求职

• Pinyin: qiú zhí
• Hanzi breakdown: 求 = pictograph of a fur coat — to seek, request; 职 = 耳 (ear) + 戠 (phonetic) — job, duty

Meaning

To seek employment; to job hunt. The process of looking for a job.

A formal term for the job-seeking process. Common phrases include 求职信 (cover letter), 求职者 (job seeker), 求职面试 (job interview), and 求职简历 (job application resume). Frequently appears in discussions about career, employment, and economic conditions.

Examples

1. 她已经求职三个月了，终于收到了第一个面试通知。 She has been job hunting for three months and finally received her first interview invitation.
2. 大学毕业季是求职的高峰期。 University graduation season is the peak period for job hunting.
3. 他在多个求职网站上投了简历。 He submitted his resume on multiple job-hunting websites.

Usage Guide

Context: career, employment, business

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 我正在求职中。(I'm currently job hunting.)
• 求职市场竞争很激烈。(The job market is very competitive.)

Don't Say

• 口语中通常说'找工作'而不是'求职' (In casual speech, say 找工作 rather than 求职 — the latter is more formal)

Origin & History

Compound of 求 (seek, request) and 职 (job, position). Together they mean to seek a job or employment.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal