What 'the working world' covers: The working world is part of the theme Social organization. You need vocabulary to talk about jobs, work placements, interviews, the conditions of a job and what makes work rewarding — and to give your opinion about them.
The words below are common English B vocabulary. Treat the list as a glossary: learn each term with its meaning and a synonym, then reuse them in the reading and writing sections.
- work placement / internship
- a period of supervised work, often unpaid, to gain experience
- job interview
- a formal meeting where an employer decides whether to hire you
- salary / pay / wage
- the money you are paid for doing a job
- (working) hours / schedule
- the times you are expected to be at work
- boss / employer
- the person or company you work for
- colleague / co-worker
- a person you work with
- to earn a living / to make a living
- to get enough money from work to support yourself
- working conditions
- the pay, hours and environment of a job
- to gain experience
- to learn useful skills by actually doing the work
- CV / résumé
- a short document listing your education and work history
- entrepreneur
- a person who sets up and runs their own business
- remote / working from home
- doing your job away from a workplace, usually online
- rewarding
- giving you a satisfying sense that your effort was worth it
| Useful expression | What it means |
|---|---|
| I did a work placement over the summer. | I worked, mainly to learn, for a fixed period. |
| I had a job interview last week. | I met an employer who was deciding whether to hire me. |
| The pay was low but the experience was worth it. | I didn't earn much, but I learned a lot. |
| I want to gain experience before I apply. | I want practical skills before I go for the real job. |
| I'd love to work remotely one day. | I'd like to do my job from home or while travelling. |
Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text about a job, a listening interview about a career, a Paper 1 blog, or your oral. Reusing precise topic words is how you score Criterion A (Language).
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Have something to say: Examiners reward developed ideas, not just vocabulary. Around the working world, the common debates are: whether young people should work while studying, the value of unpaid placements, and the rise of remote work and digital jobs. Take a position and back it up.
Opinion phrases (use these to introduce a view)
- In my opinion… / From my point of view… — to introduce what you think
- It seems to me that… / I believe that… — a slightly softer way to give a view
- The most important thing is… — to highlight your main point
- On the one hand… on the other hand… — to weigh up two sides
- I (completely) agree that… / I'm not convinced that… — to react to an idea
Drawbacks of working while you study
- You have less free time and can get tired or stressed.
- Some placements are unpaid or have poor conditions.
- A demanding job can affect your studies.
Benefits
- You gain real experience and skills for your CV.
- You earn your own money and feel independent.
- It helps you discover what career you actually want.
Link your ideas: Connectors lift your answer from a list into an argument: moreover (to add), however (to contrast), therefore (to conclude), although (to concede). Use at least two or three in any written answer.
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Read like Paper 2: Here is a short personal account — the kind of text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. Read it once just for the general idea; don't worry about every word. Then we'll work through one exam question together.
My first job: Last summer I did a work placement at a physiotherapy clinic. It was my first job and, at first, I was quite nervous.
In the mornings I helped at the reception desk and in the afternoons I watched the physiotherapists with their patients. I learned a huge amount: to arrive on time, to work as a team and to talk to very different people. The hardest part was getting used to the early schedule, because I started very early. However, earning my own money and feeling useful was worth it. Now I am sure that I want to study physiotherapy, so this placement helped me decide my future.
- work placement
- a period of supervised work to gain experience
- reception desk
- the front area where visitors are greeted
- to get used to
- to become familiar and comfortable with something new
- to be worth it
- to be valuable enough to justify the effort or cost
- to feel useful
- to feel that what you do matters and helps others
IB-style task — one Paper 2 question
One question, step by step
- The question — "According to the text, what was the hardest part of the placement for the writer?"
- Find it in the text. Look for the words "the hardest part": "The hardest part was getting used to the early schedule, because I started very early."
- The answer — Getting used to the early schedule / starting very early. The words are right there in the text, so no outside knowledge is needed.
Reading technique: For an "according to the text" question, find the exact line that proves your answer — don't rely on memory or general knowledge.
The task: Your school is running a careers week. Write a blog post for other students: describe a work placement or summer job you did and give advice for getting their first work experience.
Use an informal, friendly register. Write 450–600 words.
Blog structure — 5 steps
1
Catchy title
A title, often a question. "Your first job — scary or exciting?"
2
Greeting + topic
Greet the reader and say what the post is about. "Hi everyone! Today I want to tell you about…"
3
Your experience
Describe the job in the past. "Last July I worked as a waiter…"
4
Two or three tips
Give advice using imperatives. "Apply early", "be punctual", "learn from every mistake".
5
Motivating close
Finish with an encouraging line. "Go for it — the experience is worth it."
Title → Greeting → Experience → Tips → Close
Model: the 5 steps in action
The blog post, step by step
- Your first job — scary or exciting?
- Hi everyone! I'm Leo, and this week I want to tell you about the summer job that changed how I see work.
- Last July I worked as a waiter in a busy café. At first I was terrified: I dropped a tray on day one and the schedule was tough. But little by little I learned to stay calm and work as part of a team.
- So here is my advice. First, apply early and don't be afraid to ask. Second, be punctual — bosses notice it. And third, treat every mistake as a lesson, not a disaster.
- The truth is, my first job taught me more than any classroom. Earning my own money felt amazing. Go for it — your first experience is worth far more than the pay.
Why it scores: This answer hits all three Paper 1 criteria — here's what earns each one:
A — Language /12
- Range of tenses: past "I worked", imperatives "apply", "be punctual"
- Connectors: "but", "so", "first/second/third"
- Topic vocabulary, used accurately
B — Message /12
- Task fully done: describes a job AND gives advice
- Ideas developed with concrete examples
C — Conceptual /6
- Blog conventions: a catchy title
- Direct address: "Hi everyone", "go for it"
- A persuasive, personal tone
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How listening is tested: Paper 2 also tests listening: you hear short clips, each played twice, and you never see the words. Read the questions first, listen for the key idea, then answer.
Here we'll use a transcript so you can practise the technique on the page. Read the questions, then find the answer in the speaker's words.
Transcript — Sara, a physiotherapist: Hi, I'm Sara, and I work as a physiotherapist in a sports clinic. To do this job I studied a four-year degree at university. Many of my patients are athletes, so my schedule can be busy and the hours are long. What I like most is helping people recover after an injury, but the job needs a lot of patience and you really have to listen to each patient.
IB-style task — two listening questions
Two questions, step by step
- Q1 — What did Sara study to do this job? Listen just after "To do this job": "I studied a four-year degree at university." That is your answer.
- Q2 — What does the job need, according to Sara? She says it at the end: "the job needs a lot of patience and you really have to listen to each patient." Answer: patience and good listening.
Listening technique: Read the questions before the clip plays. Each question usually points to one short part of the recording — listen for the words around it, not the whole thing.