Career Development Vocabulary

noun a thing done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill

• His academic achievement was recognized with a prestigious award.
• She was so proud of her achievement in completing the marathon.
• Dude, your achievement in beating that game level is epic!
• Overcoming his fear of public speaking was a great achievement for him.

adjective having no specific goal or purpose

adverb in a manner lacking direction or purpose

• The aimless wandering of the lost hiker led to their rescue being delayed.
• I spent the whole day feeling aimless and not knowing what to do.
• I was just aimlessly scrolling through social media, not really paying attention to anything.
• His aimless pursuit of happiness left him feeling more lost than ever.

noun a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading)

• He completed a three-year apprenticeship in carpentry before starting his own business.
• My cousin is doing an apprenticeship at a local mechanic shop to learn the trade.
• I heard that new restaurant is offering an apprenticeship for aspiring chefs.
• Embarking on a new project can feel like starting an apprenticeship in a whole new field.

verb to make or become wider or more extensive

• The company aims to broaden its market reach by expanding into new territories.
• I think it's time for you to broaden your horizons and try something new.
• Let's broaden our circle and hang out with some new people this weekend.
• Reading different genres of books can really broaden your mind and perspective on life.

noun a person's progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• She dedicated her life to building a successful career in medicine.
• He's been climbing the career ladder at his company for years.
• She's hustling to make moves in her career as a musician.
• His career as a writer took off after his first novel was published.

noun a point where a road or passage ends, often with no way out

adjective having no further options or solutions

• The path led to a dead end, forcing us to turn back.
• We hit a dead end and had to find another way around.
• We were totally lost and ended up at a dead end.
• His career seemed to hit a dead end after the company downsized.

verb to give all or a large part of one's time or resources to a particular person, activity, or cause

• She chose to devote her time and energy to the research project.
• He decided to devote all his weekends to playing video games.
• I'm going to devote my summer to chilling at the beach.
• She was determined to devote her heart to helping those in need.

noun fulfillment

verb to bring to completion or reality; achieve or realize

• It is important to fulfill all the requirements outlined in the contract.
• I promised to fulfill my friend's request to water her plants while she's away.
• I totally fulfilled my craving for pizza last night.
• Traveling to new places fulfills my sense of adventure.

verb to clean and tidy oneself or someone else, especially in a careful and thorough way

• The well-groomed man arrived at the business meeting looking professional and put-together.
• She always makes sure her hair is groomed nicely before going out with friends.
• My dog needs to be groomed regularly to keep his fur looking good.
• The company groomed their new employee for success by providing mentorship and training.

verb to gain knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, or being taught

• It is important to learn new skills in order to stay competitive in the job market.
• I'm trying to learn how to play the guitar, but it's not easy.
• I need to learn the ropes at my new job before I feel comfortable.
• Sometimes we have to learn the hard way in order to truly understand the consequences of our actions.

noun the act or process of making plans for something

verb the act of deciding on and arranging in advance

• Effective planning is essential for the success of any project.
• We need to start planning our road trip soon.
• Stop winging it and start planning ahead.
• Life is like a game of chess, requiring strategic planning to succeed.

noun the act of promoting or being promoted; advancement in rank or position

verb to raise to a higher rank or position; to advance or improve

adjective relating to or involving promotion

• The company announced a new promotion for its products.
• I heard Sarah got a promotion at work, she must be thrilled!
• I'm gunning for that promotion, I've been putting in the work.
• His promotion to team captain symbolized his leadership skills.

noun a competitive struggle for success or advancement

• The competitive nature of the corporate world often leads employees to feel trapped in a rat race.
• I'm so tired of this rat race at work, I just want a break.
• I can't stand this rat race anymore, I need to find a way out.
• Life can feel like a never-ending rat race if we don't take time to slow down and enjoy the moment.

verb to add salt, herbs, pepper, or other spices to (food)

adjective having had experience or practice; matured or ripened through the process of time

• The seasoned chef added a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors of the dish.
• My mom is a seasoned baker and her cookies are always a hit at the bake sale.
• I heard that new restaurant is run by a seasoned pro in the kitchen.
• After years of experience, she was a seasoned traveler, always prepared for any situation.

noun a physical or mental fight or conflict

verb to make forceful or violent efforts to get free of restraint or constriction

preposition indicating the source or cause of a conflict or problem

• Many students struggle with understanding complex mathematical concepts.
• I always struggle with waking up early in the morning.
• My friend struggles with keeping up with all the drama in our friend group.
• She struggles with letting go of the past and moving forward.

verb Struggling is a verb that describes the action of making forceful or violent efforts to get free of restraint or constriction.

• The struggling economy has led to an increase in unemployment rates.
• I heard that Sarah is struggling to keep up with her schoolwork.
• My friend is really struggling to make ends meet this month.
• The team is struggling to find their rhythm after losing their star player.

noun the amount of space or time that something requires

verb to begin or start doing something

• I have decided to take up a new hobby in my spare time.
• I might take up painting to pass the time.
• I'm thinking about taking up skateboarding, it looks cool.
• She decided to take up the challenge and prove everyone wrong.

adjective not having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed

• The candidate was deemed unambitious by the hiring committee due to their lack of long-term career goals.
• She's pretty unambitious when it comes to her job - she's happy just coasting along without any ambition for advancement.
• He's so unambitious, he just wants to chill and play video games all day.
• Her unambitious attitude is like a weight holding her back from reaching her full potential.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. 'Way' is a noun referring to a path, route, or direction.

verb A word that expresses an action or a state of being. In this case, 'be' is a verb indicating existence or a state of being.

adverb A word that modifies or describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb. 'Up' is an adverb indicating direction or movement towards a higher position.

preposition A word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. 'On' is a preposition indicating location or position.

article A word that is used to specify a noun. 'The' is an article indicating a specific noun ('way').

• The stock market indicators suggest that the economy may be on the way up.
• Looks like things are finally looking up for us!
• Our grades are on the way up since we started studying together.
• After facing many setbacks, his spirits seem to be on the way up now.

noun a graduate or former student of a specific school, college, or university

• The university invited its esteemed alumnus to speak at the graduation ceremony.
• I ran into an old alumnus from my high school at the grocery store.
• Yo, that alumn just landed a sweet job at that tech company.
• As an alumn of the program, she felt a strong connection to the current students.

verb to incline or bend towards something

adverb in a manner that involves inclining or bending towards something

• In order to show interest and engage with the speaker, it is important to lean in during the conversation.
• If you want to hear better, just lean in a bit closer.
• Yo, lean in when I'm dropping some knowledge on you!
• Sometimes you just have to lean in and take a risk in order to succeed.

noun a high school leaving examination in Germany and some other European countries

• The abitur is a crucial examination for students in Germany.
• I have to study hard for my abitur next year.
• I'm so nervous about my abitur, it's a big deal.
• Passing the abitur is like opening the door to a world of opportunities.

noun a person who gives advice or guidance in a particular field or area

• The financial advisor provided valuable insights on investment opportunities.
• My advisor helped me pick the best classes for next semester.
• I gotta talk to my advisor before making any decisions.
• She was like a trusted advisor, guiding me through the challenges ahead.