Explanation
Exercises
B2 · Vocabulary
Work and jobs

Key vocabulary for talking about different types of jobs, working conditions, and typical actions in the workplace.

Job types & working patterns

How we describe different jobs and schedules.

nine-to-five job demanding job

A nine-to-five job is a regular full-time job done during standard office hours. A demanding job requires a lot of energy, focus, and effort.

  • Tom has a nine-to-five job at a bank in the city centre.
  • Jane’s job is really demanding and she has very little free time.

dead-end job steady job

A dead-end job offers almost no career progression, while a steady job is stable and provides a regular income.

  • It sounds like a dead-end job – there are no promotion prospects.
  • Joe has a steady job with an insurance firm.

out of work work shifts

If you are out of work, you are unemployed. People who work shifts work at different times of day or night.

  • John is currently out of work and looking for a new position.
  • I’m on the night shift tonight – I start at 8 p.m. and finish at 6 a.m.

overtime burnout

When you do overtime, you work extra hours beyond your contract, often for more pay. Burnout is extreme exhaustion caused by working too hard for too long.

  • I’m doing a lot of overtime this month because we’re so busy.
  • Her demanding job eventually led to burnout.

job security

If you have job security, your position is stable and you’re unlikely to lose your job suddenly.

  • This role doesn’t offer much job security, which makes me nervous.

Pay, perks, time off & entry routes

Talking about money, benefits and getting into a job.

perks benefits bonus

Benefits are things like health insurance or pension contributions that come with a job. Perks are extra advantages such as free tickets or discounts. A bonus is extra money paid on top of your salary, usually for good performance.

  • My job includes basic benefits like healthcare and a pension plan.
  • One of the perks is free gym membership.
  • After a record sales year, Henry received a generous bonus.

maternity leave paternity leave sick leave sick note / doctor’s note

Maternity leave and paternity leave are periods of time off work after the birth of a child. Sick leave is time off because of illness or injury. A sick note or doctor’s note is the paper the doctor gives you to prove you shouldn’t work.

  • Alice is on maternity leave – she had a baby last month.
  • He was on sick leave for a year after his serious car accident.
  • The doctor gave me a sick note for two weeks.

job vacancy apprenticeship qualifications

A job vacancy is an open position a company is trying to fill. An apprenticeship is a period of paid training where you learn a job by working with experienced staff. Qualifications are diplomas, degrees, or certificates that show you are trained for a role.

  • I asked the manager if there were any job vacancies.
  • Mike is doing an apprenticeship with a local insurance company.
  • She doesn’t have much experience, but her qualifications are excellent.

Workplace actions & career changes

Useful verb phrases for talking about work life.

do work experience do an internship have experience in

When you do work experience or do an internship, you work for a short time to learn about a job. If you have experience in something, you’ve already done similar work before.

  • This summer I’m doing work experience at a local newspaper.
  • We prefer to hire people who have experience in similar roles.

talk shop clock in clock off

If you talk shop, you talk about work outside working hours. When you clock in, you officially start work; when you clock off, you finish your shift.

  • Stop talking shop – we’re supposed to be relaxing!
  • I usually clock in at 7 a.m. and clock off around 3:30 p.m.

meet a deadline be snowed under switch off

If you must meet a deadline, you have to finish something by a specific time. When you are snowed under, you have far too much work to do. To switch off is to relax and stop thinking about work.

  • I stayed late at the office to meet a deadline.
  • With half the team off sick, we’re completely snowed under.
  • With such a stressful job, it’s hard to switch off in the evening.

be sacked be fired be laid off be made redundant

If you are sacked or fired, you lose your job because of your behaviour or performance. If you are laid off or made redundant, you lose your job because the company cannot keep you on, for example due to financial problems or because the role is no longer needed.

  • He was sacked after several customers complained.
  • If the company closes, many workers will be laid off.
  • Now that we have self-checkout tills, many cashiers are being made redundant.

be promoted take early retirement

When you are promoted, you move to a job with more responsibility. If you take early retirement, you stop working permanently before the usual retirement age.

