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

After the release of Milburn's report, the government announced some of the UK's biggest businesses would back 300,000 work experience and training placements for young people over the next three years.

From BBC • May 30, 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

“Translate what they’re doing in their classrooms, in cocurricular activities, into a skills-based language” if they don’t have much work experience.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

I signed up to do work experience as a teacher.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge