JLPT N3 work and business vocabulary covers 44 essential words — job hunting, office life, and business operations terms. This is core vocabulary for anyone working in a Japanese company or reading business-related passages on the N3 exam.

This article is part of our JLPT N3 Complete Vocabulary Guide. Practice all 44 words with the N3 Work & Business deck in Onigiri Anki.

Job Hunting & Career (10)

These words cover the full job-search process — from application to hiring to changing careers.

employment就職shuushoku

卒業のあとで就職しました。 — I found a job after graduation.

job opening求人kyuujin

あの会社に新しい求人があります。 — There is a new job opening at that company.

hiring採用saiyou

その会社は新しい社員を採用します。 — The company is hiring new staff.

interview面接mensetsu

明日、面接があります。 — I have an interview tomorrow.

resume履歴書rirekisho

履歴書をメールで送ります。 — I will send my resume by email.

application応募oubo

今日、応募をしました。 — I submitted my application today.

recruitment募集boshuu

会社は新しい社員を募集しています。 — The company is recruiting new staff.

changing jobs転職tenshoku

彼は転職を考えています。 — He is thinking about changing jobs.

retirement退職taishoku

父は今年退職します。 — My father is retiring this year.

contract契約keiyaku

昨日、契約にサインしました。 — I signed the contract yesterday.

Office Life (10)

Daily workplace vocabulary — commuting, overtime, leave — essential for understanding N3 passages about Japanese work culture.

workplace職場shokuba

職場の雰囲気に慣れるのは大変です。 — It is hard to get used to the workplace.

business trip出張shutchou

来週、大阪へ出張します。 — I am going on a business trip to Osaka next week.

documents書類shorui

書類は明日までに出してください。 — Please submit the documents by tomorrow.

person in charge担当tantou

このプロジェクトの担当はだれですか。 — Who is in charge of this project?

overtime work残業zangyou

今月は残業が多いです。 — I have a lot of overtime work this month.

office work事務jimu

私の仕事は事務の仕事です。 — My job is office work.

commuting通勤tsuukin

通勤に一時間かかります。 — My commute takes one hour.

leaving early早退soutai

今日は早退しました。 — I left work early today.

leave休暇kyuuka

来週、三日間休暇を取ります。 — I will take three days of leave next week.

training研修kenshuu

来週、研修に参加します。 — I will participate in the training next week.

Business Operations (10)

These words describe company functions and departments — management, sales, accounting — common in N3 business reading passages.

management経営keiei

彼は経営について勉強しています。 — He is studying management.

sales営業eigyou

私は営業の仕事をしています。 — I work in sales.

accounting会計kaikei

彼女は会計の仕事をしています。 — She works in accounting.

sales revenue売上uriage

今月は売上が増えました。 — Sales increased this month.

budget予算yosan

この旅行は予算の中におさまります。 — This trip fits within our budget.

development開発kaihatsu

この会社は新しいアプリを開発しています。 — This company is developing a new app.

manufacturing製造seizou

その工場で車を製造しています。 — The factory is manufacturing cars.

responsibility責任sekinin

この仕事は責任が重いです。 — This job carries a heavy responsibility.

head office本社honsha

会議は本社で行われました。 — The meeting was held at the head office.

occupation職業shokugyou

あなたの職業は何ですか。 — What is your occupation?

就職 vs 転職 vs 退職: The Career Cycle

These three words track a career's lifecycle: 就職 (shuushoku) = getting your first job. 転職 (tenshoku) = changing jobs. 退職 (taishoku) = retiring/leaving a job. All three combine 職 (shoku, job/occupation) with different prefixes — a useful kanji pattern for N3 vocabulary building.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 残業 and 早退?

残業 (zangyou) means working overtime — staying past normal hours. 早退 (soutai) means leaving work early — the opposite situation. Both are common topics in N3 workplace reading passages.

Why is 職 (shoku) such an important kanji for N3?

職 means "job/occupation" and appears in dozens of N3 work-related compounds: 就職, 転職, 退職, 職場, 職業. Recognizing this kanji helps you guess the meaning of unfamiliar work-related vocabulary on the exam.

Practice All 44 N3 Work & Business Words

Import the N3 Work & Business deck into Onigiri Anki and master professional vocabulary with spaced repetition.

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JLPT N3 Work & Business Vocabulary: 44 Essential Words (2026)