Work and careers
Talk about jobs, careers, working conditions and job hunting — from applying and interviews to promotions and resigning.
In this lesson you will
- Use vocabulary for job hunting and careers
- Describe working conditions
- Talk about career changes
Learn
Job hunting: look for a job, apply for a position, send a CV/résumé, write a cover letter, have / attend an interview, get / be offered a job, turn down an offer.
At work: work full-time / part-time / shifts / overtime, be self-employed / freelance, earn a salary / wages, get a promotion / pay rise, work from home, meet deadlines.
Leaving: resign / quit / hand in your notice, be made redundant (the job no longer exists), be fired/sacked, retire.
Describing jobs: rewarding, demanding, stressful, well-paid, badly paid, secure, flexible.
Examples
- I applied for five positions and got two interviews.
- She was promoted to team leader last year.
- He was made redundant when the factory closed.
- Nursing is demanding but very rewarding.
Vocabulary
CV
a document listing your education and experience
promotion
moving to a higher position
redundant
losing your job because it is no longer needed
freelance
working for different clients, not one employer
overtime
extra hours of work
rewarding
giving satisfaction
Practice
I ___ for a job at a bank.
Speaking
Describe your ideal job: hours, salary, conditions, colleagues and why it would be rewarding. Then describe the worst job you can imagine.
Writing
Write a short cover letter (100–120 words) applying for a job you’d like.
- ☐ Which job and where you saw it
- ☐ Relevant experience and skills
- ☐ Why you want the job
- ☐ Polite closing
Lesson quiz
Extra hours at work are…
Review
Key points
- apply for, CV, cover letter, interview, offer.
- full-time, part-time, shifts, overtime, freelance.
- promotion, pay rise, resign, redundant, retire.
What you learned
- ✓ I can talk about job hunting.
- ✓ I can describe jobs and conditions.
- ✓ I can talk about career changes.