Work, careers and employment

What you'll learn

This revision guide covers all aspects of work, careers and employment required for CIE IGCSE Spanish. You'll master the vocabulary, grammatical structures and cultural knowledge needed to discuss jobs, workplaces, career aspirations and employment experiences. This topic appears across all four skills papers (Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing) and requires confident use of present, past and future tenses.

Key terms and definitions

El empleo — employment or job; the general state of being employed or a specific position of work

La carrera — career; the long-term progression through work or professional life, not just a single job

Las prácticas laborales / el trabajo de experiencia — work experience; temporary placement in a workplace, typically undertaken by students

El empresario / la empresaria — employer or business owner; the person who provides employment to others

El/la empleado/a — employee; a person employed for wages or salary

Solicitar un puesto — to apply for a position; the formal process of requesting consideration for a job vacancy

El currículum vitae (CV) — curriculum vitae; a document detailing education, qualifications and work history

Las cualidades — qualities or attributes; the skills and characteristics required for or demonstrated in employment

Core concepts

Jobs and professions vocabulary

You must recognise and use a wide range of job titles correctly, with appropriate gender agreements.

Common professions:

• el médico / la médica — doctor
• el/la abogado/a — lawyer
• el/la profesor/a — teacher
• el/la enfermero/a — nurse
• el/la ingeniero/a — engineer
• el/la dependiente/a — shop assistant
• el/la cajero/a — cashier
• el/la contador/a / contable — accountant
• el/la periodista — journalist
• el/la electricista — electrician
• el/la fontanero/a — plumber
• el/la peluquero/a — hairdresser

Verbs for discussing work:

• trabajar — to work
• ganarse la vida — to earn a living
• solicitar — to apply (for)
• contratar — to hire/employ
• despedir — to fire/dismiss
• jubilarse — to retire
• trabajar por cuenta propia — to be self-employed
• estar en paro / desempleado — to be unemployed

Workplace environments and conditions

Understanding where people work and their working conditions is essential for all exam papers.

Workplace locations:

• la oficina — office
• la fábrica — factory
• el taller — workshop
• el hospital — hospital
• el colegio — school
• la tienda — shop
• el almacén — warehouse
• al aire libre — outdoors
• desde casa / en casa — from home

Working conditions and arrangements:

• trabajar a tiempo completo — to work full-time
• trabajar a tiempo parcial / media jornada — to work part-time
• el horario flexible — flexible hours
• el turno — shift
• el salario / el sueldo — salary/wage
• las vacaciones pagadas — paid holidays
• el permiso por maternidad/paternidad — maternity/paternity leave

Adjectives describing work:

• bien/mal pagado — well/badly paid
• estresante — stressful
• satisfactorio/a — satisfying
• variado/a — varied
• monótono/a — monotonous
• exigente — demanding
• gratificante — rewarding

Skills, qualifications and qualities

You must express what qualifications and personal qualities are required or desirable for different careers.

Educational qualifications:

• el título — degree/qualification
• la licenciatura — bachelor's degree
• el máster — master's degree
• el certificado — certificate
• el diploma — diploma
• la formación — training
• los conocimientos — knowledge/expertise

Key qualities and skills:

• responsable — responsible
• puntual — punctual
• trabajador/a — hard-working
• ambicioso/a — ambitious
• creativo/a — creative
• organizado/a — organised
• la capacidad de trabajar en equipo — ability to work in a team
• los conocimientos de informática — IT skills
• el dominio de idiomas — language proficiency
• la experiencia — experience

Useful expressions:

• Se requiere... — It is required/necessary to have...
• Es imprescindible tener... — It is essential to have...
• Hace falta... — It is necessary to have...
• Hay que ser... — One must be...

Talking about career plans and ambitions

This requires confident use of the future tense, conditional and subjunctive mood.

Future tense structures:

• Cuando sea mayor, seré... — When I'm older, I will be...
• En el futuro, me gustaría ser... — In the future, I would like to be...
• Voy a estudiar... para llegar a ser... — I'm going to study... in order to become...
• Espero trabajar en... — I hope to work in...
• Tengo la intención de... — I intend to...

