This sheet holds the ten words an HSK 4 job conversation turns on: 面试, 招聘, 工资, 加班, 申请, 经验, 职业, 负责, 同事 and 能力.

招聘 and 应聘 point in opposite directions

招聘 (zhāo pìn) is what a company does: advertise a post and recruit for it. The candidate's side of the same transaction is 应聘, which is not on this sheet but belongs in the same note, because using 招聘 about yourself is one of the most common slips at this level. 面试 (miàn shì) is neutral, since both parties take part in one, and its 试 is the same 试 as in 考试. Do not reach for 采访, which is what a journalist does.

Where the parts come from

加班 is to add a 班, the shift or work period that also gives you 上班 and 下班. 负责 pairs 负 (to bear) with 责 (responsibility) and takes its object directly, as in 负责这个项目. 能力 and 压力 share 力, the effort morpheme. Register matters here too: 职业 is what a form asks for, 工作 is what you tell a friend, and 工资 is the monthly wage specifically rather than income in general.

Trace the guided strokes, then write each word from memory. Read the row aloud before moving on, because interview vocabulary is only useful at speaking speed. Pair the page with the HSK 4 lessons hub, or compare it against the earlier set on the HSK 3 job hunting sheet.

Words on this worksheet: 面试 (miàn shì) — interview, audition; 招聘 (zhāopìn) — recruit; 工资 (gōngzī) — wages; 加班 (jiābān) — overtime work; 申请 (shēnqǐng) — Apply; 经验 (jīngyàn) — experience; 职业 (zhíyè) — Occupation; 负责 (fùzé) — Be responsible for; 同事 (tóngshì) — Colleague; 能力 (nénglì) — ability. Hear these words in beginner Mandarin songs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between 招聘 and 应聘?

Direction. 招聘 is the employer's act of advertising and recruiting; 应聘 is the candidate's act of applying for the advertised post. Saying you 招聘 a job reverses the roles, which is why it is worth fixing the pair early.

Is 面试 used for both sides of an interview?

Yes. A company can 面试 candidates and a candidate can 去面试, so the word itself does not tell you who is doing the choosing. Keep it apart from 采访, a journalist's interview, and 考试, a written or oral exam.

When should I use 职业 rather than 工作?

职业 is the formal term for an occupation or profession, the word a form or a survey asks for. 工作 is the everyday word for a job or for work as an activity. Both are correct; the difference is register rather than meaning.

How is 负责 used in a sentence?

It takes its object directly, so 负责这个项目 means to be in charge of this project. It also works alone as an adjective meaning conscientious, as in 他很负责. The parts are 负, to bear or shoulder, and 责, responsibility.