Focus
Work is a core IELTS topic across all four sections — especially Speaking Parts 1 and 3, and Writing Task 2 essays about careers, work-life balance, and the changing labour market.
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Topic Vocabulary: Work
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# Topic Vocabulary: Work
01
Section
Employment
| Term | Meaning & Usage |
|---|---|
| full-time / part-time | 35+ hours per week / fewer hours. "Many parents prefer part-time work." |
| freelance / self-employed | Working independently. "Freelance work offers flexibility but no guaranteed income." |
| contract work | Fixed-term employment. "Contract work is common in IT and construction." |
| internship | Temporary training role, often unpaid or low-paid. "Internships are important for entering competitive industries." |
| unemployment rate | Percentage of workforce without jobs. "The unemployment rate fell to a 50-year low in 2023." |
02
Section
Workplace Skills
| Term | Meaning & Usage |
|---|---|
| leadership skills | Ability to guide and motivate others. "Leadership skills are increasingly required at junior levels." |
| teamwork | Collaborative work. "Effective teamwork requires clear communication." |
| time management | Organising tasks efficiently. "Good time management separates high and average performers." |
| attention to detail | Care and accuracy. "Attention to detail is critical in accounting and medicine." |
| problem-solving | Finding solutions. "Employers consistently rank problem-solving above technical knowledge." |
03
Section
Work-Life
| Term | Meaning & Usage |
|---|---|
| work-life balance | Time split between job and personal life. "Work-life balance is a top concern for young workers." |
| flexible hours | Non-standard working times. "Flexible hours help parents manage childcare." |
| job satisfaction | Content with one's work. "Job satisfaction depends more on purpose than on pay above a certain income." |
| overtime | Working beyond normal hours, often paid. "Unpaid overtime is widespread in the creative industries." |
| burnout | Exhaustion from chronic work stress. "Burnout rates rose sharply during the pandemic." |
04
Section
Career Development
| Term | Meaning & Usage |
|---|---|
| promotion | A rise in job position. "Promotion typically comes with more responsibility and higher pay." |
| professional development | Ongoing skill improvement. "Most employers now offer professional development budgets." |
| upskilling / reskilling | Learning new skills for a job. "Reskilling has become necessary as AI automates routine tasks." |
| career change | Moving to a different field. "Career change in mid-life is more common than in previous generations." |
| entrepreneurship | Starting and running a business. "Young people are increasingly drawn to entrepreneurship over traditional careers." |
05
Section
Labour Market Trends
| Term | Meaning & Usage |
|---|---|
| remote work | Working outside the office. "Remote work has changed where people choose to live." |
| gig economy | Short-term, platform-based work. "The gig economy accounts for a growing share of new jobs." |
| automation | Machines replacing human tasks. "Automation threatens some jobs but creates new technical roles." |
| skills gap | Mismatch between available skills and jobs. "Employers report a persistent skills gap in cybersecurity and data science." |
| retirement age | Age at which people stop working. "Governments across Europe are raising the retirement age." |
06
Section
Sample Essay Sentences
- A career, unlike a job, is built over decades and shaped by deliberate choices.
- Employers and workers increasingly see development opportunities as part of fair compensation.
- The accelerating pace of technological change has made continuous learning a workplace necessity.