How to talk about your job in English, with examples
"So, what do you do?" comes up at parties, at conferences and in interviews, and it is easy to answer with nothing but a job title: "I'm an accountant." That is correct English, but it leaves the other person with nothing to ask next. A good answer takes about 15 seconds and gives them something to pick up on.
The pattern: role + place + what it actually involves + one human detail. "I'm an accountant at a logistics company. I mostly handle the monthly reporting and, lately, a big software migration, which is keeping me busy." Useful phrases: "I work in [field]", "I work for [company]", "I'm in charge of ...", "I mainly ...", "a big part of my job is ...", "lately I've been working on ...". Have a reply ready for the usual follow-ups too: for "What's the best part?", "Honestly, it's ..."; for "Is it stressful?", "It can be, especially when ...".
Say your version out loud, several times, until it comes out without thinking. Knowing the phrases and being able to use them are different things. Airi will ask you the question, respond like a person at a party or an interview, and fix small mistakes as you go. Free to start.
A quick example with Airi
How long your answer about your job should be: three situations
The same question needs a different answer depending on who is asking. Prepare each version of your job answer once, and you will not have to build it on the spot.
| Situation | Aim for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Social: a party, a class, a new neighbor | One or two sentences, then a question back | "I'm a physical therapist. I mostly work with people recovering from knee surgery. How about you?" |
| Networking: a conference, a client dinner | Two or three sentences that show your specialty | "I'm in sales at a packaging company. I manage our accounts in the food industry, mostly bakeries and snack brands." |
| Formal: an interview, a new manager, a visa officer | Title, employer, how long, main responsibility | "I'm a civil engineer at a construction firm. I've been there for six years, and I manage the site teams on our bridge projects." |
Work for, at, in, as, on or with: the small words in your job answer
| Pattern | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I work for ... | Your employer: a person, a company or an organization | "I work for a bank." "I work for myself." |
| I work at ... | A particular company or workplace | "I work at the airport." "I work at a small law firm." |
| I work in ... | Your field or department, a type of workplace, or a city | "I work in marketing." "I work in a hospital." "I work in Chicago." |
| I work as ... | Your job title | "I work as a translator." |
| I work on ... | A project or a product | "I'm working on a new mobile app." |
| I work with ... | People, tools or materials | "I work with small business owners." "I work with spreadsheets all day." |
More than one of these is often right for the same workplace: "I work for a bank", "I work at a bank" and "I work in a bank" are all correct. For the title itself, "I'm a nurse" is the simplest form, and "I work as a nurse" means the same thing. Keep the article: a job takes "a" or "an", as in "I'm an electrician." The exception is a position that only one person holds, which takes "the" or no article: "I'm the head of sales" or "I'm head of sales."
Which tense to use when you talk about your job
- Regular duties: present simple. "I manage a team of five." "I deal with suppliers."
- A current or temporary project: present continuous. "Right now I'm training two new hires." "I'm covering for a colleague this month."
- How long you have done it: present perfect. "I've been a teacher for ten years." "I've worked here since March." With "work", the continuous form is just as natural: "I've been working here since March."
- A job you no longer have: past simple or "used to". "I worked in retail for three years." "I used to be a chef."
The British Council's LearnEnglish grammar reference lists the present continuous for "something which we think is temporary", with the example "I'm working in London for the next two weeks." So "I work in London" describes your normal life, and "I'm working in London" says it is only for now.
Talking about your job when you are freelance, studying or not working
| Your situation | What to say |
|---|---|
| Freelance | "I'm a freelance designer. I mostly do branding for restaurants." |
| Running your own business | "I run a small catering business. We mostly do weddings." |
| Student | "I'm studying nursing. I'm in my second year." |
| Between jobs | "I'm between jobs at the moment. I was in sales, and I'm looking for something similar." |
| At home with family | "I'm a stay-at-home parent right now. Before that I worked in banking." |
| Retired | "I'm retired. I was an electrician for thirty years." |
None of these needs an apology. Add what you did before or what you want next, and the other person has something to ask about.
Mistakes learners make when talking about their job
| Instead of | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I am engineer. | I'm an engineer. | After "I'm", a job needs "a" or "an". |
| My job is teacher. | I'm a teacher. / I teach math at a high school. | A person is a teacher; the job is teaching. |
| I found a new work. | I found a new job. | When it means employment, "work" is uncountable. "Job" is the word you can count. |
| I work like a waiter. | I work as a waiter. | "As" names your role. "Like" means "similar to". |
| I work here for three years. | I've worked here for three years. / I've been working here for three years. | It started in the past and is still true. |
| I'm responsible of the night shift. | I'm responsible for the night shift. / I'm in charge of the night shift. | "Responsible" takes "for". "In charge" takes "of". |
| I'm a staff at a hotel. | I work at a hotel. / I'm a staff member at a hotel. | "Staff" is the whole group, not one person. |
When you are the one asking, "What do you do?" is the usual question, and "What do you do for a living?" makes it clear you mean work. "What is your job?" is correct but can sound abrupt, like a question on a form.
An eight-minute routine for practicing your job answer with Airi
Airi is a voice partner in the browser. She shows one small fix at a time and keeps the conversation moving. Your free credits cover about eight minutes of speaking, roughly one run of this routine. She is not an expert in your field, so try a technical introduction on a colleague who knows it.
- Set the scene: "Pretend we've just met at a friend's party. Ask me what I do, then ask two follow-up questions."
- Give your short social answer. If she offers a fix, say the corrected sentence once, then go on.
- Switch the situation: "Now be an interviewer and ask me to describe my current role." Give your title, how long you have had it, and your main responsibility.
- Ask her for harder follow-ups, such as "What does a typical day look like?" and "What are you working on at the moment?" The second one makes you switch to the present continuous.
- Finish by changing places. Ask her to play someone with a job, and practice asking the questions yourself: "What do you do?" "How long have you been doing that?"
How to get the most from it
Role + place + what you do
Give three pieces, not one. It keeps the conversation alive.
Add one human detail
"…which is keeping me busy" or "…and I love it" makes you a person, not a title.
Prepare the follow-ups
"Best part?", "Stressful?", "How did you get into it?" — rehearse them with Airi.
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Start free with GoogleFrequently asked questions
How do I answer "What do you do?" in English?
What if my job is hard to explain?
Is it "I work for", "I work at" or "I work in"?
What do I say if I don't have a job right now?
Can I practice this out loud?
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