Jobs and Occupations Vocabulary: English Work Words

Learn English job and occupation vocabulary, workplace phrases, responsibilities and employment terms, with exercises and complete answers.

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Introduction to Jobs and Occupations Vocabulary

Jobs and occupations vocabulary helps you talk about what people do for work, where they work and what their responsibilities are.

You may need to describe:

  • your own job
  • another person’s occupation
  • different workplaces
  • job responsibilities
  • employment status
  • working hours and conditions

For example:

I’m an accountant for a technology company.
She works as a nurse in a hospital.
He’s responsible for managing a team of sales staff.
I currently work full-time, but I used to work part-time.

Learning individual job names in English is useful, but natural English also depends on phrases such as work as, work for, be responsible for and apply for a job.

Climate and weather vocabulary

Climate and weather are closely related, but they are not the same.

Weather describes atmospheric conditions over a short period:

It’s raining today.

Climate describes the usual weather conditions of a place over a much longer period:

Taiwan has a warm, humid climate.
Common jobs and occupations with descriptions
Job What they do
1teacher teaches students
2doctor treats people who are ill or injured
3nurse cares for patients
4engineer designs, builds or develops technical systems
5accountant manages and checks financial records
6lawyer gives legal advice and represents clients
7police officer protects the public and enforces the law
8firefighter responds to fires and other emergencies
9chef prepares and cooks food professionally
10waiter / waitress serves customers in a restaurant
11shop assistant helps customers in a shop
12receptionist welcomes visitors and handles enquiries
13driver transports people or goods
14builder works on the construction of buildings
15electrician installs and repairs electrical systems
16plumber installs and repairs water and heating systems
17hairdresser cuts and styles hair
18journalist researches and reports news
19photographer takes photographs professionally
20designer creates visual, physical or digital designs

Examples:

My sister is a teacher.
He works as an electrician.
She wants to become a journalist.
My uncle is a self-employed builder.

Be careful with work and job.

I have a new job. âś“
I have a new work. âś—

Job is countable, while work is normally uncountable.

Office and professional jobs

Many people work in offices or specialist professional roles.

Common examples include:

accountant
architect
consultant
manager
administrator
software developer
programmer
graphic designer
marketing manager
sales representative
human resources manager
project manager
financial adviser
researcher
scientist
translator

Examples:

She works as a project manager for an international company.
He’s a software developer.
I work in the marketing department.
She’s a researcher at a university.

Manager vs employee

A manager is responsible for organising people, projects or part of a business.

An employee is someone who works for an organisation.

The company has around 200 employees.

Profession

A profession is usually a type of work requiring particular education or training.

For example:

medicine
law
teaching
engineering

You may hear:

What profession are you in?

However, in everyday conversation, What do you do? is much more common.

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Service and manual jobs

Service jobs involve helping, serving or dealing directly with customers or the public.

Examples include:

waiter / waitress
barista
receptionist
shop assistant
hotel receptionist
tour guide
flight attendant
customer service adviser
delivery driver

Manual jobs involve more physical work.

Examples include:

builder
carpenter
electrician
plumber
mechanic
cleaner
factory worker
warehouse worker
gardener

Examples:

She works as a barista in a café.
He’s a qualified mechanic.
My neighbour works in a warehouse.
They hired a plumber to fix the bathroom.

Some jobs fit more than one category, so these groups are useful for learning vocabulary rather than strict classifications.

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Describing job responsibilities

Knowing a job title is not always enough. You may also need to explain what someone actually does.

Useful structures include:

I’m responsible for + -ing

My job involves + -ing

I deal with + noun

I manage + noun

I work with + noun

Examples:

I’m responsible for training new staff.
My job involves speaking to customers every day.
I deal with customer complaints.
She manages a team of twelve people.
He works with financial data.

Useful responsibility verbs include:

manage
organise
supervise
design
develop
repair
prepare
advise
teach
support
analyse
sell
deliver
operate
communicate

For example:

A marketing manager plans campaigns and analyses customer data.
A mechanic repairs and maintains vehicles.
A receptionist welcomes visitors and answers enquiries.

Employment status and workplaces

People can have different types of employment.

