Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about work, careers, and employment.
Example: She decided to ______ for the marketing manager position after seeing the job advertisement. (apply / employ / retire)
Answer: She decided to apply for the marketing manager position after seeing the job advertisement.
Work, Careers and Employment
Whether you are looking for your first job, thinking about a career change, or simply talking about work with colleagues and friends, having the right vocabulary is essential. In English, there are many useful words, phrases, and expressions connected to work and employment — and knowing them will help you communicate confidently in professional and everyday situations.
Before we explore the vocabulary, read this short situation:
Maria has just finished university and is looking for a job. She has sent her CV to several companies and has an interview next week. Her friend Daniel has been working at a marketing agency for two years and is thinking about applying for a promotion. They meet for coffee and talk about their careers.
As you read through the lesson, notice how the words below appear naturally in situations like Maria's and Daniel's.
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Jobs, People and the Workplace
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| employee | noun — a person who is paid to work for a company or organisation | Maria became a full-time employee after her trial period. | full-time employee, part-time employee, senior employee |
| employer | noun — a person or company that pays others to work for them | Her employer offered her a good salary and flexible hours. | potential employer, former employer, employer and employee |
| colleague | noun — a person you work with in the same organisation or department | Daniel gets on well with all his colleagues at the agency. | work colleague, a friendly colleague; Note: not the same as "friend" |
| manager | noun — a person who is responsible for a team or department | Her manager gave her very positive feedback after the presentation. | line manager, department manager, report to a manager |
| team | noun — a group of people who work together on the same tasks | Daniel works in a team of five people in the marketing department. | work in a team, lead a team, team member, team meeting |
| workplace | noun — the location or environment where you do your job | A comfortable workplace can make employees more productive. | safe workplace, modern workplace, return to the workplace |
| self-employed | adjective — working for yourself, not for a company | Maria's sister is self-employed and runs her own design business. | become self-employed, work as self-employed; opposite: employed |
2. Finding Work and the Recruitment Process
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| apply (for) | verb — to make a formal request for a job or position | Maria decided to apply for a job at a local publishing company. | apply for a job / position / post; application (noun) |
| CV (curriculum vitae) | noun — a document listing your education, skills, and work experience | She updated her CV before sending it to employers. | send / submit a CV, update your CV; also called a résumé in American English |
| interview | noun / verb — a formal meeting where an employer asks a candidate questions | Daniel helped Maria prepare for her job interview. | have / attend an interview, prepare for an interview, interview for a position |
| candidate | noun — a person who applies for a job and is being considered for it | The company shortlisted five candidates for the marketing role. | shortlist a candidate, the best candidate, a strong candidate |
| qualification | noun — a certificate, degree or skill that shows you are trained for something | Maria has the right qualifications for a career in communications. | have / gain / obtain qualifications; professional qualifications |
| experience | noun — knowledge or skills gained by doing something over time | Employers often look for candidates with previous work experience. | work experience, relevant experience, gain experience; Note: uncountable in this sense |
| advertise | verb — to publicly announce that a job is available | The company advertised the vacancy on several job websites. | advertise a job / vacancy / position; advertisement (noun), job advert |
| vacancy | noun — a job position that is available and needs to be filled | Maria spotted a vacancy for a communications assistant. | fill a vacancy, advertise a vacancy, current vacancies |
3. Conditions of Work and Career Development
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| salary | noun — the fixed amount of money you earn each month or year | Daniel earns a good salary at the marketing agency. | earn a salary, a competitive salary, a basic salary; paid monthly |
| wages | noun (plural) — money paid to workers, usually weekly or daily | The factory workers received their wages every Friday. | pay wages, hourly wages, minimum wages; usually for manual or part-time work |
| overtime | noun / adverb — extra hours worked beyond your normal working hours | Maria sometimes works overtime to finish important projects. | work overtime, paid overtime, do overtime; can also be used as an adverb: work overtime |
| promotion | noun — a move to a higher and better-paid position in a company | Daniel is hoping to get a promotion at the end of the year. | get / receive a promotion, apply for a promotion, deserve a promotion |
| resignation | noun — the act of officially leaving your job by telling your employer | After ten years, she finally handed in her resignation. | hand in your resignation, letter of resignation; resign (verb) |
| redundant | adjective — no longer needed in a job, usually because the role has been removed | Fifty workers were made redundant when the factory closed. | be made redundant, redundancy (noun), redundancy payment |
| retire | verb — to permanently stop working, usually at a certain age | Maria's father plans to retire at the age of 65. | retire from work, retire early, retirement age, retirement (noun) |
| commute | verb / noun — to travel regularly between home and work | Daniel commutes to the office by train every morning. | commute to work, long commute, daily commute; commuter (noun) |
| deadline | noun — the date or time by which something must be finished | The team worked late to meet the project deadline. | meet a deadline, miss a deadline, tight deadline, set a deadline |
| flexible | adjective — able to change or adapt easily, especially working hours | Many employees prefer flexible working hours so they can manage their time better. | flexible hours / working, flexible schedule, flexible arrangement |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
Learning collocations — words that naturally go together — will help you sound more natural in English. Here are the most important collocations for work, careers and employment:
apply for + a job / a position / a vacancy
She decided to apply for a vacancy she saw online.
