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

Now, they can just earn a bachelor’s degree, typically 120 credit hours, on top of other requirements, such as an additional year of work experience.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 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