Expressing reasons and justifications:

• porque me interesa... — because I'm interested in...
• ya que me apasiona... — since I'm passionate about...
• debido a que... — due to the fact that...
• como quiero ayudar a la gente — as I want to help people

Using the conditional:

• Me encantaría ser... — I would love to be...
• Sería ideal trabajar... — It would be ideal to work...
• Preferiría un trabajo que... — I would prefer a job that...

Work experience and part-time jobs

You need to describe past work experiences using preterite and imperfect tenses accurately.

Describing what you did:

• Hice mis prácticas laborales en... — I did my work experience at...
• Trabajaba en una tienda los fines de semana — I used to work in a shop at weekends
• Durante las vacaciones, trabajé en... — During the holidays, I worked in...
• Mis tareas incluían... — My tasks included...
• Tenía que... — I had to...
• Era responsable de... — I was responsible for...

Evaluating the experience:

• Fue una experiencia valiosa — It was a valuable experience
• Me resultó útil porque... — I found it useful because...
• Aprendí mucho sobre... — I learned a lot about...
• Lo mejor era... — The best thing was...
• Lo peor era... — The worst thing was...
• Me sirvió para desarrollar... — It helped me to develop...

Job applications and interviews

Understanding the recruitment process and related vocabulary is testable in all papers.

Application process:

• rellenar una solicitud — to fill in an application
• enviar el CV — to send the CV
• escribir una carta de presentación — to write a cover letter
• tener una entrevista — to have an interview
• las referencias — references

During an interview:

• ¿Por qué quiere trabajar aquí? — Why do you want to work here?
• ¿Cuáles son sus puntos fuertes? — What are your strengths?
• ¿Cuáles son sus puntos débiles? — What are your weaknesses?
• ¿Qué experiencia tiene? — What experience do you have?
• ¿Puede trabajar bajo presión? — Can you work under pressure?
• Tengo experiencia en... — I have experience in...
• Me considero... — I consider myself...

Worked examples

Example 1: Reading comprehension (Extended paper style)

Question: Read this text and answer the questions in English.

"Siempre he querido ser veterinaria porque me encantan los animales. El año pasado hice mis prácticas laborales en una clínica veterinaria cerca de mi casa. Trabajaba de lunes a viernes y mis tareas incluían contestar el teléfono, organizar las citas y limpiar las jaulas. Lo que más me gustó fue observar las operaciones. Ahora estoy segura de que quiero estudiar veterinaria en la universidad, aunque sé que los estudios son muy exigentes y duran seis años."

(a) Why has she always wanted to be a vet? [1] (b) Where did she do her work experience? [1] (c) Give two tasks she had to do. [2] (d) What did she enjoy most? [1] (e) What does she know about veterinary studies? Give two details. [2]

Model answers: (a) Because she loves animals [1] (b) At a veterinary clinic near her house [1] (c) Any two from: answering the telephone / organising appointments / cleaning cages [2] (d) Observing operations [1] (e) Any two from: they are very demanding / they last six years [2]

Example 2: Writing task (Core/Extended paper style)

Question: You are applying for a summer job. Write an email to the employer (80-90 words for Core, 130-140 words for Extended).

You must include:

• why you want the job
• your relevant experience
• your personal qualities
• when you are available

Model answer (Extended level):

Estimado señor García,

Me llamo James Wilson y le escribo para solicitar el puesto de dependiente en su supermercado que vi anunciado en el periódico local.

Me interesa mucho este trabajo porque me gusta tratar con el público y necesito ganar dinero para mis estudios universitarios. Soy una persona muy responsable, puntual y trabajadora. Además, tengo buena capacidad de trabajar en equipo.

El año pasado trabajé los fines de semana en una cafetería, donde era responsable de servir a los clientes y manejar la caja. Esta experiencia me enseñó la importancia del buen servicio al cliente.

Estoy disponible desde el primero de julio hasta finales de agosto, y puedo trabajar cualquier día de la semana.

Espero su respuesta.

