if can choose, a multidisciplinary one. I believe that having different kinds of visions will provide better solutions.

Have you ever worked with difficult customers? What was your approach? Did it work?

Yes I have, first of all being patient, then listen, and last speak in a clear and direct way. It’s super important to make a consensus so if you develop a good communication you will have the 80% of the problem solved.

Yes I have. First of all my approach was being patient, then I listened to what the person had to say, and lastly I spoke in a clear and direct way.

I spoke clearly and directly.

4. Prepare Your Own Questions

Choose 4-5 questions you would ask at the end of an interview from the website we discussed in class. Write them below:

How do you evaluate and define success in this position?

What's the structure of the team/department?

Is this a new position? If not, why did the person before me leave this role?

What are your expectations for this role during the first 30 to 60 days?

(Optional) __________________________

Why do you think these questions are important?

I think that is important to know what kind of results are waiting to reach with and by me too. And talking about results will give me an idea of what they want me to do in the next 2 months.

Also if the position is designed to work with a team or if there is a team to work with. This will provide information about how I can handle the results to get.

If the position is designed to work with a team or if there is a team to work with, it will provide information about how I can handle the results to get.

5. Body Language and Presentation

Write down three key tips about body language from the video we watched in class.

You never has to cross your arms, it looks like you’re defending for something.

Don’t eat while you are speaking

Think before answer the question

Don’t get angry with the interviewer

6. Mock Interview Preparation

Choose three adjectives from the list below that describe you as a professional. Write 2-3 sentences explaining why they apply to you.

Adjectives: Dedicated, Curious, Persistent, Resilient, Honest, Disciplined, Practical, Ambitious, Organized, Professional, Creative, Analytical, Open-minded, Respectful, Cooperative, Self-motivated, Adaptable, Reliable, Loyal, Inspiring, Hard-working, Proactive, Attentive, Responsible, Insightful, Engaging, Committed, Focused, Punctual, Reflective.

Adjective 1: Curious

Explanation:

I read a lot of investments reports and unknown words always appear or if I don’t know something, I google it (or consult on chatgpt) 😊

In conversations when somebody speaks about something and is not clear, I look for “the truth” just to know.

I have a phrase on my mind that is “I will stop learning when I’m dead”

Adjective 2: Resilient

Explanation:

If something doesn’t happen just like I planned it to happen, I will continue doing it until being successful (or replan it because I understand that it’s not the way to be done).

When I worked on product developing with systems engineers, every time we did a test, the result was 1000 times didn’t work but 1 time works. That’s a great sensation.

I’m a team-player who tries to get the best version of all the team-members.

Adjective 3: Organized

Explanation:

I have a phrase always in my mind that is “nobody plans to fail, but fails for not making a plan”

On my work I need to be organized because if I don’t present documents on time, I will not success.

I have a 15 persons in a team working in a water project, and my role is schedule tasks to get their work done deliver.

I have 15 people working on a water project and my role is scheduling tasks to get their work done.