Being able to talk about your job is a super important skill when you’re learning English.
You might need to do this an interview, during an exam, or just in everyday conversations. And of course, work is a topic that people often ask about when they meet you.
In this post, you’ll learn how to:
- Answer common questions about your job
- Use natural English phrases to describe your work
- Talk about your experience, daily tasks, and skills clearly and confidently
This guide is designed to help English learners become more confident when talking about jobs in English.
Contents
Common Questions About Your Job
These are real-life and exam-style questions that help people understand what kind of job you do and how you feel about it.
- What do you do for a living?
- Where do you work, and what is your job like?
- How did you get your job?
- Do you enjoy your work? Why or why not?
- What are the biggest challenges in your job?
- What skills do you need for your job?
- What are your daily tasks or responsibilities?
- Is this the job you want to do long-term?
Talking About Your Experience
This section shows you how to give strong personal answers using useful grammar, collocations, and natural phrases.
Introduce your job / experience
Start by saying what your job is, where you work, and how your work is set up (full-time, part-time, shifts, etc).
- I work as a receptionist at a small hotel.
- I’m a delivery driver for a local company.
- I have a part-time job in a bakery.
Q: What do you do?
A: I work as a receptionist in a small hotel in the city centre. I’m usually based at the front desk, and I work morning or afternoon shifts during the week. It’s my first full-time job since finishing college.
Useful collocations
- I work as a [job title]
- I work in [industry]
- I’ve got a [type] job (e.g. full-time / flexible / office-based)
- I’m based in [place]
- I’m part of a [team / department]
You can also say…
- I’ve got a job in hospitality. – I work in hotels, food service, or tourism
- I’m based in the city centre. – My job is located downtown
- I do shifts. – I work different hours on different days
- It’s part-time / full-time. – How many hours you work per week
How about you?
- I work as a…
- I’m based in…
- I do…
- It’s my first…
- I usually work…
- It’s a… job.
What your job involves
Now explain what you actually do — your tasks, responsibilities, and typical work.
- My job involves helping guests check in and answering questions.
- I manage a small team and keep track of bookings.
- I spend most of my time dealing with customers and phone calls.
Q: What does your job involve?
A: My job involves greeting guests when they arrive, checking them in, and helping them with questions about the hotel or the city. I also help with bookings, take phone calls, and send messages to other staff. It’s a mix of admin work and customer service, so I use the computer a lot, and I also talk to people all day.
Useful collocations
- I deal with bookings / orders / emails
- I help customers with questions or problems
- I manage reports / schedules / the daily rota
- I check deliveries / organise stock / take phone calls
- I send emails / update records / use booking software
You can also say…
- I do a bit of everything. – I handle many small tasks
- I’m always on the go. – I’m busy most of the time
- It’s hands-on. – It’s practical, not just sitting at a desk
- It’s quite varied. – I do different things, not always the same
How about you?
- My job involves…
- I spend a lot of time…
- I help with…
- I manage…
- I usually deal with…
- It’s a mix of…
How you started / got into your job
Talking about how you started makes your answer more personal and interesting.
- I got into this job after finishing my degree.
- I started working here about two years ago.
- A friend helped me get the job.
Q: How did you get into this job?
A: I got into this job after finishing college. I studied tourism and hospitality, and I was looking for something where I could use my people skills. A friend of mine was already working at the hotel and told me about the position. I applied and got the job a few weeks later.
Useful collocations
- I applied for the job through a friend / online / an agency
- I got hired after college / while I was still studying
- I started out doing [simple task]
- I was looking for something flexible / local
- It was a way to get experience
You can also say…
- I was lucky to find something so quickly. – I didn’t wait long to find work
- It started as a temporary job. – I didn’t plan to stay long, but I stayed
- I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I do. – I was surprised I liked it
How about you?
- I got into this job after…
- I started working here when…
- A friend helped me…
- I applied because…
- I was looking for…
- It was meant to be…
How long you’ve done your job
Talking about how long you’ve had the job helps show experience.
- I’ve been doing this job for three years.
- I started in 2022.
- It’s my first real job.
Q: How long have you worked there?
A: I’ve been doing it for about a year and a half now. Time’s gone quickly because it’s a busy place and every day brings something a bit different. I’ve learned a lot since I started.
