Employment

Employment Vocabulary

  • Remember the key vocabulary surrounding employment. Words like l’emploi (the job), le patron (the boss), le salaire (the salary), les compétences (skills) are essential.
  • Other necessary words for your vocabulary bank could include: entreprise (business), employé (employee), entrevue / interview (interview), full-time / à temps plein (full-time), mi-temps / à temps partiel (part-time), stage (internship).
  • Don’t forget verbs such as travailler (to work), gagner (to earn or win), postuler (to apply), embaucher (to hire), licencier (to fire), démissionner (to resign).

Situations and Expressions in the Workplace

  • Being able to express a variety of situations in the workplace is key. Understanding phrases like Je suis au chômage (I’m unemployed), Je cherche un travail (I’m looking for a job), and J’ai trouvé un emploi (I’ve found a job) will be helpful.
  • Recognise and revise expressions regarding work conditions. For instance: Je travaille de huit heures à seize heures (I work from eight to four), J’ai deux jours de congé par semaine (I have two days off per week), Je travaille le week-end (I work at the weekend).
  • You should also be able to talk about workplace relationships. Sentences like Je m’entends bien avec mes collègues (I get on well with my colleagues) and Mon patron est très exigeant (My boss is very demanding) could come in useful.

Discussing Future Plans

  • When discussing future plans or aspirations, verbs such as espérer (to hope), planifier (to plan), rêver de (to dream of), and vouloir (to want) are extremely important.
  • Understand how to construct future tense sentences like Après l’école, je veux aller à l’université (After school, I want to go to university) or J’espère avoir mon propre entreprise un jour (I hope to have my own business one day).
  • Know how to express uncertainty or options for the future, for instance: Je ne suis pas sûr de ce que je veux faire dans le futur (I am not sure what I want to do in the future) or J’envisage de faire un apprentissage (I am considering doing an apprenticeship).

Discussing Job Applications

  • Familiarise yourself with vocabulary specific to job applications. You may need to talk about your CV (CV/resume), a lettre de motivation (cover letter), or about the processus de candidature (application process).
  • You should also know how to articulate the reasons for applying to a job, like: J’ai postulé pour ce travail parce que je suis intéressé par… (I applied for this job because I am interested in…).
  • Be prepared to discuss the traits and skills needed for said job, e.g.: Pour cette fonction, il faut être organisé et avoir de bonnes compétences en communication (For this role, you need to be organised and have good communication skills).

Remember, constant practice, and using these terms in full sentences can enhance both your speaking and writing abilities. Don’t limit these terms to theoretical learning; try applying them in relevant, practical situations for better results. Good luck with your revision!