Career & Office — B2 Essential Words

resume /rɪˈzjuːm/ (noun: /ˈrezəmeɪ/) noun B2 Career

Meaning: A short document listing your education, skills, and work experience, used when applying for jobs. (US word; the UK uses CV.)

Example: Send your resume with the application.

Another example: Her resume lists five years of design work.

Collocations: update your resume · resume and cover letter · on your resume

Synonyms: CV, application document

Word family: resumes (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: The job document is REZ-uh-may; the verb resume (re-ZOOM) means start again. Same spelling, two words — context rules.

🗣 In spoken American English: Every American job hunt starts here: 'Send me your resume.' One page is the classic rule for most jobs.

Register: Neutral — career essential.

promotion /prəˈməʊʃən/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: A move to a higher, better-paid position at work; also, activities to advertise something.

Example: She got a promotion to team leader.

Another example: The store is running a summer promotion.

Collocations: get a promotion · promotion to · sales promotion

Synonyms: advancement, upgrade, advertising

Antonyms: demotion

Word family: promote (v) · promotional (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: At work, promotion goes UP a level: a promotion TO manager. In shops, a promotion is a special offer — context decides.

🗣 In spoken American English: Asking about 'room for promotion' is a smart interview question about growth.

Register: Neutral — office staple.

deadline /ˈdedlaɪn/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: The time or date by which something must be finished.

Example: The deadline for applications is Friday.

Another example: We worked all night to meet the deadline.

Collocations: meet a deadline · miss a deadline · tight deadline

Synonyms: due date, limit, cutoff

Word family: deadlines (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: You MEET a deadline (finish in time) or MISS it. The preposition: deadline FOR something, deadline OF Friday is wrong.

🗣 In spoken American English: Workplace America's sacred phrase: 'deadline-driven'. Projects live and die by Friday deadlines.

Register: Neutral — school and work essential.

colleague /ˈkɒliːɡ/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: A person you work with, especially in a professional job.

Example: My colleagues helped me finish the project.

Another example: She is a colleague of mine from the Seattle office.

Collocations: work colleagues · close colleague · colleague of mine

Synonyms: coworker, teammate, associate

Word family: colleagues (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: Colleague is the professional word; coworker is neutral American everyday. Both are correct — colleague sounds a level more formal.

🗣 In spoken American English: Emails open with 'Dear colleagues,' in offices everywhere.

Register: Neutral to formal — professional core.

contract /ˈkɒntrækt/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: A formal written agreement between two people or companies that the law can enforce.

Example: They signed a two-year contract.

Another example: Read the contract carefully before signing.

Collocations: sign a contract · contract with · under contract

Synonyms: agreement, deal, pact

Word family: contractor (n) · contractual (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: You SIGN a contract and then you are UNDER contract. Breaking one has legal consequences — that's the point of the word.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Read the fine print' is the contract warning everyone repeats — the small text matters.

Register: Neutral to formal — business and law.

project /ˈprɒdʒekt/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: A planned piece of work with a goal and an end, done by a person or a team.

Example: Our team finished the project early.

Another example: The school project takes two weeks.

Collocations: project manager · work on a project · project deadline

Synonyms: task, assignment, plan

Word family: projects (n pl) · projection (n — different)

⚠ Common mistake: Noun stress: PRO-ject. The verb pro-JECT (present/predict) is different and rarer in office talk.

🗣 In spoken American English: Everything at modern work is 'a project' — with a manager, a deadline, and a kickoff meeting.

Register: Neutral — work and school staple.

position /pəˈzɪʃən/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: A job or role in a company; also the place where something is, or your opinion on an issue.

Example: She applied for a teaching position.

Another example: The hotel is in a great position near the beach.

Collocations: apply for a position · a position at · in a position to

Synonyms: job, post, role

Word family: positions (n pl) · positional (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Position is the formal twin of job: job ads say 'open position'. Physically, things are IN position (ready).

🗣 In spoken American English: Interviews ask: 'Why do you want this position?' — never 'this work'.

Register: Formal — job ads and official language.

employer /ɪmˈplɔɪər/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: The person or company that pays people to work for them.

Example: Her employer offers free health insurance.

Another example: The factory is the town's biggest employer.

Collocations: future employer · employer benefits · former employer

Synonyms: boss (informal), company

Antonyms: employee

Word family: employ (v) · employment (n) · employee (n)

⚠ Common mistake: The pair that learners mix forever: employer HIRES, employee WORKS. -er gives, -ee receives — like trainer/trainee.

🗣 In spoken American English: Applications ask 'current employer' — the company's name goes there.

Register: Neutral — HR essential.

candidate /ˈkændɪdət/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: A person who is applying for a job or being considered for a position; also a person trying to be elected.

Example: We interviewed five candidates for the job.

Another example: The candidate promised lower taxes.

Collocations: job candidate · strong candidate · candidate for

Synonyms: applicant, hopeful (elections)

Word family: candidacy (n) · candidates (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: One word, two arenas: job candidates and election candidates. Pattern: candidate FOR a job/office.

🗣 In spoken American English: HR's rating phrase: 'a strong candidate' — it means the person is likely to get the offer.

Register: Neutral to formal — hiring and politics.

qualification /ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun B2 Career

Meaning: A skill, degree, or experience that makes you suitable for a job; an official record of passing an exam.

Example: A teaching qualification is required.

Another example: Her qualifications include a master's degree.

Collocations: required qualifications · qualification for · list qualifications

Synonyms: credential, degree, skill

Word family: qualified (adj) · qualify (v)

⚠ Common mistake: Qualifications (plural) is the job-ad word. You ARE qualified FOR a role when you meet them; unqualified means the opposite.

🗣 In spoken American English: Job ads end with 'Qualifications:' — the checklist your resume must match.

Register: Formal — job ads and applications.