21 Most Common Collocations with Experience: Life experience, Personal experience,โ€ฆ

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As both a noun and a verb,ย experienceย is usually a great thing. You might hear the word used in many different contexts, because there are a lot of phrases that useย experience!

Below, you will be able to find a list of these phrases that include the wordย experience. This is not a completely comprehensive list because of how common the word is, but if you are able to use these phrases, you should have a full and thorough understanding of it!

1. Personal experience

If youย actually do something or see something yourself, you have thatย personal experience.

This usually means that what you have experienced is more valuable if you use it to explain something, or if you use it to describe why you support a certain way of thinking.

Havingย personal experienceย does not make you an expert, but other people are much more likely to believe you and listen to you.

Examples

  • Unless you haveย personal experienceย in this field, you probably will not understand what the experts are talking about.
  • Even though Caleb did not haveย personal experienceย being in that group, he was able to understand what those people were angry about.
  • Having aย personal experienceย in a hotel leaves a really good impression of that hotel in your mind.

2. Life experience

Once you have had a lot of personal experiences, you are collectingย life experience, which is aย wisdom that comes with having seen manyย different systems, situations, people, cultures, and technologies, among other things.

People who have a lot ofย life experienceย โ€“ especially those who have traveled and lived in different countries, studied at least a Bachelorโ€™s degree, and worked for different companies or started their own โ€“are usually said to be very wise and have a lot of good information to share.

Examples

  • Collectingย life experienceย is a little bit like collecting battle experience in a video game, but you are left with lots of great stories in the end.
  • It is really incredible that you have had so muchย life experienceย at such a young age!
  • Sometimes, people with a lot ofย life experienceย forget that many other people are beginners, and can make those people feel stupid if they are not careful.

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3. Lack of experience

If you haveย not yet doneย a lot of different, interesting things, you have aย lack of experience. This just means that you have a lot of potential for growth in the future, and does not mean that you are stupid or less than other people.

However, it may mean that you are not qualified for some jobs, such as those that ask you to lead an extensive project.

Examples

  • I know that myย lack of experienceย in this field seems odd, but I was able to play a lot of different roles at my last company since it was so small.
  • Some people try to substitute aย lack of experienceย with more school (especially graduate school) or more training, but this is usually not a great alternative.
  • If you know that you might have aย lack of experienceย when compared to other people applying for the job, make sure you know how to describe the experience that you do have well.

4. Wealth of experience

The opposite of having a lack of experience is having aย wealth of experience. This means that you have aย wide variety of different experiences, and you are more likely to know how to navigate different situations.

Some people will look at a resume that has a lot of different things as having aย wealth of experience, but be careful because working a short time at many companies may not give you as much knowledge or as many skills as working at one company for a long time.

Examples

  • A lot of experience does not equate to aย wealth of experience, especially when all those experiences have not been in-depth and insightful.
  • Having aย wealth of experienceย has made Valerie highly qualified for the promotion to head of the company.
  • I hope that by the time I am old, I can acquire aย wealth of experience.

5. Research experience

If you are in an academic or scientific field, havingย research experienceย may be a really important thing to have on your resume!

This means that you have experience doing some kind of research, whether that isย in a lab working with skin cells or out in the field collecting data.

Nowadays, many students have the ability to get involved in research very early, so havingย research experienceย is an important asset for applying to graduate school or going into an industry that will rely on research.

Examples

  • My cousin said that he found a greatย research experienceย for this summer, so he will not be visiting us this year.
  • Sometimes,ย research experienceย can count for class credit because you often learn things more in-depth when you do research.
  • Only somebody with enoughย research experienceย would have been able to figure out that there was a problem with the budget, so donโ€™t blame the student!

6. Gain experience

When you are collecting experiences, English speakers usually say that youย gain experience. Gain is a common verb used to describeย having different experiences and learning more about how to respond to different situations.

Examples

  • I haveย gained so much experienceย from traveling to different countries around the world that I canโ€™t remember the days that I didnโ€™t travel!
  • Donโ€™t forget that an important part ofย gaining experienceย is the ability to think back and reflect on how those things helped you.
  • Bobby told everyone that he wasย gaining incredible experienceย by moving from city to city, but it turns out that he just wanted everyone to think that he was wise and look up to him.

