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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• work-experience
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• work experiences
  plural

Example Sentences

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

Following Milburn's report, the government said it was creating 300,000 work experience and training placements in sectors including construction, health and social care and hospitality.

From BBC • May 29, 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

She said that McDonald's has a history of work experience in its restaurants and a very young workforce – with 100,000 of its staff under the age of 25.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

And even though I considered myself to be pretty smart, I didn’t have any work experience, at least not any that was on the books.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds