Talk About Your Job in English
Talk about your job in English. Kiora and Ethan show you how to say what you do, describe your day, and talk about your dream job in simple phrases.
The lesson
What do you do?
When people want to know about your job, they usually ask "What do you do?" This is the most common question in English. To answer, you can say "I'm a teacher" or "I'm an engineer." You can also say "I work as a nurse" or "I work in marketing." Remember to use "a" or "an" before the name of your job.
Where you work and your daily tasks
To explain where you work, you can say "I work in an office" or "I work at a hospital." To talk about your normal day, use the word "usually" with the present simple. For example, "I usually start at nine o'clock" or "I usually answer emails and call clients." These small details help other people understand your job better.
What you like and your work hours
It is natural to talk about your feelings about your job. You can say "I like my job because I help people" or "I don't like the long hours." To talk about time, you can say "I work from nine to five" or "I work full-time." If you only work some days, you can say "I work part-time." You can also mention your colleagues, the people you work with every day.
Talking about your dream job
Tip: When you talk about your dream job, the job you really want in the future, use "would like to" or "want to be." For example, "I would like to be a pilot" or "My dream job is to be a chef." Practice answering "What do you do?" out loud at home. Speaking aloud helps you feel more confident in real conversations.
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Key vocabulary
job
/dʒɑːb/the work that a person does regularly to earn money
“I have a new job at a bank.”
Traduction
emploi, travail
colleague
/ˈkɑːliːɡ/a person you work with
“My colleagues are very friendly and helpful.”
Traduction
collègue
office
/ˈɔːfɪs/a room or building where people work, usually at desks
“She works in a big office downtown.”
Traduction
bureau
task
/tæsk/a piece of work that you have to do
“My first task in the morning is to check my email.”
Traduction
tâche
full-time
/ˌfʊlˈtaɪm/working the normal number of hours, usually about forty hours a week
“He works full-time and is very busy.”
Traduction
à temps plein
salary
/ˈsæləri/the money you receive from your job, usually every month
“She has a good salary at her new company.”
Traduction
salaire
boss
/bɔːs/the person who is in charge of you at work
“My boss is very kind and listens to everyone.”
Traduction
patron, chef
Test yourself
1. Someone asks you "What do you do?" What are they asking about?
2. Which sentence is correct?
3. How do you say you work in the field of marketing?
4. Which word means a person you work with?
5. How do you talk about a dream job?