Straightforward B2 Upper Intermediate Vocabulary, Lesson 10D

Discussing common vocabulary relating to the end of school and university as well as entering the workforce. We also evaluated the formality or lack of it in certain scenarios and the vocabulary associated with it. The book included an audio recording of an interview.

First date taught: 4 May 2023

10D – A Good Job

Theme: Preparing for and taking part in a job interview.

in the workforce (n) – the group of people who work in a company, industry, country, etc.; the people who are available for work in a particular area, country, or industry
Example: Schools are working increasingly with businesses to fill gaps in the workforce.

work experience (n) – a period of time in which a student temporarily works for an employer to get experience; a period of time during which a young person, usually a student, works for a company or organization in order to get experience of a particular type of work; the jobs that someone has had, or the type of work they have done, in the past

advocate (v) [C2] – to speak for, support, or represent a person or group of people who may need extra help or protection

talk yourself up / talk up something/someone (ph.v.) – to speak in a positive way about something or someone in order to persuade others

nerve-wracking (adj) – Something that is nerve-racking is difficult to do and causes a lot of worry for the person involved in it

humble (adj) [C2] – not proud or not believing that you are important

humility (n) [C2] – the quality of not being proud or not thinking that you are better than other people

brag (v) – to talk with too much pride about what you have done or what you own

shift (v) [C1] your thinking – (of an idea, opinion, etc.) to change; a change in position or direction

to look up to someone (ph.v.) – to admire and respect someone

promotion (n) – the act of raising someone to a higher or more important position or rank; the advancement of someone to a more important rank or position

sought out (v) – past simple and past participle of seek
seek (v) – to try to find or get something, especially something that is not a physical object
seek someone/something out (ph.v.) – to look for someone or something, especially for a long time until you find him, her, or it

volunteer (n) [B2] – a person who does something, especially helping other people, willingly and without being forced or paid to do it

job-shadow (v) – a type of on-the-job training that allows an interested employee to follow and closely observe another employee performing the role (typically only for a short period of time, and it is an informal position) – purely observational

internship (n) – a period of time during which someone formally works for a company or organization in order to get experience of a particular type of work, or in order to become qualified to do it – experiential, and may or may not be paid (if it is paid, it is for a much smaller amount than would normally be paid for the position)

observing (v) – to watch something or someone carefully

nitty-gritty (n) – the basic facts and details of a situation

the ins-and-outs (n) [C2] – the detailed or complicated facts of something; the details or facts relating to something

the good, the bad, and the ugly – refers to all aspects of a situation, without excluding any parts, especially all of the bad and potentially nasty details; might also refer to the Italian Spaghetti Western movie by the same name which had themes for each of the aspects “good”, “bad” and “ugly”

gopher (n) – a North American animal that lives in holes it makes in the ground
gofer (n) job – such as “go for” coffee; someone whose job is to be sent to get and carry things such as messages, drinks, etc. for other people in a company

low-level position (formal) (adj) – having little importance or a low rank; used to describe someone who does not have an important job or much influence in an organization

non-profit (adj) – not intended to make a profit, but to make money for a social or political purpose or to provide a service that people need
Example: We are a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of ocean mammals.

outreach (n) center – an effort to bring services or information to people where they live or spend time; the process of an organization building relationships with people in order to advise them, for example about health or financial problems
Example: outreach programs/campaigns/efforts

nominal (adj) – A nominal amount of money is very small compared to an expected price or value

GED (n) – abbreviation for General Equivalency Diploma: an official document in the US that is given to someone who did not complete high school (= school for students aged 15 to 18) but who has passed an exam that shows they have similar skills to someone who did

unpaid volunteer (n) – a worker who volunteers their time by working without any expectation or agreement for financial compensation, however there is an expectation of gaining work experience or some other kind of benefit from the participation; the clarification with the word “unpaid” clarifies the point of it being unpaid, as some other types of volunteer work or internships may potentially be compensated with money and it requires clarification

compensation (n) – the combination of money and other benefits (= rewards) that an employee receives for doing their job

rack smth up (ph.v.) – to gradually get more points, profits, etc.

obtain (v) [B2] – to get something, especially by asking for it, buying it, working for it, or producing it from something else
Example: to obtain permission

acquire (v) – to get something that is important to you in your job
Example: Aptitude tests attempt to judge a person’s ability to acquire new skills.

flipping burgers – a non-specific reference to working menial labor, most specifically in the fast food industry
menial (adj) – very boring, and the people who do it have a low status and are usually badly paid

shift (n) – a group of workers who do a job for a period of time during the day or night, or the period of time itself

clock in / clock out (ph.v.) – to record the time you arrive at work on a special machine
Example: What time did you clock in this morning?

