Jobs, Work and Careers

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key employment terms, distinctions between job and work, work arrangements, responsibilities, job descriptors, compensation, leave, and contract termination.

Job

A countable noun referring to a specific paid position or role (e.g., "a job", "two jobs").

Work

An uncountable noun referring to the activity of working, the effort itself, or the place of employment. It can also function as a verb.

Jobseeker

A person who is trying to find a job.

Vacancy / Opening

An available job position within an organisation.

CV / Résumé

A document summarising education and work experience, referred to as a CV in the UK and Europe, and a résumé in the US.

Cover email/Application email

An email sent alongside a CV explaining your suitability for a specific role.

Shortlist

To select a small number of candidates from a larger pool for an interview.

Employer

The person or company that pays you to work.

Employee

The person who works for and receives payment from an employer.

Unemployment

The state of being without a job, while remaining available for and actively seeking work.

Self-employed

Working for yourself rather than an employer, such as freelancers and contractors.

Full-time job

A job with standard working hours, typically between 35 and 40 hours per week.

Part-time job

A job that involves working fewer hours than standard full-time hours.

Nine-to-five job

A job with regular daytime working hours.

Shift work

Work scheduled during different periods of the day or night on a rotating basis.

Split shift

A workday divided into two or more separate working periods separated by a long break, commonly seen in hospitality.

Flexi-time

A system allowing employees to choose their own starting and finishing times within agreed limits.

Zero-hours contract

An employment contract where the employer is not obligated to provide any minimum working hours.

Remote work / Telecommuting

Working from home or outside of a traditional office environment.

Duty

A moral or legal obligation, or a specific task required by your job.

Be on duty

To be working at a particular scheduled time, especially in nursing, policing, or security.

Be in charge of

To have control over or take responsibility for something or someone.

Oversee / Supervise

To watch and organise work or the people doing it to ensure it is carried out correctly.

Rewarding

Giving you a good feeling that you have accomplished something valuable.

Fulfilling

Making you feel happy and satisfied because you are fully using your abilities.

High-powered

Involving a great deal of responsibility and stress, and usually accompanied by high pay.

Tedious

Boring and continuing for too long.

Dead-end job

A job that offers no prospects of career promotion or advancement.

Career ladder

The series of hierarchical steps from a low position to a high position within a company.

Demote

To move an employee to a lower position or rank (the opposite of promote).

Salary

Fixed money paid every month for professional or office work.

Wage(s)

Money paid for work, typically calculated by the hour or week.

Payslip

A document provided to an employee showing the amount paid and deductions made.

Gross salary

The total amount of money earned before tax and deductions are taken away.

Net salary

The actual take-home money received after tax and other deductions are subtracted.

Commission

Money paid to a salesperson proportional to each sale they make.

Benefits

Extra perks and provisions given by an employer in addition to salary, such as private health insurance or a pension.

Pension

Regular money paid to a person after they reach retirement age.

Working conditions

The physical environment, working hours, and overall treatment of employees at a workplace.

Company culture

The shared values, beliefs, and behaviours that characterise an organisation.

Health and safety

The official rules and procedures designed to prevent accidents and illnesses in the workplace.

Work-life balance

The ability to evenly divide and manage professional responsibilities and personal life.

Sick pay

Money received from an employer while an employee is away on sick leave.

Parental leave

Time off work granted to parents to care for a new child, including maternity leave and paternity leave.

Be sacked / Get the sack

An informal expression meaning to be dismissed from a job, usually due to wrongdoing or poor performance.

Be made redundant / Be laid off

To lose your job because the employer no longer needs the role (such as through restructuring or financial hardship), not due to your own performance.

Hand in your notice

To officially notify an employer that you are leaving your job, typically specifying the agreed notice period.

Severance package / pay

Money and benefits provided to an employee when their employment ends, often associated with redundancy.

asset

a useful or valuable quality, skill, or person

baza, ventaja, incorporación valiosa

commute

to make the same journey regularly between work and home

viajar diariamente al lugar de trabajo

strenghts

somebody’s best qualities or skills

puntos fuertes

weaknesses

somebody’s worst qualities or skills

puntos débiles

qualifications

an official record showing that you have finished a training course or have the necessary skills, etc.

título, estudios

training

the process of learning the skills you need to do a particular job or activity

formación

traineeship

a period when someone is trained in the skills needed for a particular job

pasantía

work experience

the experience that a person already has of working

experiencia laboral