就職

しゅうしょく

finding employment

JLPT N3

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

The word 就職 (しゅうしょく) specifically refers to the act of finding employment or starting a job, often used in contexts related to graduating students or job seekers. It is a formal noun and verb (when combined with する) commonly used in everyday and business Japanese.

Common Contexts

就職 is frequently seen in phrases like 就職活動 (しゅうしょくかつどう, job hunting activities) and 就職先 (しゅうしょくさき, place of employment). It often appears when discussing career decisions, job applications, and employment status.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 就職活動: job hunting; used when talking about the process of searching for a job.
  • 就職先: place of employment; refers to the company or organization where one gets employed.
  • 就職する: to get a job; the verb form indicating the action of becoming employed.

Register and Nuance

This term is neutral to formal and appropriate in both casual conversations about jobs and formal discussions such as interviews or career counseling. It is not used for casual part-time jobs but rather for full-time employment.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 就職 with 転職 (changing jobs). 就職 refers to getting a job for the first time or entering the workforce, while 転職 means changing from one job to another. Remember this distinction to use the terms correctly.

Example Sentences

だいがくをそつぎょうしてから、すぐにしゅうしょくしました。

I got a job immediately after graduating from university.

しゅうしょくかつどうはたいへんですが、じぶんにあったかいしゃをみつけたいです。

Job hunting is tough, but I want to find a company that suits me.

しゅうしょくさきがきまって、あんしんしました。

I felt relieved after deciding on a place of employment.