ThirdQuarter News Stories
When Jim King talks about transferable skills, he speaks from experience.
When Jim King talks about transferable skills, he speaks from experience.
The ThirdQuarter community co-ordinator for South Okanagan in B.C. has collected a wealth of skills and experience through his various careers.
From owning a children's indoor play centre to setting up crime-prevention programs, King is more than qualified to explain to ThirdQuarters and businesses how skills can be matched to job and volunteer opportunities.
It was his own transferable skills that led him to his ThirdQuarter position.
King and his wife, Cheryle, had moved from Surrey, B.C., to Osoyoos about two years ago with a plan of retiring in the picturesque town.
Soon all that free time wasn't so appealing.
"I was sitting around -- you do get tired of it, believe it or not -- and I ended up hearing about the (ThirdQuarter) job," King says.
The co-ordinator position requires networking and organizational skills and knowledge of the business world.
"I'm a people person," King, 61, says. "I'm not afraid to talk to people or talk in front of groups."
A past-president of the Surrey Chamber of Commerce, King joined the Osoyoos chamber shortly after his move and also the Rotary Club of Osoyoos. Cheryle is sales manager at Walnut Beach Resort.
His business experience began in 1968 as a self-employed owner of carnival concessions and rides, a job that took him across Western Canada.
He became owner of a 10,000-square-foot play centre in Surrey and had various consulting jobs, including doing studies related to the tourism industry in B.C. and Alberta.
He worked for the non-profit Surrey Crime Prevention Society from 1995 to 2008, first as program manager and then executive director. In 2008, he won Surrey's Good Citizen Award and is past-president of the Surrey Board of Trade.
He's enjoying building contacts and developing plans to connect ThirdQuarters with businesses and organizations, which he says can be challenging in the tourist destination.
About 10 to 12 per cent of retailers close during the winter in Osoyoos and nearby Oliver, King notes.
That's meant he's had to persuade firms to register with ThirdQuarter even if they don't have current openings. He explains to them that it sets them up to quickly post jobs down the road. He also tells them "theoretically it's free advertising for them."
He anticipates the project will have plenty of matches in the spring when the local hotel and wine industry become busy. About 30 wineries are located within 15 minutes of Osoyoos. Visitors attend tastings and receive advice on wine pairings.
"A lot of people would probably perceive that a ThirdQuarter person maybe has a lifetime of knowledge in the wine industry," King says.
It all comes back to transferable skills and the variety of jobs ThirdQuarters can fill.
"I think the concept is fantastic," King says of the project. "There's a lot of people out there looking for work, but there's also a good proportion like me who are looking for part-time work and something to do."
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November 2011
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September 2011
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May 2011
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April 2011
- ThirdQuarters Have Talent for Tutoring
- A Refreshing Change
- Bill Denyar - President - Atlantic Chambers of Canada
March 2011
- When Jim King talks about transferable skills, he speaks from experience
- Wanting a ThirdQuarter Encore
February 2011
- ThirdQuarter Hires Make an Impact
- ThirdQuarter Hires Make an Impact
- Steve McLellan - CEO - Saskatchewan Chambers of Commerce
- Don Anderson found his perfect match in ThirdQuarter
January 2011
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