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Talking about your Job – Part III

As the conversation goes on with the other person, you may need to give them more information about your job and what you do.

The first phrase you can use is this:

I (verb)

So it could be:

  • I teach maths in the local high school
  • I write advertising copy for the big magazine publisher in the city
  • I sell cars from the local Ford dealership in town
  • I cook food at the hospital
  • I design websites
  • I take photographs
  • I write website content
  • I look after animals in the local animal shelter

One very useful verb when talking about creative jobs is make.

You could say:

  • I make jewellery for a small shop in town
  • I make card designs for a card company
  • I make clothes for a local boutique shop
  • I make furniture in a small furniture company

Another useful phrase is this:

I do (noun-phrase)

You can use this phrase like this:

  • I do marketing for a hair products company
  • I do project management for a big construction company
  • I have to…
  • I manage…
  • I lead…
  • I take care of…
  • I organise…
  • I’m responsible for…
  • Most of my time is spent…

So, for example, you might say:

I’m a marketing manager. I have to do the marketing for the company. I’m responsible for all the social media accounts we have and all the press releases. Most of my time is spent writing articles and blog posts.

People often use a wide range of words to talk about their job.

Let’s take a look

Positive

  • Stimulating
  • Fun
  • Friendly
  • Creative
  • Engaging
  • Exciting
  • Rewarding
  • Motivating
  • Caring
  • Challenging
  • Fast-paced

Negative

  • Thankless
  • Low-paid
  • Boring
  • Menial
  • Dull
  • Depressing
  • Soul destroying
  • Mundane
  • Exhausting
  • Stressful
  • Dead-end
  • Challenging
  • Demanding

When talking about their job, people often use a positive word followed by a negative word — or vice versa — to give an accurate picture of how they feel about it.

Here are some examples to show you what I mean:

  • The money is great, but it is a lot of pressure
  • I like the people I work with, but the money is not that great
  • I like the job—it is very satisfying—but the management is not very good
  • The people I work with are so friendly and supportive, but the job itself is very stressful
  • I feel like it’s a bit of a dead-end job at times, but it can be a lot of fun
  • The customers are so demanding, but the management can be very motivating
  • Most of the time it is quite boring, then at certain times of the year it gets very busy

The Money

Let’s look at the most common topic people talk about when describing their likes and dislikes about the job.

  • The money is great!
  • The money is pretty good
  • The money is not very good at all
  • The pay is terrible
  • I wish the money were better, but what can you do?
  • I get paid very well
  • I am on a pittance! (very low salary)
  • I earn a lot of money
  • I’m paid an average salary

The People

And in most jobs, we have to work with others. We can talk about the things we like and dislike about the people we work with.

  • I work with some great people
  • I love the team I am working in
  • We are like one big family
  • I get on really well with all my colleagues
  • My colleagues/co-workers are great
  • All the people I work with are good

People might ask you one of the following questions:

  • What time do you start work?
  • What time do you finish work?
  • When do you stop work?

They just want to know what time you begin, and what time you stop working. People may be curious about your work times.

You can say:

  • I start work at nine
  • I start work at eight-thirty
  • I have to be at work at nine
  • I get to work at eight-thirty
  • I finish work at five
  • I stop work at five-thirty

You might also hear people ask these questions:

  • What time do you get off work?
  • What time do you get off?

These both mean the same thing: What time do you finish work?

Maybe you don’t have a job. Maybe you are looking for a job. Maybe you have just graduated and want to have a rest for a short time before starting your job search.

You can say the following:

  • I’m not working right now
  • I’m between jobs at the moment
  • I’ve just finished college and I need some time out
  • I have just graduated and I am looking for a job now
  • I’m taking some time out to be with my family
  • I’m taking some time off to help my mother as she is getting old
  • I’m taking some time out to sell my house