handling (n) – the act or cost of moving, storing, or packaging goods; the process of dealing with a situation, especially a difficult situation

cash register / till (n) – the drawer in a cash register (= a machine which records sales in a shop, and in which money is kept) or the cash register itself

sum (n) – an amount of money; the whole number or amount when two or more numbers or amounts have been added together

tallying (v) – to count or calculate something

daunting (adj) – intimidating and scary; making you feel slightly frightened or worried about your ability to achieve something

the Ivy League (n) – a group of eight respected colleges and universities in the northeast of the US: Cornell University, Harvard University, Yale University, Dartmouth College, Princeton University, Brown University, Rice University, Harvard College
Example: Ivy League schools, an Ivy League education

humanitarian (adj, n) [C2] – (a person who is) involved in or connected with improving people’s lives and reducing suffering
Examples: The prisoner has been released for humanitarian reasons.
The well-known humanitarian, Joseph Rowntree, was concerned with the welfare of his employees.

overcoming adversity
overcome (v) – to defeat or succeed in controlling or dealing with something
adversity (n) – a difficult or unlucky situation or event, something that could potentially stop you or hinder you from success

rural (adj) – in, of, or like the country (= land not in cities)

denomination (n) – a religious group that has slightly different beliefs from other groups that share the same religion
Example: Protestantism and Roman Catholicism are both denominations of the Christian faith.

catechism (n) – a set of questions and answers used to teach esp. the beliefs of a Christian religion

taking communion – taking part in a Christian ceremony based on Jesus’ last meal with his disciples (= the twelve men who first believed in him), typically involving bread or a wafer, and wine or grape juice

trope (n) – a recurring theme or idea, which is often used in the same scenarios and can often be repetitive and redundant in a certain genre
Example: Human-like robots are a classic trope of science fiction.

gender-segregated – the physical, legal, or cultural separation of people according to their biological sex at any age

all-girls school – a gender-segregated school in which only females are allowed entrance

all-boys school – a gender-segregated school in which only males are allowed entrance

Dead Poets Society (1989) – a 1989 American drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman. The film, starring Robin Williams, is set in 1959 at the fictional elite conservative boarding school Welton Academy, and tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry.

Eton – a well-respected institution in England which was founded under King Henry VI which has retained it’s “boy’s only, boarding-only tradition“

boarding schools (n) – a school where students live and study

co-ed (adj) – (informal for coeducational) combined genders; having male and female students being taught together in the same school or college rather than separately
Example: I moved from a single-sex school to a coed college.

co-ed dorm

dormitory (n) – a large room containing many beds, for example in a boarding school, or in a University; a large building at a college or university where students live (in UK called hall of residence)

rebellious (adj) [C1] – If someone is rebellious, they are difficult to control by those in authority and do not behave in the way that is expected

devout (adj) – believing strongly in a religion and obeying all its rules or principles

contraband (n) – goods that are brought into or taken out of the country or institution secretly and illegally
Example: The contraband cigarettes were not allowed on school grounds.

strict (adj) – strongly limiting someone’s freedom to behave as they wish, or likely to severely punish someone if they do not obey; used to refer to someone who follows the rules and principles of a belief or way of living very carefully and exactly, or a belief or principle that is followed very carefully and exactly; exactly correct

gaining admission
admission (n) – the process of accepting people into a university, school, etc. as students, or the part of a university, school, etc. that deals with this

got accepted to a University

job field (n) – a subject or area that you work in or study
Example: I will be travelling throughout the state presenting best teaching practices in my field of expertise.

interviewer (n) – a person who manages an interview and asks the questions; the person who asks the questions in an interview to find out if someone is suitable for a job or course

interviewee / candidate / prospective employee – a person who answers questions in an interview to see whether they are suitable for a job or course

shift (v) – to (cause something or someone to) move or change from one position or direction to another, especially slightly; (of an idea, opinion, etc.) to change
Example: to see that shift in thinking

you add value to a company

humblebrag (n) – something you say which appears as if you are complaining or embarrassed, but is really a way of telling people about something that you are very proud of

get carried away – to become so excited about something that you do not control what you say or do

task at hand (n.ph.) – the work someone is doing now
Example: I need to concentrate on the task at hand.

lose track (idiom) – to not know any longer where someone or something is, or to not be able to remember something
lose track of time (idiom) – to lose awareness of time due to involvement or focus on a particular task or some other reason, often an explanation of tardiness

tendency (n) [C1] – a likelihood to happen or to have a particular characteristic or effect

delegate (v) /del.ɪ.ɡeɪt/ [C2] – to give a particular job, duty, right, etc. to someone else so that they do it for you
delegate (n) /del.ə.ɡət/ [C1] – a person chosen or elected by a group to speak, vote, etc. for them, especially at a meeting

strengths as a weakness – phrasing your strengths in a way that makes it sound as a weakness

weakness as a strength – phrasing your weaknesses in a way that makes it sound like a strength

to the detriment (n) of others – harm or damage to others
Example: She was very involved with sports at college, to the detriment of (= harming) her studies.