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Job Applications

This guide collects key French vocabulary for talking about jobs, applying for work, and the world of occupations. Each short section focuses on useful words and phrases to learn.

Job Applications

When applying for a job you will need vocabulary for un poste, un CV, and expressions to describe your experience and motivation. Useful market terms include une candidature, une offre d’emploi, and un entretien.

French Example	English Translation
✉️ J’ai envoyé ma lettre de motivation ce matin.	I sent my cover letter this morning.
📄 Mon CV est à jour et prêt à être envoyé.	My resume is up to date and ready to be sent.
📧 J’ai postulé à l’offre d’emploi par email.	I applied to the job posting by email.
📞 Ils m’ont appelé pour un entretien.	They called me for an interview.
🗓️ L’entretien est prévu pour vendredi après-midi.	The interview is scheduled for Friday afternoon.

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Occupations

Common occupations appear in categories like la santé, l’éducation, l’informatique, and le bâtiment. Each job has a French name for the role and sometimes a distinct word for the worker versus the profession.

French Example	English Translation
👩‍💼 Je travaille comme gestionnaire de projet.	I work as a project manager.
👨‍🍳 Il est chef cuisinier dans un grand restaurant.	He is head chef at a major restaurant.
🧑‍🏫 Elle est professeure de mathématiques au lycée.	She is a math teacher at the high school.
👷 Ils sont ouvriers sur un chantier de construction.	They are workers on a construction site.
👩‍⚕️ Elle travaille comme infirmière à l’hôpital.	She works as a nurse at the hospital.
🧑‍💻 Je suis développeur web dans une start-up.	I am a web developer at a start-up.
🕵️ Il est détective privé.	He is a private detective.
🧑‍🌾 Elle est agricultrice dans une ferme biologique.	She is a farmer on an organic farm.
🧑‍🎨 Je suis artiste peintre.	I am a painter artist.
👨‍🚒 Il est pompier volontaire.	He is a volunteer firefighter.

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Workplaces

Vocabulary for different lieux de travail helps describe where someone is employed, such as un hôpital, une école, un bureau, or un chantier.

French Example	English Translation
🏢 Je travaille dans un bureau en centre-ville.	I work in an office downtown.
🏭 L’usine emploie plusieurs centaines de personnes.	The factory employs several hundred people.
🏥 Elle travaille à l’hôpital comme médecin.	She works at the hospital as a doctor.
🏫 Le professeur enseigne au collège du quartier.	The teacher teaches at the neighborhood middle school.
🏬 Le magasin ouvre à neuf heures.	The store opens at nine o’clock.
🚧 Le chantier est en plein centre-ville.	The construction site is in the city center.
🧑‍🌾 Ils travaillent dans les champs toute la journée.	They work in the fields all day.
🚉 Le chauffeur de train commence son service à six heures.	The train driver starts his shift at six o’clock.
🏪 Le caissier travaille dans une petite supérette.	The cashier works in a small convenience store.
🏡 Elle fait du télétravail depuis chez elle.	She is working remotely from home.

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Employment Types

Words for types of employment include un contrat, le temps plein, le temps partiel, and un stage. These terms are important for understanding job conditions and for negotiations.

French Example	English Translation
💼 Il a un contrat à durée indéterminée.	He has a permanent contract.
⏳ Je fais un stage cet été dans une entreprise de marketing.	I am doing an internship this summer at a marketing company.
🧑‍🎤 Elle travaille en freelance pour plusieurs clients.	She works freelance for several clients.
🕐 Il a un emploi à temps partiel le week-end.	He has a part-time job on weekends.
🏢 La société a embauché des intérimaires pour le projet.	The company hired temporary workers for the project.

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Useful Verbs

Key verbs for talking about work and job applications include embaucher, licencier, postuler, travailler, and gagner. These action words help you describe processes and experiences in the labor market.

French Example	English Translation
📞 Je rappelle le recruteur pour confirmer l’entretien.	I call back the recruiter to confirm the interview.
📝 Elle rédige son CV ce soir.	She is writing her resume tonight.
📤 Ils ont publié une offre d’emploi en ligne.	They posted a job offer online.
📬 J’ai reçu une réponse positive par email.	I received a positive reply by email.
🤝 Nous avons signé le contrat de travail ce matin.	We signed the employment contract this morning.
🏢 Il commence à travailler dans la nouvelle entreprise lundi.	He starts working at the new company on Monday.
🧑‍💻 Je mets à jour mon profil LinkedIn.	I am updating my LinkedIn profile.
🗂️ Elle organise ses dossiers de candidature.	She is organizing her application files.
🧳 Ils déménagent pour un nouveau poste à l’étranger.	They are moving for a new position abroad.
📊 Le manager prépare le rapport annuel.	The manager is preparing the annual report.

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Summary

This vocabulary set covers the essentials for occupations, job applications, workplaces, employment types, and useful verbs. Learning these words will help you navigate the world of work in French and describe your own professional experience.

Last updated: Tue Sep 23, 2025