Job Hunting in Chinese 找工作
zhǎo gōngzuò
Look for a job in Chinese is 找工作 (zhǎo gōng zuò).
Also searched for as: find a job, job interview, CV, resume.
How do you get a job? 15 essential job hunting words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Job hunting in Chinese is 找工作 (zhǎo gōng zuò), literally 'look for work', a phrase you'll hear constantly among students and graduates. Before you land a job you'll need a 简历 (jiǎn lì), your CV, then a 面试 (miàn shì), an interview, and with luck the company will 录用 (lù yòng) you. The list also covers contracts, pay, and full-time and part-time work.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 找工作 | zhǎo gōng zuò | to look for a job |
| 简历 | jiǎn lì | CV |
| 面试 | miàn shì | interview |
| 招聘 | zhāo pìn | to recruit |
| 应聘 | yìng pìn | to apply for a job |
| 职位 | zhí wèi | position; post |
| 工资 | gōng zī | salary |
| 经验 | jīng yàn | experience |
| 能力 | néng lì | ability |
| 合同 | hé tong | contract |
| 录用 | lù yòng | to hire |
| 辞职 | cí zhí | to resign |
| 失业 | shī yè | to be unemployed |
| 全职 | quán zhí | full-time |
| 兼职 | jiān zhí | part-time |
Usage tips
- 招聘 (zhāo pìn) is what the company does, recruiting, and 应聘 (yìng pìn) is what you do, applying. 招 means to beckon and 应 to respond, which makes them easy to tell apart.
- The measure word for a job is 份 (fèn): 一份工作 (yī fèn gōng zuò), 一份兼职 (yī fèn jiān zhí). You also use it for a CV: 一份简历.
- In job adverts you'll often see 待遇 (dài yù), meaning the whole pay and benefits package, and 面议 (miàn yì), meaning the salary will be discussed at interview.
Common mistakes
- Calling a job interview 采访 → 采访 (cǎi fǎng) is a journalist's interview; a job interview is 面试 (miàn shì), as in 我明天去面试.
- Saying 我找了工作 when you've got a job → 找 only means to look for; to say you've found one, use 我找到工作了 (wǒ zhǎo dào gōng zuò le).
Mini dialogue
- A你最近忙什么呢？Nǐ zuì jìn máng shén me ne?What have you been up to lately?
- B在找工作呢，昨天又发了五份简历。Zài zhǎo gōng zuò ne, zuó tiān yòu fā le wǔ fèn jiǎn lì.Job hunting. I sent off another five CVs yesterday.
- A有面试吗？Yǒu miàn shì ma?Any interviews?
- B有一个，下周二，是一个全职的职位。Yǒu yī gè, xià zhōu èr, shì yī gè quán zhí de zhí wèi.One, next Tuesday. It's a full-time position.
- A加油！希望他们录用你！Jiā yóu! Xī wàng tā men lù yòng nǐ!Good luck! I hope they take you on!
Example sentences
- 毕业以后，他开始找工作了。After graduating, he started looking for a job.
- 请把你的简历发给我看看。Please send me your CV so I can have a look.
- 我明天上午十点有个面试。I've got an interview at ten tomorrow morning.
- 这家公司正在招聘新员工。This company is recruiting new staff.
- 她去应聘了一份老师的工作。She applied for a teaching job.
- 这个职位需要会说英语。This position requires you to speak English.
- 这份工作的工资还可以。The salary for this job is not bad.
- 你有没有工作经验？Do you have any work experience?
- 他的工作能力很强。He's very capable at his job.
- 我们下周签合同。We'll sign the contract next week.
- 恭喜你，公司决定录用你了！Congratulations, the company has decided to hire you!
- 她上个月辞职了。She resigned last month.
- 他失业半年了，还在找工作。He's been unemployed for six months and is still job hunting.
- 我想找一份全职工作。I want to find a full-time job.
- 周末我在咖啡店做兼职。I work part-time in a café at weekends.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Job hunting speaking island has 8 everyday questions about job hunting to prepare your own answers to.