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7. The ______ experience

Occasionally, you may see a brand with a logo sayingย Come have the ultimate spa experience!ย or something similar. In these cases, theย experienceย means that the companyย offers you a complete package for something.

For example, the ultimate spa experience might include not only a spa treatment, but also a manicure, pedicure, massage, hot tub bath, etc. For these cases, you usually can expect to have a lot of small experiences that add up to the complete package.

Examples

  • Book a tour with us to getย The Ultimate Cambodian Experience! That includes visiting Angkor Wat, the beach, and Killing Fields historical landmarks, a show with traditional Cambodian dance, and a massage!
  • If you live at home instead of on campus, you may miss out of activities that are classic forย the college experience, like staying up really late and getting food with friends, or going to the gym to play a game of basketball with your student organization!

8. A human experience

Aย human experienceย is something thatย everyone โ€“ or, at least, most people โ€“ will go through or feel throughout their lives.

Because instances are so common, saying that something isย a human experienceย means that everyone that you talk to will understand what you are talking about.

Examples

  • Falling in love and subsequent heart break is a typicalย human experience.
  • When you are young, itโ€™s easy to think that everything in your life is a typicalย human experience; itโ€™s not until youโ€™re older that you understand how different everyone is.
  • Even though parents always want to protect their children from things like betrayal and recovery from heart break, those are often part of theย human experience!

9. Past experience

While most experience comes from the past, this phrase points to specific types of experiences.ย Past experienceย is theย collection of things that have happened, whether they were to a country, to a person, or someone or something else.

When I talk about myย past experience, I am always referring to all the past instances of something.

Examples

  • According to this companyโ€™sย past experience, not listening to the market research will lead to a disaster.
  • Because of myย past experienceย with this company, I have withdrawn my business with them and actively tell everyone that I know not to work with them.
  • Tomโ€™sย past experienceย in working with foreigners on finance-related projects have turned out to be huge successes!

10. In someoneโ€™s experience

If you want to talk specifically aboutย the experience of a single person, you can use this phrase.

Examples

  • In my experience, democracy has led to societies that are more robust and willing to work together.
  • In the Presidentโ€™s experience, appealing to emotion is more effective in speeches than appealing to reason or logic.
  • Children are always talkative and bustling with energy,ย in the babysitterโ€™s experience.

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11. Religious experience

If you are familiar with religion, you are likely familiar with the passion and emotion that can guide someone back to it over and over.

Something that is aย religious experienceย can be literally associated with religion, such as going to a church retreat and feeling extremely empowered and closer to the religion.

However, it can also be used toย describe something that is very stimulating for your senses, especially things that are so good that they border on overwhelming.

Calling something aย religious experienceย is a major compliment, because it is so moving that you want to feel that feeling again.

Examples

  • Going to a One Direction concert was totallyย a religious experienceย โ€“ the loud music, the sway of the crowd, and the way that the boys command the stage make for an incredible show!
  • Eating any chocolate from Belgium is akin toย a religious experienceย because of how creamy the flavors are, and how the candy just melts in your mouth.
  • Many people, especially younger people, are leaving religion because they no longer believe in the teachings, but they stick around the church because ofย the religious experienceย that they can get from attending mass every week.

12. Sexual experience

This phrase refers specifically to the experiences that someoneย has with sexual activity.

Examples

  • He likes to say that he has a lot ofย sexual experience, but donโ€™t believe him because itโ€™s all lies.
  • You should be able to have the amount ofย sexual experienceย that you want, and nothing more or less.

13. Practical experience

Practical experienceย usually refers toย experience you have in the workplace. When you are applying for a job, your potential employer will want to see the kinds of experience you have that is directly related to the role that you might play with them.

This type of experience should be real tasks that you have done for other companies that are similar to yours; in other words,ย practical experience.

