In this lesson, we are going to look at some great expressions to help you talk confidently and naturally about your job, in English.
We will look at natural, spoken expressions about work that you can use to talk about,
- Job Interviews
- Responsibilities at Work
- Being Busy
- Changing Jobs
Let’s do it!
Table of Contents
Expressions for job interviews
If you have to speak English in a job interview, you want to make a good impression with both your English skills and also by showing yourself to be the best candidate for the job.
Here are some great phrases to help you do that.
- To say that you are the right person for the job, you can say,
I think I am a good fit for this job
I think I am a good match for this job
This job suits me down to the ground
I think this job ties in with my future plans
- In order to show your enthusiasm and also show you want to help the company be successful, you can say,
I am excited to showcase my skills
I am eager to make a contribution
I am sure I can bring a lot to this job
- Finally, you want to give the impression that you are ready to work hard, so you can use this phrase,
I never shy away from hard work
Job interview tips
Here are some great tips to help you do your best in any job interview.
- Do your homework (research the company and it’s goals, values and activities
- Use words the company uses (use the same language they use to describe their company)
- Focus on your ability more than qualification (it’s the only way to make you seem different from the rest)
- Focus on giving as well as taking
- Choose as well as be chosen (find out if the company is right for you)
- Ask good questions
One of the best questions at the end of an interview is
“What will success look like for this job?”
It shows you care, and helps you better understand the job!
Expressions about work responsibilities
So after a successful interview, you have landed the job (= got the job), and now it’s time to start working. Inevitably you need to tell friends, family and even other work colleagues what it is you do exactly.
Here are some great expressions to talk about you responsibilities and skills.
- I’m in charge of ________
- I’m responsible for ________
- It’s down to me to ________
I’m in charge of the company’s marketing strategy. That means, I’m responsible for setting our marketing goals. On top of that, it’s down to me to make are we meet all our marketing goals
If you want to talk about your skills and what you are good at, you can say,
- My forte is _____
- I excel at _____
My forte is making creative graphics and I excel at graphics for Facebook advertisements
Expressions to describe being busy at work
You will quickly realise that working life is all about being busy. Even if you are not busy, you sometimes have to pretend to be busy. No manager likes to see their workers with nothing to do!
Here are some great phrases to describe being busy in English.
- I’m snowed under
- I’m swamped with work
- I’ve got a lot on my plate
- I’m up to my neck in work
- I’m up to my neck in deadlines
Changing jobs
The days of working for your whole career in one company are rapidly disappearing. Nowadays, job hopping is a common trend. Young people may spend a few months in one job to get some experience or learn some new skills, and then ‘hop’ or move to a new job for the next six months. And then move again.
Here are some phrases to talk about your desire to change job.
It’s time to move on
It’s time to move on to a new challenge
I want to make a career change
In addition, you can use these phrase below to give a reason why you want to change. In this case, they mean you are bored or feel you can do so much more if given the chance.
I’m stuck in a rut
I’m not realising my potential
I’ve got untapped potential
So, all in all, you have some awesome phrases here that you can use to describe different stages of your employee life cycle.
If you liked this lesson, leave me a comment below. Let me know which phrase you are going to use this week, and why.
4 thoughts on “English Expressions to Talk About Work”
thanks a lot to share these useful expressions and phrases
My pleasure, glad you like them!
all of these phrases are excellent
Glad you like them!