TOPICAL VOCABULARY: CAREER

Changing Job Position

to retire
to resign, resignation
to leave / quit a job
to fire / to dismiss sb
to lose a job
to apply for a job
to be in employment
to find employment
to take a job
to offer a job
to change jobs
to get a job of
to take up the job of
to be promoted to the position of
to get a promotion
to employ
employer
employee
employment
to be out of work / employment
vacancy
interview
application form
to get unemployment benefit
unemployed person
applicant
to announce / to advertise a vacancy of
to give up the career of
to obtain quick promotion
to begin one’s career
to make one’s career / to make one’s way up
careerism / self-seeking
careerist / office-seeker / place-hunter / climber
personnel agency
a CV
Kinds of Work
office work
manual work
intellectual work
social work
to work on the assembly line
seasonal worker
qualification / level of proficiency / professional skill
raising the level of one’s skill
skilled personnel
personnel department
training of specialists
permanent post / regular work
temporary job
casual work / odd job(s)
to work on the night shift
full employment
part-time employment
Holiday / Sunday job
to work at some place as a… 1
At the Work
to work overtime
to deal with
responsibility
My responsibilities include…
job satisfaction
rewarding / stimulating job
fringe benefit / perk
to pay / cover expenses for
official duties / functions / responsibilities
office hours
lunch
to get off at 7
to overwork oneself
to burn the midnight oil
to be up to one’s neck in work
compensatory leave/holiday
leave (of absence) / holiday / leave
to take a month’s holiday
on leave
maternity leave
leave without pay
sick-leave
to be on sick list
holiday-maker
to get permission to stay away / to absent oneself
Our office is going green, to go green
Payment
to pay
to be paid for
well-paid job
to be underpaid
tax, to be taxed, income tax
to earn one’s living
to make a lot of money
pay / salary
wages
earnings / payment
wage increase / pay rise
to earn money
to earn additionally
rate of (pay / salary / wages)
bonus / premium
to get a bonus
to give / award a bonus / premium for
holiday pay
income tax
to get comission on
pay by the day / by the hour
piece-work payment / piece-rate pay
to hold back the payment / to withhold payment
to retire on a pension / to be pensioned off
pension; to be on a pension
disability pension
to grant a merit pension
2
Usage 1
”Job” is what you do to earn money for your living.
“Work” is something you are paid for doing.
“Post” / “position” are more formal words for a job in a company.
“Occupation” is your kind of work or job more formally.
‘Profession” is a kind of work such as that of a doctor or teacher for which you need special
training and a good education.
“Office” is an important job or position with power, especially in government. Eg. The office of
President.
“Rank” is the position or level that someone holds in an organization, especially in the police or
armed forces. Eg. He got promotion to the rank of General.
“Trade” is a skilled kind of work in which you make things with your hands.
“Career” is a type of work that you do or hope to do for most of your life.
“Vocation” is a profession, which you do in order to help others or to use your original talent
rather than to earn a lot of money.

Usage 2
“Pay” is money given to someone in return for work. Eg. Drivers are demanding higher pay.
Note: “payment” is an amount of money that must be paid for a good or service, not a salary.
‘Salary” is money paid to someone once a month, especially to professional people, managers etc
and usually it goes directly into their bank account. Eg. A salary of 100 000 pounds a year.
“Wages” are money paid weekly, usually in the form of notes and coins, especially to people
whose job is not professional. Eg. Wages at the cannery are very low.
“Fee” is money that some professions charge for a particular service they have done. Eg. Doctor’s
/ lawyer’s fees.
“Income” means any money you receive regularly, from work or anywhere else. Eg. Unearned
income (= money you get but not from work) is taxed at a higher rate.
“Earnings” is all the money you get for your regular, casual and temporary work.
“Profit” is money that you gain by selling something or doing business taking into account all
your expenses.