在职

• Pinyin: zài zhí
• Hanzi breakdown: 在 = to be present/hold; 职 = 耳 + 只 (position/duty/official post)

Meaning

To be currently employed; to be in an active post. Describes the status of someone currently holding a job or official position.

Used to distinguish active employees from retired, resigned, or dismissed staff. 在职培训 (on-the-job training), 在职研究生 (postgraduate students who study while employed) are common collocations. Frequently appears in HR policies, employment contracts, and academic admissions criteria.

Examples

1. 公司规定，所有在职员工每年须完成不少于四十学时的专业技能培训。 Company policy requires all current employees to complete no fewer than forty hours of professional skills training each year.
2. 他目前在职于一家跨国企业的亚太区总部，主导区域战略规划工作。 He is currently employed at the Asia-Pacific headquarters of a multinational corporation, leading regional strategic planning.
3. 该大学专为在职人员开设了一批弹性排课的研究生课程，便于兼顾工作与学业。 The university offers a number of flexibly scheduled graduate courses specifically for working professionals, making it easier to balance work and study.

Usage Guide

Context: HR, employment, education, administration

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 申请该职位的候选人须为在职人员，且具备五年以上相关行业从业经验。(Candidates applying for this position must be currently employed with no less than five years of relevant industry experience.)
• 在职期间私自从事与本单位存在竞争关系的业务，属于违反劳动合同的行为。(Engaging in business that competes with one's employer while still in employment constitutes a breach of the labor contract.)

Don't Say

• 在职地工作 — 在职 is a status adjective, not an adverb; say 在职时 for 'while employed' or use 在职 directly as a modifier

Origin & History

在 (in) + 职 (position/duty/post)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal