1. application
    • A letter or form with details of your qualifications, skills, experience, etc. sent to a firm or company when requesting to be considered for a job or position.

  2. apprentice
    • An apprentice works for a skilled employer in order to learn a trade or skill (for example a carpenter or a plumber, etc.)

  3. apprenticeship  
    • A fixed period of time during which an apprentice is trained.

  4. assessment 
    • Evaluation of one's knowledge or abilities.

  5. background 
    • A person's education, qualifications and/or work experience.

  6. bonus 
    • Additional payment to an employee as an incentive or reward.

  7. curriculum vitae
    • Summary of one's education and experience to date; resume.

  8. dismiss
    • Discharge from employment (to fire, to sack, to let go).

  9. employee
    • Person who works for a firm or company for wages or a salary.

  10. employer  
    • Person or firm who employs or hires people to do work for wages or a salary.

  11. fire
    • Dismiss from a job (to sack, to let go).

  12. flexitime
    • A system that allows employees to choose the time they start and finish their work.

  13. fringe benefits
    • Advantages offered in addition to salary (life insurance, retirement scheme, company car, etc.). Also called 'perks', abbreviation for 'perquisites'.

  14. full-time
    • Work a full number of hours considered normal or standard.

  15. hire
    • Employ or take on personnel in a company.

  16. interview
    • Oral examination of a candidate for employment.

  17. intern
    • A student or recent graduate who works for a period of time in order to gain practical experience.

  18. internship
    • Period of time during which someone works in order to gain experience in a particular type of work.

  19. maternity leave
    • Period of absence from work of a female employee before and after the birth of a baby.

  20. notice: to give or hand in one's notice
    • Advance warning of intention to leave one's job - to give or hand in one's resignation.

  21. overtime
    • Work more than the number of hours required by contract.

  22. part-time
    • Work fewer hours or days than is considered standard.

  23. payslip
    • A piece of paper given to an employee showing the amount of money earned and the deductions for insurance, tax etc.

  24. personnel
    • People who work for a firm or company (employees).

  25. personnel officer
    • Manager responsible for recruitment, training and welfare of personnel (employees).

  26. promotion
    • Advancement in rank or position in a company.

  27. prospects
    • Opportunities for success or promotion in a career.

  28. recruit
    • Look for and hire new people (personnel) to work for a company.

  29. redundant: make somebody redundant
    • Dismiss someone from a job for economic reasons.

  30. redundancy pay
    • Amount of money received to compensate for being asked to leave (made redundant) because your job is no longer needed.

  31. resign
    • Leave one's job voluntarily.

  32. retire
    • Leave employment because of age.

  33. salary
    • Amount of money paid to an employee each year.

  34. sick leave
    • Absence because of illness - to be on sick leave.

  35. shift work
    • A type of work schedule in which different groups work in relay at set periods of time during the day or night (for example in hospitals, airports, etc.).

  36. skeleton staff
    • The minimum number of people needed to operate a business.
  37. staff
    • People who work for a firm or department; employees.

  38. strength
    • Strong characteristic or particular ability.

  39. strike: go on strike
    • To stop working in protest against something.

  40. take on
    • Employ or hire somebody to do a job or fill a position.

  41. trainee  
    • A person who is practicing the skills of a particular job or profession, for example a trainee journalist or a trainee teacher.

  42. training course
    • A course of study to prepare for a job, for example a computer course.

  43. unemployment benefits
    • Payments made by the state to an unemployed person who meets the required conditions.

  44. vacancy
    • A position to be filled or a job that is available for a new employee.

  45. weakness
    • A lack of ability or a shortcoming in character.

  46. workforce
    • All the people who work for a company or organisation.
  1. to be called for an interview: to be invited to attend an interview
  2. to be your own boss: to have your own business
  3. a dead-end job: a job with no promotional opportunities
  4. to do a job-share: to share the weekly hours of work with another person
  5. a good team player: somebody who can work well with other people
  6. full-time: the number of hours that people usually work in a complete week
  7. a heavy workload: to have a lot of work to do
  8. a high-powered job: an important or powerful job
  9. holiday entitlement: the number of days holiday allowed
  10. job satisfaction: the feeling of enjoying a job
  11. manual work: work that requires physical activity
  12. maternity leave: time off work given to a woman about to have a baby
  13. to meet a deadline: to finish a job by an agreed time
  14. a nine-to-five job: a normal job that consists of an 8 hour day (approximately)
  15. one of the perks of the job: an extra benefit you get from a job
  16. part-time: working less than full-time
  17. to run your own business: see ‘to be your own boss’
  18. to be self-employed: see ‘to be your own boss’
  19. sick leave: time allowed off work when sick
  20. to be stuck behind a desk: to be unhappy in an office job
  21. to be/get stuck in a rut: to be in a boring job that is hard to leave
  22. to take early retirement: to retire early (retire: to reach an age when you are allowed to stop working for a living)
  23. temporary work: work done for a limited time only
  24. voluntary work: to work without pay
  25. to be well paid: to earn a good salary
  26. working conditions: the hours, salary and other entitlements that comes with the job
  27. to work with your hands: to do manual work