Work and Careers
Covers part-time jobs, work experience, and career ambitions — essential for writing and speaking.
Jobs and Professions
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|
| un/a médico/a | a doctor | un/a enfermero/a | a nurse |
| un/a abogado/a | a lawyer | un/a contable | an accountant |
| un/a ingeniero/a | an engineer | un/a informático/a | an IT specialist |
| un/a profesor/a | a teacher | un/a periodista | a journalist |
| un/a arquitecto/a | an architect | un/a dentista | a dentist |
| un/a veterinario/a | a vet | un/a farmacéutico/a | a pharmacist |
| un/a cocinero/a | a cook/chef | un/a camarero/a | a waiter/waitress |
| un/a fontanero/a | a plumber | un/a electricista | an electrician |
| un/a peluquero/a | a hairdresser | un/a mecánico/a | a mechanic |
| un hombre/una mujer de negocios | a businessman/woman | un/a funcionario/a | a civil servant |
| un/a bombero/a | a firefighter | un/a policía | a police officer |
Part-time Jobs and Work Experience
| Spanish | English |
|---|
| un trabajo a tiempo parcial | a part-time job |
| un trabajo a tiempo completo | a full-time job |
| unas prácticas (laborales) | work experience |
| hacer prácticas | to do work experience |
| trabajar de cajero/a | to work as a cashier |
| repartir periódicos | to deliver newspapers |
| hacer de canguro | to babysit |
| ganar (dinero de bolsillo) | to earn (pocket money) |
| el sueldo / el salario mínimo | salary / minimum wage |
| solicitar un puesto | to apply for a position |
| un currículum (CV) | a CV |
| una carta de presentación | a cover letter |
| una entrevista (de trabajo) | a (job) interview |
| ser contratado/a / despedido/a | to be hired / fired |
Workplace Vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|
| una oficina | an office |
| una fábrica | a factory |
| una tienda | a shop |
| un hospital | a hospital |
| una obra | a building site |
| al aire libre | outdoors |
| el horario de trabajo | working hours |
| el/la jefe/a | the boss |
| un/a compañero/a de trabajo | a colleague |
| un/a cliente/a | a customer |
| el teletrabajo | working from home |
Model Responses
- Los sábados, trabajo en un supermercado como cajero. Gano ocho libras la hora. Es cansado pero me permite ahorrar dinero. — On Saturdays, I work in a supermarket as a cashier. I earn eight pounds an hour. It's tiring but it allows me to save money.
- Hice prácticas en un bufete de abogados durante una semana. Fue muy interesante y aprendí mucho sobre el mundo laboral. — I did work experience at a law firm for a week. It was very interesting and I learned a lot about the working world.
- En el futuro, me gustaría ser médica porque quiero ayudar a la gente. Tendré que estudiar durante muchos años pero merece la pena. — In the future, I would like to be a doctor because I want to help people. I will have to study for many years but it's worth it.
- Mi sueño sería montar mi propio negocio en el sector tecnológico. — My dream would be to set up my own business in the tech sector.
- Para mí, lo más importante en un trabajo es la satisfacción personal — el dinero no lo es todo. — For me, the most important thing in a job is personal satisfaction — money isn't everything.
Exam Tips
- Learn jobs in masculine and feminine forms — tested in reading and shows grammatical awareness.
- Quiero ser + job (no article): Quiero ser médico (not "un médico").
- This topic combines well with school/future plans — prepare a flowing response covering both.
- For writing: include work experience (preterite), current part-time job (present), career ambitions (future/conditional) — three time frames.
- In role play, you might need to enquire about a job or describe your skills and availability.