Work English conversations often involve the question “What do you do for a living?”. Even if you have a high level of English, this can be tricky to answer! There are lots of small details in the way you describe your job title, sector, company, work arrangement and schedule in English. Here you’ll see 5 must-know basics to help you talk about your job in English confidently and without mistakes!
1. Job Title
You would be surprised how many people make little errors in this area of work English! Essentially, there are two basic ways to present your job title when you talk about your job in English.
I am a + job title e.g. I am a data analyst.
I work as a + job title e.g. I work as a content creator.
Important: be careful not to forget the article “a” before saying the job title. For example, saying “I am data analyst” is incorrect. Also, some people confuse “as” and “like”, and might say “I work like a content creator” which is not right. Watch out!
“It’s also really common when you talk about your job in English to say “I work AT a company” instead of “for a company”. “
2. Sector
There are a couple of options you could use to explain your sector or field in work English conversations.
I work in the ____ sector e.g. I work in the healthcare sector
Or simply,
I work in + sector e.g. I work in digital marketing
These structures can be useful if you have a complicated job title, and it’s just much simpler to tell a person which sector you work.
3. Your company
To explain who your employer is, say this:
I work for + company name – e.g. I work for Google.
It’s also really common when you talk about your job in English to say “I work AT a company” instead of “for a company”. E.g. I work at IKEA.
Technically, when you use the “work at” structure, you are emphasising more the physicality of the company. So you might choose to say “I work at IKEA” when your job is located in the shop. On the other hand, a delivery driver might say “I work for IKEA” because they are almost always on the road and not in a particular location.
But the reality is a lot of people say “I work for a company” and “I work at a company” quite interchangeably to express the same thing: that company is my employer.
4. Work arrangement
In our post-pandemic world, there are lots of variations when you talk about your job in English! You might say:
I work remotely
I work on-site / I work at the office
I have a hybrid work setup
As technology, habits and lifestyle change, language also evolves – and work English is not exception to that.
5. Work schedule
You might also mention your work schedule when you talk about your job in English:
I work full-time – a complete schedule, normally 40 hours a week.
I work part-time – you work less hours than a full-time schedule
I work a split shift – when your work schedule is divided into two separate shifts with a break in between.
Then of course, there’s different times where you work. This often applies to medical staff, for example.
I work day shifts
I work night shifts
I work rotating shifts – when your schedule changes on a regular basis, alternating between day and night.
I work weekend shifts
I work 12-hour shifts
That’s a lot of work!
You have the tools
We all know that being able to have work English conversations allows you to connect with people, grab new opportunities, and advance your career. And you’re ready for it! Next time you’re asked: “what do you do for a living?” in English, be confident in your ability to answer.
For more information on preparing the fundamentals of work English, check out this series of videos “Talk about your job in English“. Good luck!
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