Silver lining time

Let’s look beyond the headlines for a moment. This article from the Wall St. Journal has the gloomy headline of “Canadian Minister Says Outlook Is Getting Worse”. The article outlines some of the challenges the Canadian economy is facing and discussed a proposed stimulus package.
Most media reports indicate that a stimulus package will have some sort of [...]

Idiom 5

Shoot the breeze
Meaning: To have a casual conversation with someone.
Example: Give me a call sometime and we’ll shoot the breeze.
All idioms

Victoria insulated ?

Victoria may not be insulated from the effect of a cold Canadian winter but according to this article, fallout from global economic woes is not being fully felt in the Capital Region. The reason ? A well diversified economy is said to be sheltering Victoria from feeling the worst effect of the financial slowdown.
The momentum in [...]

The state of the tourism industry

Those of you who work in the tourism sector might have been concerned by this article that ran in today’s Times-Colonist. The article reports that the tourism industry facing its worst outlook since September 11, 2001.  These kind of reports can cause some to question their career choice.
The key issue to keep in mind about [...]

Soft skills

Earlier this month we ran a workshop that looked at the importance of soft skills in the workplace. We discussed how to let employers know that you had the soft skills that they would be interested in.
Here is a related article that list 12 of the skills that workers need.
Don’t worry if you missed this workshop we [...]

Idiom 4

Long Shot
Meaning: Something that has little chance of being successful.
Example: Being rewarded that contract is a long shot at best.

The December job hunt

Over the years I have had many people tell me that they stop looking for work in December because they are to busy or they believe employers do not hire at this time of year.
This article reminds us of why it is important to always maintain some level of activity in our job search and [...]

Idiom 3

Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: to describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem
Example: Andre really hit the nail on the head when he explained why we are always over budget

Ship-shape

How are things at the Victoria Shipyards ? They are very busy and have an expanding workforce.
In vivid contrast to today’s grim global economic news, Victoria Shipyards is anticipating a busy and lucrative future providing several hundred full-time jobs for union members and managers in a growing workforce. Contracts have been signed for hundreds of [...]

Idiom 2

Carry the ball
Meaning: To assume the leading role or do most of the work to accomplish a task
Example: You can always count on her to carry the ball in an emergency.