Employment status vocabulary with meanings
Word / expression Meaning
1 full-time working the normal number of hours each week
2 part-time working fewer than full-time hours
3 permanent continuing without a fixed end date
4 temporary lasting for a limited period
5 self-employed working for yourself rather than an employer
6 freelance working independently for different clients
7 unemployed currently without a job
8 retired having stopped working permanently, usually because of age
9 intern someone gaining short-term work experience
10 employer person or organisation that employs workers
11 employee person who works for an employer
12 colleague person you work with

Examples:

I work full-time.
She has a part-time job at weekends.
He’s self-employed and runs his own business.
I worked as an intern during university.

Common workplaces include:

office
hospital
school
factory
warehouse
shop
restaurant
construction site
laboratory
studio
workshop
home

Examples:

She works in a hospital.
He works on a construction site.
I work from home three days a week.

If you also need language for qualifications, university and studying, continue with our Education Vocabulary.

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Useful work collocations

Learning common combinations will make your work vocabulary sound much more natural.

Work

work full-time
work part-time
work from home
work overtime
work shifts
work for a company
work as a designer
work in finance

Get / find

get a job
find a job
get promoted
get paid
get experience

Apply

apply for a job
apply for a position
submit an application

Have

have a job
have an interview
have experience
have responsibility for something

Other useful collocations

earn a salary
earn a living
attend a meeting
meet a deadline
manage a team
gain experience
take time off
change careers
lose your job
start a business
retire from work

Examples:

I’m applying for a new job.
She was promoted to manager last year.
We sometimes have to work overtime.
He wants to change careers.

Asking and answering about jobs

The most natural everyday question is:

What do you do?

This means:

What is your job?

Possible answers:

I’m a teacher.
I work in IT.
I work for a bank.
I’m self-employed.

Other useful questions include:

What do you do for a living?
Where do you work?
What does your job involve?
How long have you worked there?
Do you enjoy your job?
Do you work full-time or part-time?

Work as, work for and work in

These three structures have different uses.

Work as + job

I work as a designer.

Work for + employer

I work for an international company.

Work in + field / industry / place

I work in marketing.
She works in healthcare.
He works in an office.

Compare:

I work as an accountant for a technology company.
I work in accounting.

Both are natural, but one gives your job title and the other gives your field. These expressions are particularly useful for IELTS Speaking Part 1 work and study questions, where you may need to describe your job and responsibilities.

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Exercises and answers

Exercise 1: Choose the correct job

  1. Someone who repairs electrical systems is an __________.
    • electrician
    • accountant
    • journalist
  2. Someone who prepares food professionally is a __________.
    • mechanic
    • chef
    • lawyer
  3. Someone who manages financial records is an __________.
    • engineer
    • accountant
    • receptionist
  4. Someone who welcomes visitors in an office or hotel is a __________.
    • receptionist
    • builder
    • scientist
  5. Someone who repairs cars is a __________.
    • mechanic
    • designer
    • pharmacist
  6. Someone who reports news is a __________.
    • plumber
    • journalist
    • carpenter

Exercise 2: Complete the collocations

Use: apply, work, earn, manage, meet, get

  1. __________ for a job
  2. __________ overtime
  3. __________ a salary
  4. __________ a team
  5. __________ a deadline
  6. __________ promoted

Exercise 3: Choose as, for or in

  1. I work __________ a teacher.
  2. She works __________ a large technology company.
  3. He works __________ finance.
  4. My brother works __________ an engineer.
  5. I work __________ a small office.
  6. She works __________ a hospital.

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Answers

Exercise 1

  1. electrician
  2. chef
  3. accountant
  4. receptionist
  5. mechanic
  6. journalist

Exercise 2

  1. apply for a job
  2. work overtime
  3. earn a salary
  4. manage a team
  5. meet a deadline
  6. get promoted

Exercise 3

  1. as a teacher
  2. for a large technology company
  3. in finance
  4. as an engineer
  5. in a small office
  6. in a hospital

When learning jobs and occupations vocabulary, focus on more than job titles. Learn natural combinations such as work as a teacher, work for a company, work in finance, apply for a job, earn a salary and manage a team. These phrases will help you talk much more confidently about jobs, workplaces and responsibilities.

More Work and Study English

  • IELTS Speaking Part 1: Work and Study
  • Education Vocabulary: School, University and Learning
  • Daily Routine Vocabulary

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