IELTS Vocabulary for Work and Careers

job satisfaction — how much you enjoy your work. "Job satisfaction predicts health better than salary does."

a career path / career progression — "Young people increasingly expect rapid career progression."

job security — confidence you will keep your job. "Job security matters more to parents than to graduates."

to pursue a career in — "Many students pursue a career in fields they have never experienced."

a dead-end job — work with no progression. "Fear of a dead-end job drives much career anxiety."

to climb the career ladder — "Climbing the career ladder is slower than it was for previous generations."

work-life balance — "Work-life balance is now a stated priority for younger workers."

remote work / working from home — "Remote work saved commuting time but blurred the end of the day."

the gig economy — short-term freelance jobs (delivery, ride-hailing). "The gig economy offers flexibility and insecurity in equal measure."

freelance / self-employed — "Freelancers trade stability for control over their time."

automation / to be made redundant — "Automation has made entire roles redundant."

a four-day week — "Trials of a four-day week report stable productivity."

to upskill / reskill — to learn new job skills. "Workers must reskill repeatedly across a career."

a competitive job market — "Graduates enter a competitive job market with debt and high expectations."

to strike a balance between — "The challenge is to strike a balance between flexibility and security."

job-hopping — changing jobs frequently. "Job-hopping, once a red flag, is now a normal career strategy."

financial stability — "For many families, financial stability outweighs job satisfaction."

a sense of purpose — "Younger workers rank a sense of purpose alongside pay."

Work questions usually frame a trade-off: money vs satisfaction, security vs flexibility, old career model vs new. Name the trade-off in your introduction and your essay structure writes itself.

For Speaking, work questions ('Do you like your job?') want specific detail: one colleague, one task, one complaint — not a job description.