Thursday

Lesson Overview

Word/Phrase	Meaning
work-life balance	the balance between time spent working and resting
corporate ladder	levels of positions in a company
gig economy	a job market with short-term freelance or contract work
headhunter	someone who finds people for high-level jobs
job satisfaction	how happy you feel in your job
redundancy	losing a job because the company no longer needs it
telecommute	work from home using the internet
entrepreneur	someone who starts and runs their own business
probation period	a trial period before being fully accepted in a job
career trajectory	the path your career is likely to take over time
micromanage	to control every small part of someone’s work
incompetent	not having the skills needed for the job

Idiom / Expression	Meaning	Example
Hit the ground running	Start a job or task with great energy and readiness	She hit the ground running on her first day.
Put in the hours	Work long hours	If you want success, you have to put in the hours.
Think outside the box	Be creative or innovative	We need someone who can think outside the box.
Get the sack	Be fired	He got the sack for being late too often.
Glass ceiling	Invisible barrier to promotion, especially for women	Many women hit a glass ceiling in corporate roles.
Burn the midnight oil	Work very late	She burned the midnight oil to finish the project.
Back to the grind	Return to work (usually boring or hard)	Monday again—back to the grind!
Call the shots	Be in charge or make decisions	In that company, the CFO calls the shots.
Dead weight	A person who contributes nothing	That employee is just dead weight.
Throw in the towel	Quit or give up	He threw in the towel after six months of stress.