0 Management occupations
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6 Sales and service occupations
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1 Business, finance and administration occupations
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7 Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
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2 Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
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8 Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations
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3 Health occupations
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9 Occupations in manufacturing and utilities
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4 Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services
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5 Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport
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time's up
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"Time's up" means that the time for something or someone has ended.
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I think his time's up as the CEO. They're going to replace him as soon as they find a suitable candidate.
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touch base
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To "touch base¨ means to make contact with someone.
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Let me make a few phone calls to try to get an answer to your question. I'll touch base with you later today.
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twist someone's arm
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To "twist someone's arm" means to persuade or convince someone to do something that he or she does not want to do.
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The owner thought the advertising budget was a little high. We had to twist his arm to get him to agree to it.
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under the table
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Something done secretly (and usually illegally) in the business world is done "under the table."
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To avoid paying taxes, they paid some of their employees under the table.
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up in the air
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If something is undecided, it is "up in the air."
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We're looking for a test market right now, but nothing has been decided yet. Everything's still up in the air.
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uphill battle
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Something that is difficult to achieve because of obstacles and difficulties is an ¨uphill battle.¨
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Winning the election is going to be an uphill battle. He doesn't have a lot of support at the moment.
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upper hand
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If someone has an advantage over someone else, he or she has the "upper hand."
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He was more experienced and well respected, so he had the upper hand in the argument.
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white collar
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A ¨white collar worker¨ is someone who works in an office (customer service, management, sales, etc.) The opposite of a white collar worker is a ¨blue collar worker.¨ A blue collar worker is someone who works with his or her hands (manufacturing, construction, maintenance, etc.) ¨White collar¨ (and ¨blue collar¨can also be used to describe a job, position, or place.
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There are mostly manufacturing positions here. There aren't a lot of white-collar jobs here.
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win-win situation
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A "win-win situation" is a situation where everyone involved gains something.
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We were happy to get the contract, and they were happy to get such a good price. It was a win-win situation.
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word of mouth
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If something spreads by "word of mouth," people hear about it by informal conversation with friends, family members, acquaintances, etc.
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A lot of local restaurants rely on word of mouth to get new customers.
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writing on the wall
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The "writing on the wall" refers to the evidence and clues that something (usually negative) is going to happen.
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I'm going to get my resume ready. I can see the writing on the wall.
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yes man
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A ¨yes man¨ is someone who always agrees with his or her superiors.
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The company isn't looking to hire someone who is going to try to make a lot of changes. They're basically just looking for a yes man.
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