

Work
How to describe and talk about your job

Photo by iCipart
What do you do? / What’s your job?

 I’m a firefighter.
 I work as a firefighter.

With jobs we always use «a/an»

 Where do you work?
I work in:
A place – I work in an office.
A city/country;
A department- I work in sales.
General area/industry- I work in finance.
I work at/for (name of company or a famous
person) – I work at Nike. I work for Tom Cruise.
I work with (things or people) – I work with
computers.
 Who do you for a living?
 I’m unemployed.
 I’m between jobs at the moment.
 Here are some other reasons you might not have a job:
 I’m a student.
 I’m a stay-at-home mom/dad.
 If you work for yourself, you can say “I’m self-
employed.”
 If you have your own company, you can say, “I own a
small business”.
 Working hours

 He has a full-time job, e.g. 40 hours a week.

 He has a part-time job, e.g. 15 hours a week.

 He works long hours, e.g. 12

hours a day.

 He works from nine to five.

 Working hours
 He works overtime, e.g.45 hours a week
(he woks extra hours).
 He works in shifts - the hours are not
the same every day.
 He works flexitime. –
He has his own schedule.
Speaking 1
Speaking 2
 How much do you earn?

 She earns a lot. Her salary

is $80,000 a year.
 He doesn’t earn much. He
gets low wages.
 Now find a suitable word

 When you work for yourself and

not for a company, you are...

self-employed
 Now find a suitable word

 If you no longer work because you

are over 65, you are...

retired
 Now find a suitable word

 If you are out of work, you are...

unemployed
 Now find a suitable word
 If you want to live a company, you

 resign
 If you do something wrong, you can be

 dismissed

 If you have done nothing wrong but you are forced to

leave, you are

 laid off
Isabel de la Cruz

Illustrations by iClipart