B2 vocabulary: work and jobs

Q: What is the difference between 'job' and 'work'?

**Job** is countable and means a specific position (*She has two jobs*). **Work** is usually uncountable and means the activity or place (*I have a lot of work; I go to work by bus*).

Q: What is the difference between 'salary' and 'wage'?

A **salary** is a fixed amount, usually paid monthly, for professional jobs. A **wage** is usually paid per hour or per week. *Income* covers all the money you receive.

Q: How do I say I lost my job politely?

Use *I was made redundant* or *I was laid off* if it was not your fault. *I was fired* or *sacked* suggests you did something wrong, and both are less formal.

Q: Which work words are useful for FCE word formation?

Look at *employ/employer/employee/employment/unemployed*, *qualify/qualification*, *responsible/responsibility*, *ambition/ambitious* and *apply/applicant/application*.

Q: Can I use 'boss' in a formal email?

It is better to say *manager*, *supervisor* or *employer* in formal writing. 'Boss' is fine in speaking and informal emails.

B2 work and jobs vocabulary helps you talk about careers, applying for jobs and working conditions with precise collocations such as apply for a job, earn a salary and work overtime. This page is part of our B2 vocabulary guide and gives you 48 items with original examples, common false friends and exam-style speaking and writing practice.

By Eleanor BennettLast updated: 13 October 2026

Talking about work at B2 level

Work comes up in every paper of the exam. You might write a formal email applying for a summer job, discuss in Speaking Part 4 whether people should work from home, or listen to someone describing an unusual career. Even if you are still at school, you need to talk about part-time jobs, your future plans and other people's working lives.

The key at B2 level is collocation: we apply for a job, earn a salary, run a business and get promoted. Learn the groups below, then look at education vocabulary for qualifications and money and shopping vocabulary for salaries, spending and saving.

Work and jobs vocabulary: words and collocations

Use it to…	Phrases
Nouns: jobs and the workplace	job / work – 'job' is countable (a job, two jobs); 'work' is usually uncountable (I have a lot of work). career – your working life. She wants a career in fashion. salary / wage – a salary is paid monthly; a wage is often paid by the hour or week. employer / employee / colleague – My colleagues are friendly, but my employer is very strict. manager / boss – 'boss' is informal. I asked my manager for a day off. working conditions – The pay is low, but the working conditions are excellent. internship / work experience – I did two weeks of work experience at a radio station. CV (British) – the document listing your education and experience. job interview / applicant / candidate – There were forty applicants for one position. workload – the amount of work you have. My workload doubles in December.
Verbs and verb collocations	apply for a job / a position – I applied for a job as a lifeguard. earn a living / earn money – It's hard to earn a living as a musician. work overtime / long hours – Nurses often work long hours. get promoted / get a promotion – He got promoted to team leader after a year. be made redundant – lose your job because it is no longer needed. resign / hand in your notice – leave your job by choice. hire / recruit – The café is recruiting extra staff for the summer. run a business / a company – My aunt runs a small bakery. (not 'lead a business') meet a deadline – We worked all night to meet the deadline. gain experience – I volunteered to gain experience with children.
Phrasal verbs	take on – employ, or accept responsibility. The shop is taking on two new assistants. lay off – stop employing someone, often because there is not enough work. set up – start a business. They set up an online shop during university. turn down – refuse. She turned down the job because it was too far away. fill in – complete a form. Fill in the application form in capital letters. carry on / keep on – continue. He carried on working after he turned seventy. step down – leave an important position. The director stepped down after ten years. knuckle down – start working hard (informal). I need to knuckle down before the deadline.
Adjectives and word families	employ → employment → unemployed → unemployment – Youth unemployment is a problem in many regions. rewarding – satisfying, though not always well paid. Teaching is hard but rewarding. stressful / demanding / challenging – It's a challenging job, but I love it. well-paid / badly paid – Badly paid jobs often have high staff turnover. full-time / part-time / temporary / permanent – I'm looking for a part-time job for weekends. flexible working hours – Flexible hours make it easier for parents. qualify → qualified → qualification – She's a qualified electrician. responsible → responsibility – Managing a team is a big responsibility. ambition → ambitious – He's ambitious and wants his own company by thirty. self-employed / freelance – working for yourself, not for one employer.
Useful phrases for discussing work	work-life balance – A four-day week could improve people's work-life balance. job satisfaction – For me, job satisfaction matters more than a high salary. job security – knowing you will not lose your job. work from home / remote working – Remote working saves time but can feel lonely. climb the career ladder – get better jobs over time. a dead-end job – a job with no chance of progress. be in charge of – I'm in charge of the social media accounts. be on a good salary (British) – Pilots are usually on a good salary. a nine-to-five job – a regular office job with standard hours. follow in someone's footsteps – do the same job as a parent or relative.

