Vocabulary to talk about work

How to talk about work – basics

Vocabulary to talk about work is the key to describe your job. You have to go to work (go to job) to earn/make a living. It’s best if you have permanent work, as it gives you financial stability and mental peace. Temporary work is best for students and those who want to gain work experience. You can work full-time or part-time. Some people such as firefighters, police officers, doctors are supposed to do the night shift, meaning they sometimes work at night.

Pregnant women are on maternity leave for half a year or the whole year which they spend looking after a baby. If you’re feeling poorly before work, you call in sick – you phone a place you work in to inform your superior you’re not coming to work because you’re sick. Then you go to the doctor where you get a sick note. You of course get a sick pay for every day you’re absent from work.

Vocabulary to talk about work – how to apply for a job

To find employment (get a job), you need to apply for one. To do so, you need to write a CV (presenting a record of your qualifications and the jobs you have done so far) and a covering letter (a letter which explains your reasons why you’re applying for a job and why you’re an ideal candidate for a given position). During recruitment process, if you fit the job description, you may be invited to a job interview, at which you present yourself. If you sell yourself, then they take on/hire/employ you. Your CV should include a personal statement which is 2-3 sentences who you really are and what your career goals are.

Beginnings at work

Beginnings in new workplace are hard. For this reason, your employed take actions the aims of which is to help you to adapt to new working conditions, to familiarize yourself with work requirements and tasks you will be doing. It’s called onboarding, as you’re new one on board!

Your working day

You have tasks to do on a daily basis. We can them duties or responsibilities. You do projects (never make projects), handle customer service, or deal with complaints. You might be in charge of an IT department. All these phrases mean you’re responsible for the work. An exhaustive list of verbs you find here.

What job can be like?

If the work done is repetitive, monotonous and requiring lots of physical effort, it’s mundane. If you earn a lot of money, then your work is lucrative. The work giving you satisfaction is rewarding. If it takes a lot of time to do it, it’s time-consuming then.

Exercises