Useful collocations
- I’ve been working here since [year]
- I started just after [event or graduation]
- It’s my first proper job
- I’m still quite new to the role
- I’ve learned a lot since I started
You can also say…
- Time’s flown by. – The time passed quickly
- I’m still learning new things. – I haven’t learned everything yet
- I’ve picked up a lot since I started. – I’ve learned many skills
How about you?
- I’ve been working here since…
- I started this job in…
- I’ve been doing this for…
- It’s my first…
- I’ve learned a lot since…
- It still feels…
Why you enjoy your job
It’s good to say what you like about your work — this shows personality and motivation.
- What I enjoy most is the creative work.
- I like working with people and helping customers.
- It’s satisfying to see good results.
Q: Do you enjoy the work?
A: Yes, I do. What I enjoy most is meeting different people every day and helping them feel comfortable. I like the atmosphere of the hotel and the fact that I never get bored. It really suits my personality — I’m quite social and I enjoy helping others.
Useful collocations
- I enjoy interacting with people / solving problems / being creative
- It’s a good fit for my personality / interests / lifestyle
- I get a sense of achievement / purpose / satisfaction
- I like the atmosphere / the team / the variety
You can also say…
- It keeps me on my toes. – It’s active and interesting
- I feel like I’m making a difference. – I help others in a real way
- I get a lot of job satisfaction. – I feel proud of what I do
How about you?
- What I enjoy most is…
- I like the fact that…
- It’s great to…
- It suits me because…
- I enjoy working with…
- It gives me…
What makes your job difficult?
Being honest about what’s hard in your job makes your answer more real and thoughtful.
- The most difficult part is dealing with complaints.
- It can be stressful when we have a lot of deadlines.
- Sometimes I feel tired after work.
Q: What’s the hardest part of your job?
A: The most difficult part is when we are really busy or if guests are unhappy. You have to stay calm and polite, even when it’s stressful or something goes wrong.
Useful collocations
- I have to deal with complaints / tight deadlines / pressure
- Sometimes the workload is a bit much – workload = the amount of work you have to do
- It can be draining when it gets busy – draining = tiring, uses energy
- It’s hard to switch off after work – switch off = stop thinking about work and relax
You can also say…
- It’s not always easy. – It has challenges
- It has its ups and downs. – Some days are good, others not
- You need a lot of patience. – You have to stay calm, even in tough situations
How about you?
- The most difficult part is…
- It can be stressful when…
- I sometimes struggle with…
- It’s not easy to…
- I feel tired after…
- I find it hard to…
Skills you need for your job
It’s important to explain the skills or qualities your job requires — this shows your awareness and ability.
- You need to be good at communication.
- It’s important to be organised and focused.
- Problem-solving is a big part of the job.
Q: What skills do you need for that kind of work?
A: You definitely need good communication and people skills. You also have to be organised because there are lots of small tasks to manage during the day. And you need to think on your feet — guests often ask unexpected questions, so it helps to stay calm and find solutions quickly.
Useful collocations
- You need to be a good communicator
- It’s important to stay calm under pressure
- You need to be organised / flexible / focused
- Problem-solving helps a lot in this role
- You have to manage time and multitask
You can also say…
- You have to think on your feet. – Make quick decisions under pressure
- People skills are a must. – You need to get along well with others
- Multitasking is part of the job. – You often do several things at once
How about you?
- In my job, I need to be…
- You have to be good at…
- It’s important to…
- I’ve had to learn how to…
- Problem-solving is…
- I use my [skill] when…
Bring it together – full model monologue
This example shows how to put everything together in one natural, confident answer.
I work as a receptionist in a small hotel in the city centre. I’ve been doing this job for about a year and a half. I got into it after finishing my college course in tourism and hospitality. A friend who already worked here told me about the job, and I applied online.
My job involves welcoming guests, checking them in, helping with bookings, and answering phone calls and emails. It’s quite varied — I do a bit of everything, and I’m always on the go.
What I enjoy most is meeting different people and making them feel welcome. I also like the friendly team I work with. One of the hardest parts is staying calm when we’re really busy or when guests are unhappy. You have to be patient and professional all the time.
To do this job well, you need to be organised, good with people, and able to solve problems quickly. I’ve definitely learned how to manage my time and think on my feet. It’s not always easy, but it gives me a lot of satisfaction.