False friends and confusing pairs in work vocabulary

Trap: Actually I work in a hotel, but next year I'll change. (Spanish actualmente, Italian attualmente, German aktuell, Polish aktualnie)
Fix: Actually means in fact. For 'now', say currently or at the moment: I currently work in a hotel.
Trap: My Chef is very strict. (German Chef)
Fix: In English a chef cooks in a restaurant. Your boss or manager is the person in charge.
Trap: I did a stage in a law firm. (Italian/Spanish stage, Polish staż)
Fix: Say internship, placement or work experience: I did an internship at a law firm.
Trap: I have a new work.
Fix: Work is uncountable. Say a new job.
Trap: There is a lot of concurrence in this sector. (Italian concorrenza, German Konkurrenz, Polish konkurencja)
Fix: Say competition: There is a lot of competition in this sector.
Trap: He was fired by the crisis and now he's in the unemployment.
Fix: Fired suggests he did something wrong. If the company had no work, he was made redundant or laid off, and now he's unemployed (no article, adjective).
Trap: My collaborators and I have lunch together. (Spanish colaboradores, Italian collaboratori)
Fix: For people you work with, say colleagues or co-workers.
Trap: Eventually I could start in June. (Spanish and Italian eventualmente, German eventuell)
Fix: Eventually means in the end, after a long time. For 'possibly', say possibly or if necessary.

Use it in the exam: Speaking Part 4

Work questions in Speaking Part 4 often ask you to compare: money or satisfaction, office or home, one career or many. Don't just pick a side; explain why with topic vocabulary and a real or imagined example. Practise with more questions in our Part 4 question bank.

Sample Part 4 answer: work

Examiner: Do you think it's more important to have a well-paid job or a job you enjoy?

For me, job satisfaction is more important, although of course you need to earn a living. My uncle was on a very good salary in a bank, but he was so stressed that he resigned and set up a small business restoring old furniture. He earns less now, but he says the work is far more rewarding. On the other hand, if you have a family to support, a badly paid job can be a real worry, so I suppose the ideal is a job that's reasonably well-paid and that you actually look forward to.

Why it works

Gives a direct answer, then adds a sensible condition ('although of course…').
Uses collocations from this page: earn a living, on a good salary, resigned, set up a business, rewarding, badly paid.
Includes a developed example and then the other side ('On the other hand…').
Uses 'actually' correctly, meaning 'in fact'.

Work and jobs questions for speaking practice

Answer each question aloud for 30 to 45 seconds, using at least two items from this page.

Work and jobs

Is it a good idea for teenagers to have a part-time job while they are studying?
Would you prefer to work for a large company or be self-employed? Why?
Do you think working from home will become normal for most people?
Should people retire at a fixed age, or work as long as they want?
What makes a good boss?
Is it better to stay in one job for many years or change jobs often?
Why do you think some jobs are badly paid even though they are important?

B2 work vocabulary: FAQ

What is the difference between 'job' and 'work'?

Job is countable and means a specific position (She has two jobs). Work is usually uncountable and means the activity or place (I have a lot of work; I go to work by bus).

What is the difference between 'salary' and 'wage'?

A salary is a fixed amount, usually paid monthly, for professional jobs. A wage is usually paid per hour or per week. Income covers all the money you receive.

How do I say I lost my job politely?

Use I was made redundant or I was laid off if it was not your fault. I was fired or sacked suggests you did something wrong, and both are less formal.

Which work words are useful for FCE word formation?

Look at employ/employer/employee/employment/unemployed, qualify/qualification, responsible/responsibility, ambition/ambitious and apply/applicant/application.

Can I use 'boss' in a formal email?

It is better to say manager, supervisor or employer in formal writing. 'Boss' is fine in speaking and informal emails.