Jobs and Professions Vocabulary

A 'job' is a specific position of paid work: 'She has a job at the local bank.' 'Occupation' is a more formal word for the type of work a person does, often used on official forms: 'Occupation: teacher.' A 'career' refers to the whole sequence of jobs a person has over many years, usually within a related field, along with the progress they make: 'She has had a long career in medicine.'

In British English, 'CV' (curriculum vitae) is the standard term for the document listing your education, skills, and work experience. In American English, this document is usually called a 'resume'. A British CV can sometimes be longer and more detailed than an American resume, which is often kept to one page and tailored more specifically to each job application.

'Unemployed' means a person does not have a paid job, even though they are able and willing to work — they may be actively job-hunting. 'Self-employed' means a person works for themselves rather than for an employer, running their own business or working as a freelancer. These are very different situations, though both are sometimes confused by learners because of the similar prefix.

Key terms: 'full-time' (a standard working week, usually 35–40 hours), 'part-time' (fewer hours than full-time), 'shift work' (working set periods that may include nights or weekends), 'flexitime' (choosing your own start and finish times within limits), and 'overtime' (extra hours worked beyond the normal schedule, sometimes paid at a higher rate).

An 'internship' is usually a short-term placement, often for students or graduates, designed to provide work experience — it may be paid or unpaid and does not always lead to a formal qualification. An 'apprenticeship' is typically longer, combines paid work with structured training, and leads to a recognised qualification in a trade or profession, such as plumbing, engineering, or accountancy.

To describe advancement: 'get a promotion', 'move up the career ladder', 'be promoted to senior manager'. To describe leaving a job: 'resign' (leave voluntarily), 'be made redundant' (lose your job because the position is no longer needed), 'be dismissed' or 'be fired' (lose your job due to poor performance or misconduct), and 'be laid off' (lose your job, often due to company cutbacks).

A strong answer usually includes your job title, your main responsibilities, key achievements (ideally with numbers, e.g. "I increased sales by 15%"), and the skills you developed. Useful phrases: "I am responsible for...", "My main duties include...", "One of my proudest achievements was...". Structuring your answer this way makes it clear, professional, and easy to follow.

'Retire' means to permanently stop working, usually because of age or after enough years of service. Related vocabulary: 'retirement age' (the age at which people typically stop working), 'pension' (regular income paid after retirement), and 'early retirement' (stopping work before the usual retirement age). In the UK, the State Pension age is currently rising and varies depending on a person's date of birth.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 commonly asks about your job or studies, while Part 2 may ask you to "Describe a job you would like to do" or "Describe a person who has an interesting job." IELTS Writing Task 2 essays frequently discuss unemployment, career choices, and work-life balance. Cambridge exams test similar vocabulary in reading passages about the changing world of work.

Use Flash Cards to learn the words first, then try Match Up to connect terms with their definitions. Hangman is useful for practising spelling of trickier words like 'apprentice' or 'occupation'. For real-world practice, try writing a short paragraph describing your own job or dream job using at least six of the words from this list.