C1 ADVANCED · VOCABULARY · TOPIC VOCABULARY
Work and careers
Words like job satisfaction, work-life balance, burnout and climb the career ladder.
Finn says
At C1, you need to discuss work in more depth: motivation, stress, changing careers and the future of work. Learn the words in groups, with the words they go with, and try to use two or three of them next time you practise Speaking or Writing.
Careers
job satisfaction
the feeling of enjoying your work
For many people, job satisfaction matters more than pay.
climb the career ladder
move up to better positions
She climbed the career ladder remarkably quickly.
a career change / change careers
start a completely different job
He made a career change at forty.
be made redundant
lose your job because it's no longer needed
Two hundred workers were made redundant.
freelance / self-employed
working for yourself, for different clients
I've been freelance for five years.
a perk / benefits
extra advantages of a job
Free lunches are one of the perks of the job.
Work and well-being
work-life balance
time for both work and personal life
Remote work can improve your work-life balance.
burnout
exhaustion caused by too much work
Long hours can lead to burnout.
a heavy workload
a lot of work to do
Teachers complain about their heavy workload.
meet a deadline
finish something on time
We worked all weekend to meet the deadline.
flexible working
choosing your hours or place of work
Flexible working has become far more common.
be on the same wavelength
understand each other well
My manager and I are on the same wavelength.
Make it better
The same idea, first in basic English, then in the kind of language that gets a higher mark.
- Basic: I like my job a lot.Better: My job gives me a great deal of job satisfaction.More sophisticated, good for essays.
- Basic: He lost his job because the company closed a department.Better: He was made redundant when the department closed.The precise expression.
- Basic: I work too much and have no time for my life.Better: I struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance.A key topic expression.
- Basic: She got better and better jobs.Better: She climbed the career ladder quickly.Natural idiomatic language.
Finn's exam tip
In C1 essays, combine topic words with hedging: 'Flexible working may well improve work-life balance, although it can blur the line between home and office.' This shows both vocabulary range and a nuanced argument.
Quick check
Choose the best answer.
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