get / find + a job
It can be difficult to find a job straight after university.
earn + a salary / a wage / money
He earns a good salary as a project manager.
hand in + your notice / your resignation
After the argument with her boss, she handed in her notice.
be + in charge of / responsible for
Daniel is responsible for managing the social media accounts.
meet + a deadline
The whole team worked together to meet the deadline.
take + time off / a day off / sick leave
She took a few days off because she wasn't feeling well.
work + full-time / part-time / overtime / from home
Many people now work from home at least two days a week.
be promoted + to a higher position
After two years, she was promoted to senior designer.
go on + maternity leave / paternity leave / sick leave
She is going on maternity leave next month.
run + a business / a company / a department
He has been running his own business for five years.
look for + a job / a new position / work
Maria has been looking for a job since she graduated.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Job vs Work vs Career
These three words are often confused by learners. Here is how to use them correctly:
Job is a countable noun. It refers to a specific position or role that you do for pay.
Maria is looking for a job in communications.
He has a part-time job at the library.
Work is an uncountable noun in most cases. It refers to the activity of doing tasks, or to employment in general. You cannot say "a work" or "works" in this sense.
She has a lot of work to do before the deadline.
He is looking for work. (= looking for employment)
Career is a countable noun. It refers to the long-term professional path a person follows over many years.
Daniel wants to build a career in marketing.
She had a successful career as a nurse for 30 years.
Salary vs Wages
Salary is a fixed annual or monthly amount, usually for office or professional workers. It does not change based on hours worked.
Her salary is £30,000 per year.
Wages are paid per hour, day, or week. They are more common for manual workers, part-time workers, or casual workers. The amount can change depending on hours worked.
The workers received their wages at the end of the week.
Resign vs Be Dismissed vs Be Made Redundant
Resign means you choose to leave your job. It is your own decision.
She resigned because she found a better job.
Be dismissed (or be sacked in informal British English) means your employer ends your employment, usually because of poor performance or bad behaviour.
He was dismissed for arriving late every day.
Be made redundant means you lose your job because the company no longer needs your role — not because of anything you did wrong.
When the company restructured, twenty employees were made redundant.
Unemployed vs Self-employed vs Retired
Unemployed — currently without a job and looking for work.
He has been unemployed for three months.
Self-employed — working for yourself, not for a company. You run your own business or work as a freelancer.
She is self-employed as a graphic designer.
Retired — has permanently stopped working, usually due to age.
My grandfather is retired. He stopped working at 67.
Common Mistakes
❌ She is looking for a work.
✅ She is looking for work. — "Work" is uncountable when it means employment. Do not use "a" before it.
❌ He does a full-time job since two years.
✅ He has had a full-time job for two years. — Use the present perfect with "for" to describe how long a situation has continued.
❌ I applied to the job online.
✅ I applied for the job online. — Always use "apply for" when talking about jobs and positions.
❌ She earned many experiences in her first job.
✅ She gained a lot of experience in her first job. — "Experience" is uncountable in this context. Use "a lot of" not "many", and "gain" is the correct verb.
❌ He handed in his resign yesterday.
✅ He handed in his resignation yesterday. — "Resign" is a verb. The noun form is "resignation".
❌ My colleague is very experience in this field.
✅ My colleague is very experienced in this field. — Use the adjective "experienced", not the noun "experience", after the verb "to be".
❌ She was promoted as a manager.
✅ She was promoted to manager. — Use "promoted to" (not "as") when describing a new position.
Work, Careers and Employment: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have learnt key vocabulary connected to work, careers and employment at the B1 level. Here is a quick summary of the most important points:
- People at work: employee, employer, colleague, manager, team — each word refers to a different role or relationship in the workplace.
- Finding a job: Use the verb apply for (not "apply to") when looking for a position. A CV lists your qualifications and experience. A vacancy is a position that is available.
- Pay and conditions: Use salary for monthly/annual pay and wages for hourly or weekly pay. Remember that overtime means extra hours beyond your normal schedule.
- Career changes: You can resign (choose to leave), be dismissed (employer ends your contract), be made redundant (your role is no longer needed), or retire (permanently stop working).
- Key grammar point: Work is uncountable — never say "a work" or "works" when talking about employment. Say "look for work" or "find a job".
- Key collocation point: Always use meet a deadline, hand in your notice, apply for a job, and earn a salary — these are the natural, correct combinations in English.
Now practise work, careers and employment vocabulary in the exercises below.
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