  • I hope to be promoted to assistant manager soon.
  • He’d love to take early retirement and stop working at fifty.

resign from a job step down hand in your notice

If you resign from a job, you choose to leave it. To step down is to resign from a position of authority. When you hand in your notice, you officially inform your employer that you are going to leave.

  • Greg resigned from his job because he was moving abroad.
  • I wonder who will replace the CEO when he steps down next year.
  • When Tim handed in his notice, his boss said he’d be missed.

call in sick

If you call in sick, you contact your workplace to say you are ill and won’t be coming to work that day.

  • Jane felt awful this morning, so she decided to call in sick and rest.
Exercises:
1
2
3
4

Work & Jobs

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
1
He works regular office hours, from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – it’s a typical .
Correct: A nine-to-five job = a job with normal daytime office hours.
2
She works long hours, has a lot of responsibility and is always under pressure – it’s a very .
Correct: A demanding job = a job that is difficult and requires a lot of time, energy or responsibility.
3
He doesn’t get training, there are no promotions and the salary never increases – he feels stuck in a .
Correct: A dead-end job = a job with no real chance of progress or promotion.
4
After years of temporary work, he finally found a with a permanent contract and regular pay.
Correct: A steady job = a stable, regular job that is likely to continue.
5
The factory closed last month, so hundreds of people are now and looking for new jobs.
Correct: If you are out of work, you are unemployed and have no job.
6
Nurses often work – sometimes during the day, sometimes at night or on weekends.
Correct: Working in shifts = having different fixed periods of work, such as day or night.
7
We had to stay three extra hours after work and were paid for the at a higher hourly rate.
Correct: Overtime = time you work in addition to your normal working hours, often for extra pay.
8
After months of stress, long hours and no holidays, she felt completely exhausted and close to .
Correct: Burnout = extreme physical and mental exhaustion caused by long-term stress at work.
9
Working for the government gives you good because it is very unlikely that you will lose your job suddenly.
Correct: Job security = the feeling or situation that your job is safe and will continue.
10
Free coffee, a company car and a gym membership are some of the of working for that company.
Correct: Perks = extra advantages of a job, like free meals or a company car.
11
The salary is not very high, but the include private health insurance and a good pension plan.
Correct: Employee benefits = things like health insurance, pensions and paid holidays that you get in addition to your salary.
12
At the end of the year, staff who hit their sales targets receive a on top of their normal salary.
Correct: A bonus = extra money you receive, for example for good performance.
13
She is having a baby next month and will go on for several months after the birth.
Correct: Maternity leave = time away from work that a mother is allowed before and after having a baby.
14
When his wife had their first child, he took two weeks of to help at home and look after the baby.
Correct: Paternity leave = time off work that a father is allowed when his child is born.
15
She was in hospital for a week and then on for another month before she felt well enough to return to work.
Correct: Sick leave = time when you are officially away from work because you are ill.
16
In British English, the informal paper from your doctor that proves you were too ill to work is called a .
Correct: A sick note (UK) = a certificate from your doctor saying you were ill and couldn’t work.
17
In many companies, if you miss several days, you must bring a so HR knows a medical professional confirmed your illness.
Correct: A doctor's note = written confirmation from a doctor that explains why you were absent.
18
I saw a for a marketing manager on their website and decided to apply.
Correct: A job vacancy = an available job that a company is looking for someone to fill.
19
He didn’t go to university, but he got an with a car mechanic and learned the trade while working.
Correct: An apprenticeship = a period of paid training where you learn a skilled job from an expert.
20
The advert says you need teaching such as a degree and a special certificate to get this job.
Correct: Your qualifications = exams, degrees and certificates that show what you have studied or trained for.

Work & Jobs

Match the sentences with the work & jobs words
⏱ 0:00 • Moves: 0 • Matched: 0/0 • Pack: 1/2

Sentences

Words

Work & Jobs

Work & Jobs