Atentamente, James Wilson

[136 words - meets Extended criteria with appropriate register, relevant details, accurate language and good range of structures]

Example 3: Speaking role-play (General Conversation style)

Examiner task: Discuss work experience and future career plans.

Model response structure:

Q: ¿Has hecho prácticas laborales? A: Sí, el año pasado hice mis prácticas en una oficina de arquitectura durante dos semanas. Fue una experiencia fascinante porque pude observar cómo los arquitectos diseñan edificios usando programas de ordenador.

Q: ¿Qué tipo de trabajo te gustaría hacer en el futuro? A: En el futuro, me gustaría ser ingeniero civil porque me apasiona la construcción y las matemáticas. Además, creo que sería un trabajo variado y bien pagado. Sin embargo, sé que tendré que estudiar por lo menos cuatro años en la universidad.

Q: ¿Qué cualidades son importantes para tu carrera ideal? A: Para ser ingeniero, es imprescindible ser bueno en matemáticas y ciencias. También hace falta ser creativo y tener buena capacidad de resolver problemas. En mi opinión, la capacidad de trabajar en equipo es fundamental también.

[Note: Responses use variety of tenses, express opinions, give reasons, and demonstrate topic-specific vocabulary]

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Gender errors with professions: Remember that job titles must agree in gender. Don't write "el médica" — use "la médica". Some professions like "el/la periodista" and "el/la dentista" use the same form but change the article.

• Confusing "trabajo" and "empleo": While both mean work/job, "el trabajo" is more general (the work itself, the workplace) while "el empleo" specifically means employment/the job position. Use "buscar empleo" (to look for a job) not "buscar trabajo" in formal contexts.

• Incorrect use of "ser" vs "estar" with professions: Always use "ser" with professions: "Soy profesor" not "Estoy profesor." You can use "estar" only when referring to temporary work status: "Estoy sin trabajo" (I'm out of work).

• Forgetting prepositions after "trabajar": Use "trabajar de" + profession: "Trabajo de camarero" (I work as a waiter). Use "trabajar en" + place: "Trabajo en un hospital" (I work in a hospital). Don't mix these up.

• Overusing present tense for past experiences: When describing work experience or past jobs, you must use past tenses. "El año pasado trabajo en una tienda" is wrong — use "trabajé" (preterite) or "trabajaba" (imperfect).

• Missing subjunctive in career discussions: After expressions of doubt, desire or future time conjunctions, use subjunctive: "Cuando sea mayor" not "cuando seré mayor"; "Espero que me contraten" not "espero que me contratarán."

Exam technique for "Work, careers and employment"

• In Reading and Listening tasks: Job titles and workplace vocabulary appear frequently. Focus on verb tenses to distinguish between past work experience (preterite/imperfect), current situations (present) and future plans (future/conditional). Watch for opinion markers (me gusta, prefiero, creo que) as these often carry marks.

• In Writing tasks: Structure career-related essays logically: introduction (current situation/interests), past experience (using preterite/imperfect), future plans (using future/conditional/subjunctive). Use linking words (sin embargo, además, por lo tanto) and justify opinions to access higher mark bands. Extended paper requires 130-140 words minimum with complexity.

• In Speaking assessments: Prepare examples from your own life (real or adapted). For role-plays, listen carefully to tense cues in questions and respond in the correct tense. For General Conversation, expand answers beyond basic statements: give reasons, compare options, express opinions and use a variety of time frames to demonstrate linguistic range.

• Command word awareness: "Describe" requires you to give details and characteristics. "Explica por qué" demands reasons and justifications, not just statements. "Evalúa" (evaluate) requires weighing advantages and disadvantages. Check mark allocations: 2 marks typically means two distinct points or one point with development.

Quick revision summary

Master job vocabulary with correct gender agreements and workplace settings. Use "ser" for professions and distinguish "trabajo" from "empleo." Describe past work experience with preterite/imperfect tenses, expressing tasks and evaluations. Discuss future careers using future tense, conditional and subjunctive after "cuando." Know essential qualities and qualifications vocabulary. Understand the job application process including CVs, interviews and common questions. Practice all four skills with this topic, ensuring you can justify opinions, compare options and use multiple time frames accurately.