Examples

  • He did not think that his experience would transfer over when he switched from being a teacher to being a business owner, but it turns out he had a lot of relevantย practical experience.
  • Havingย practical experienceย is more important than having a Masterโ€™s degree in most cases.
  • If you donโ€™t have opportunities to getย practical experienceย in your field, donโ€™t be afraid to approach people to work for free or a very reduced price!

14. Hands-on experience

To say that you haveย hands-on experienceย means that youย have been able to try something with your two hands, actually doing that thing. This is more and more important, especially for young people getting an education.

Someone who has hands-on experience, like being in a research lab or interning for a company in that industry, is preferable to someone who has only spent their time in the classroom learning from a book.

Examples

  • If John does not have opportunities forย hands-on experience, he should try to create those opportunities.
  • If you have the right business connections, you may not need muchย hands-on experienceย in order to get a job.
  • The college tried to addย hands-on experienceย as a requirement in their degree plans.

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15. Clinical experience

For any kind of health professional,ย clinical experienceย is theย experience that they gain from seeing actual patients. Like any profession, this kind of practical experience is often more valuable than time spent only learning in a classroom.

Examples

  • Half of medical school is dedicated to clinical rotations so that future doctors can gain some basicย clinical experienceย before becoming certified.
  • The dermatologist must have not paid any attention during hisย clinical experiencesย because he does not seem to know anything.
  • If you want to be successful in an application to medical school, you should get some basicย clinical experienceย by shadowing a physician.

16. Extensive experience

Having a lot of experienceย means you haveย extensive experience.

Examples

  • The principal hasย extensive experienceย in teaching and tending to the studentsโ€™ needs.
  • The new hire barely has any experience in this type of work but his work always seems like it was done by someone withย extensive experience!
  • Derek is the best qualified candidate for heading our new project because he hasย extensive schooling and work experienceย in project management.

17. Valuable experience

An experience that isย valuableย isย one that you have learned a lot from, especially if it was challenging, not paid, or not successful.

Examples

  • Traveling to South America for three months seems like just a lot of fun, but I think it was a reallyย valuable learning experienceย as well.
  • The first time I tried to start my own business, it failed; however, it was a reallyย valuable experienceย and allowed me to focus on the important things only for my second business.
  • I think you should take the internship; even though itโ€™s unpaid, it will be reallyย valuable experienceย for you when you want to apply for other positions.

18. Unrivaled experience

For experience to beย unrivaled, it must beย unmatched by other experiencesย or experience of other people.

Examples

  • Bill hasย unrivaled experienceย in fixing pipes, so itโ€™s really hard to get appointment with him.
  • Staying at the hotel in the center of town is anย unrivaled experienceย because every night includes a spa, four-course dinner, and a massage!
  • It takes unrivaled dedicated to gainย unrivaled experienceย in anything.

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19. Relevant experience

If you are applying for a job, the company you are applying to will only be interested in yourย relevant experience, or theย experience you have that directly relates to the job you want.

Even if you have lots of different experience, they might be interested only in the portion of it that isย relevant.

Examples

  • When you put together a resume for a job, only list yourย relevant experienceย if you have a lot of different work experience.
  • Once you haveย relevant experience, it is much easier to have confidence in yourself when you face a challenge or setback.
  • For some things, itโ€™s really important to haveย relevant experience, but itโ€™s completely unnecessary in others.

20. Experience in _____

If you want toย specify the kind of experience that you have, you can use the structureย experience in this field. This is very useful if you are speaking about your qualifications for something.

Examples

  • I donโ€™t have a lot ofย experience inย managing engineering projects, specifically, but I do have experience in management.
  • Most of my professionalย experience so far has been inย maternal and infant health, but I want to branch out into different areas of public health.
  • You have noย experience inย working with children, so you think that it does not take a lot of energy to take care of a preschool class.

21. Quite an experience

This phrase is used more in the United States than in the UK, asย quiteย meansย veryย in American English but meansย not veryย in British English.

If you say something isย quite an experienceย to an American, you mean thatย something is very interesting and worthwhile!

Examples

  • Riding in first class on an airplane, especially across continents, isย quite an experienceย if you have never done it before!
  • Traveling alone for the first time isย quite an experienceย since you get to be very free and have to rely on yourself for so many things.

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