How to answer the question – What do you do?

Aakash Kadam

9 years ago

Spoken English lesson to learn how to answer the question 'What do you do'

Learn English, English speaking. English conversation

In this spoken English lesson, Ceema is going to tell you how to answer a very basic question “what do you do? During an English conversation Often, people get perplexed as they don’t know how to frame a proper answer to such a question. When you are asked such a question, people want to know your work profile, the kind of job you are involved in.

You can start your answer by saying:

I work at, I work in, I work for or I work with.

When you use ‘I work at or I work for’, you are going to tell them the company’s name you are working for.

Example: I work at Apple corporation

OR
Example: I work for Citibank.

I work in or I work on can be used in many ways

I work in is used to talk about the exact place you are working for.

Example: I work in an office.
Example: I work in a school.
Example: I work in a factory.
Example: I work in a boutique.
Example: I work on a farm (if you are a farmer)
Example: I work on a construction site.

I work in can also be used to name the city or country you work in.

Example: I work in Paris.
Example: I work in America.
Example: I work in the UK

I work in can also be used when you are talking about a specific department of a company.

Example: I work in the HR department.
Example: I work in the Marketing department

I work in can be used when you are talking about a specific area of expertise.

Example: I work in consulting. (as your area of expertise is consulting)
Example: I work in law.

I work for is used when you want to say you are directly working for an important person:

Example: I work for Tom Cruise.
Example: I work Steven Spielberg

I work with is used in two different ways:

When you work with objects of work or the things that you work with.

Example: I work with computers.
Example: I work with clothes.

I work with is also used when you talk about the specific kind of people you work with.

Example: I work with students of special needs.
Example: I work with engineers or architects.

For those who do not have a job could say:

Example: I am unemployed.
Example: I am between jobs.

There are some people who work for themselves. So your answer could be:

Example: I am self employed
Example: I own a small business