The World of Work

This page will help you with ideas and vocabulary to prepare your conversation about The World of Work:

Here you have some useful vocabualry to use:

  • Employee - a person who works for another person or for a company for wages or a salary.
  • Employer - a person or company that has people who do work for wages or a salary
  • Apprentice - a person who learns a job or skill by working for a fixed period of time
  • Trainee - a person who is being trained for a job.
  • Intern – a student or graduate who works for a period of time at a job to get experience.
  • to be called for an interview: to be invited to attend an interview
    • To get a raise – to receive an increase in the amount of your pay.
      • Promotion - the act of promoting someone or something
  • to be your own boss: to have your own business
  • a dead-end job: a job with no promotional opportunities
  • to do a job-share: to share the weekly hours of work with another person
  • full-time: tjob he number of hours that people usually work in a complete week
  • a heavy workload: to have a lot of work to do
  • job satisfaction: the feeling of enjoying a job
  • manual work: work that requires physical activity
  • maternity leave: time off work given to a woman about to have a baby
  • to meet a deadline: to finish a job by an agreed time
  • a nine-to-five job: a normal job that consists of an 8 hour day (approximately)
  • part-time: working less than full-time
  • to run your own business: see ‘to be your own boss’
  • to be self-employed: see ‘to be your own boss’
  • sick leave: time allowed off work when sick
  • to be stuck behind a desk: to be unhappy in an office job
  • to take early retirement: to retire early (retire: to stop working)
  • temporary work: work done for a limited time only
  • voluntary work: to work without pay
  • to be well paid: to earn a good salary
  • working conditions: the hours, salary and other entitlements that comes with the job
  • to work with your hands: to do manual work
  • To be unemployed – to be without a job.
  • To be out of work – to be without a job.
  • To be on the dole - to receive money that a government gives to unemployed people
  • To fire somebody - to dismiss (someone) from a job.
  • To sack somebody - to dismiss (someone) from a job.
  • To hand in one’s notice – to give your boss a statement telling someone that an agreement, job, etc., will end soon.
  • To resign - to give up (a job or position) in a formal or official way.
  • To quit - to leave (a job, school, career, etc.).
  • Unemployment benefit - money that is paid by a company (such as an insurance company) or by a government when someone dies, becomes sick, stops working, etc.

Watch these Videos:

Join a group of middle school students as they try and figure out what kind of jobs will best suit them. Qualcomm has developed tools to help students identify their strengths, interests and values so they can start thinking about their future in the world of work

Watch these two videos for possible questions and possible answers on the topic The World of Work