work experience

American  

[wurk-ik-speer-ee-uhns] / ˈwɜrk ɪkˌspɪər i əns /

noun

work experiences plural

1. time spent at one or more paid jobs, especially as detailed on a resume or contributing to one's readiness for further employment.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• work-experience
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• work experiences
  plural

Example Sentences

Hiring managers say many applicants for entry-level jobs today lack a critical element on their resumes: work experience of any sort.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 18, 2026

Many teens now prioritize coursework, test prep and other pursuits to impress college-admissions officers, but a lack of work experience is worsening their employment prospects after graduating.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

"That places them in a hopeless catch-22 where employers ask for work experience but the opportunities for young people to gain it have narrowed or gone," he will say.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

To address their lack of work experience, the firm gave them 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and also channeled them to SAU Tech, for 80 hours of coursework.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

In doing so, he left behind two children, a wife who had no college degree or work experience, and a mortgage.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley