Work & Career

Professional collocations for the workplace and career development

Introduction

Professional English is full of collocations that non-native speakers often get wrong. You "meet a deadline" not "reach a deadline", "take responsibility" not "get responsibility". Using the right combinations signals competence and fluency.

This chapter covers workplace collocations essential for meetings, emails, job applications, and career conversations.

Themes

All Collocations in This Chapter (28)

• meet a deadline To finish something by the required date or time
• take responsibility To accept that you are the one who should deal with something or who caused s...
• apply for a job To formally request to be considered for a position of employment
• get promoted To receive a higher position or rank at work
• hand in notice To formally inform your employer that you are leaving your job
• job satisfaction The feeling of enjoyment and fulfilment that you get from your work
• work overtime To work beyond normal working hours, often for extra pay
• earn a living To make enough money to support yourself through work
• career change A move from one profession or field of work to a completely different one
• team player A person who works well with others and puts the group before themselves
• make progress To move forward or improve in a task or situation
• heavy workload A large amount of work that someone has to do
• job security The likelihood that you will keep your job without the risk of being made red...
• annual leave Paid time off work that an employee is entitled to each year
• sick leave Time off work because of illness, often with pay
• run a business To manage and operate a commercial enterprise
• take charge To assume control or leadership of a situation
• lead a team To be in charge of and direct a group of people working together
• set a goal To establish a specific target or objective to work towards
• achieve a target To successfully reach or accomplish a specific objective
• make a decision To choose between options after considering them
• solve a problem To find a solution or answer to a difficulty
• attend a meeting To be present at a formal gathering for discussion
• give a presentation To deliver a formal talk or speech to an audience, often with visual aids
• office politics The power struggles, alliances, and manipulation that happen in workplaces
• working conditions The physical environment and circumstances in which people do their jobs
• career ladder The series of levels or positions through which a person can progress in thei...
• performance review A formal assessment of an employee's work over a set period