Key topic vocabulary
These are useful words and phrases that help you talk naturally and clearly about your job.
Synonyms
Different ways to say “job” or “work.”
- job = a position or role you are paid to do
- position = formal word for a job or post
- role = your function or duties in a team or company
- work = general word for the tasks you do
- post = often used in official or formal settings
Action collocations
Common verbs that go with job-related nouns.
- apply for a job
- do admin work / shift work / freelance work
- manage a team / a department / a schedule
- deal with customers / emails / problems
- work in healthcare / retail / IT
Descriptive collocations
Adjective + noun combinations to describe your job clearly.
- a demanding job – a job that is difficult and requires effort
- flexible hours – you can choose or change your working time
- a supportive team – people who help and work well together
- repetitive tasks – the same jobs done over and over
- a creative role – a job where you can use ideas or design things
Grammar and vocabulary for talking about your job
These patterns help you speak more fluently and sound more natural.
Lexical patterns
Useful word combinations (collocations).
- apply for + job → I applied for a job in hospitality.
- take on + responsibility → I took on more responsibility after a few months.
- deal with + issue / task → I deal with customers and phone calls.
- manage + task / project → I manage bookings and reports.
- work in + sector / department → I work in the front office.
Grammar patterns
Flexible grammar to help you talk about past, present, and future work experience.
- I’ve been working there for… → I’ve been working here for two years.
- I’d like to… → I’d like to stay in this role for a while.
- I tend to… → I tend to work more in the mornings.
- used to + verb → I used to work part-time before I graduated.
- I’m used to + noun / verb-ing → I’m used to talking to customers all day.
- I got into this job when… → I got into this job when I finished college.
Grammar and vocabulary patterns for talking about your job
These patterns help you speak more fluently and sound more natural.
Collocations
Useful word combinations (collocations and chunks).
- apply for + a job / a role
I applied for a job online. - work in + a field / an industry
She works in healthcare. - be responsible for + task / department
I’m responsible for staff training. - deal with + people / emails / problems
I deal with a lot of customer emails. - manage + a team / time / stock
I manage a small team and order stock. - handle + complaints / paperwork / bookings
I handle a lot of admin tasks every day. - take care of + customers / deliveries / orders
I take care of bookings and daily orders. - look after + the front desk / the rota / a child
I look after the front desk during night shifts. - take on + new tasks / extra hours / responsibility
I’ve taken on more hours this month. - help with + training / paperwork / enquiries
I help with staff training and organising meetings. - work with + clients / a team / suppliers
I work with different clients every week. - use + software / tools / equipment
I use booking software and spreadsheets daily. - report to + a manager / supervisor
I report to the shift manager at the end of each day. - focus on + customers / admin / details
I focus on helping people and keeping things organised. - be involved in + marketing / planning / projects
I’m involved in customer service and social media. - do + shift work / admin / deliveries
I do early shifts and admin work in the mornings.
Grammar Patterns
Flexible grammar to help you talk about past, present, and future work experience.
- I’ve been working there for…
I’ve been working here for two years. - I’d like to…
I’d like to stay in this role for a while. - I tend to…
I tend to work more in the mornings. - used to + verb
I used to work part-time before I graduated. - I’m used to + noun / verb-ing
I’m used to talking to customers all day. - I got into this job when…
I got into this job when I finished college. - I’m responsible for…
I’m responsible for answering emails and managing bookings. - My job involves + verb-ing…
My job involves dealing with customers and organising schedules.
Practice activities
Try these short tasks to practise key phrases and collocations.
1. Phrase Match
Match the phrases from column A with the correct endings from column B.
Column A
- apply for
- manage
- deal with
- work in
- get
- do
Column B
a. complaints and questions
b. freelance work
c. bookings and reports
d. a job online
e. hired quickly
f. healthcare
Answers:
1 – d
2 – c
3 – a
4 – f
5 – e
6 – b
2. Fill in the Blank
Use the Word Bank to complete the sentences.
Word Bank:
flexible – organised – pressure – receptionist – software – customers
- I work as a __________ in a small hotel.
- I help __________ with problems or questions.
- I use booking __________ to check rooms.
- It’s important to stay calm under __________.
- The hours are quite __________, which is great.
- You need to be very __________ to do this job well.
Answers:
- receptionist
- customers
- software
- pressure
- flexible
- organised
