job-hunt
C1Informal, Business
Definition
Meaning
The process of actively looking for paid employment.
A systematic or prolonged effort to find a new job, often involving searching advertisements, networking, and applying for positions.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often used as a compound noun ('job hunt') or a verb ('to job-hunt'). Can imply a degree of effort, strategy, and potential difficulty.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slight preference in UK English for hyphenated 'job-hunt' as noun/verb; US English slightly more likely to use open compound 'job hunt' as noun and 'job hunt' as a phrasal verb.
Connotations
Similar in both variants. May carry a slight connotation of being a challenging or stressful activity.
Frequency
Common in both varieties; possibly slightly more frequent in US business/career contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Person] + job-hunt + [for duration/period][Person] + job-hunt + [in location/field]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on the hunt (for a job)”
- “beating the pavement”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Discussed in HR and career coaching as a phase of unemployment or career transition.
Academic
Used in sociology or economics when discussing labor market behavior.
Everyday
Common topic in personal conversations about career changes or after finishing education.
Technical
May appear in career guidance software or job board analytics.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She spent six months job-hunting after graduation.
- He's currently job-hunting in the finance sector.
American English
- She spent six months job hunting after college.
- He's currently on the job hunt in the finance sector.
adjective
British English
- It was a long job-hunt period filled with rejections.
- She offered excellent job-hunt advice.
American English
- It was a long job hunt period filled with rejection.
- She offered great job-hunting tips.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I am job-hunting.
- My brother is looking for work.
- The job-hunt can be difficult for new graduates.
- She started her job hunt online.
- After being made redundant, he embarked on a strenuous three-month job-hunt.
- Effective networking is crucial to a successful job hunt.
- Her protracted job-hunt, spanning several sectors, ultimately yielded a management role.
- The seminar addressed the psychological toll a prolonged job hunt can take on individuals.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a hunter searching for prey; a 'job-hunter' searches for a job.
Conceptual Metaphor
FINDING A JOB IS A HUNT / A JOURNEY.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque '*охота на работу*'. Use '*поиск работы*'.
- Don't confuse with '*работающая охота*' (working hunt).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'job-hunting' as a noun instead of 'job-hunt' (both accepted, but register differs).
- Misspelling as one word 'jobhunt'.
- Overusing in formal writing where 'job search' might be more appropriate.
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase is closest in meaning to 'job-hunt'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
All forms are seen. Hyphenated (job-hunt) is common for the noun and verb, especially in UK English. 'Job hunt' (open compound) is also frequent, particularly in US English. 'Jobhunt' (solid) is less standard.
It's somewhat informal. In formal documents, prefer terms like 'seeking new opportunities', 'engaged in a job search', or 'exploring career options'.
They are largely synonymous. 'Job-hunt' can sound slightly more active and determined, while 'job search' is slightly more neutral and common in formal contexts.
It's regular: job-hunt, job-hunts, job-hunted, job-hunting. The past participle is 'job-hunted' (e.g., He has job-hunted for a year).