IELTS Speaking : Job
IELTS Tip
For the IELTS Speaking exam, learn the words for the job you do, the job you would most like to do, the job you would least like to do, the job you think is the most difficult, the most rewarding, the most prestigious, etc. Make sure you can pronounce them correctly.
Practise talking about the jobs and explaining something about them (why the job appeals to you, or why it does not, and so on). Remember to use an article before a job.
Examples:
- I'm a primary school teacher.
- I'd like to be a flight attendant.
Have a look at the phrases and sentences below and practice with a partner. Then with the help of your partner answer the follow-up questions to test yourself. Remember that these questions are only sample questions designed to promote your spoken English ability in those areas and facilitate the task and may not be necessarily the questions being asked in the actual test.
What you do
1I'm a / an (+ job). e.g. a nurse / an accountant / a builder
2I work in (+ place or general area). e.g. a hospital / an office marketing / social
3I work for (+ name / place of the company). e.g. Union Bank / IBM / Fiat / an international bank
What your job involves
4I'm in charge of e.g. a big company
5I'm responsible fore.g. some workers in that department
6I have to deal with e.g. any complaints / overseas clients, mainly
7I run e.g. the company / a restaurant
8I manage e.g. a shop in downtown
Daily duties / routines
9I have to go / attend (formal) e.g. (to) a lot of meetings / conferences
10I visit / see / meet e.g. patients / clients
11I advise e.g. people / clients and give them help...
12It involves e.g. writing letters / filling in forms / doing a lot of paperwork / using computers a lot of the time
Getting a job
13It's not easy to get / find work e.g. in big cities / round these parts
14I'd love to do e.g. marketing / this kind of work
15It's difficult to make a living as a / an e.g. freelance writer
16I've been offered a job e.g. in that company / in London
17I've applied for a job e.g. in a local company / in the accounts department
Working hours
18I have a nine-to-five job / I work nine-to-five (regular working hours in Britain)
19I do / work shift work. (nights one week, days next)
20I am on flexi time. (flexible working hours)
21I have to do / work overtime. (work extra hours)
22I only work part-time / take a part-time job. (part of a day or a few days a week)
23I am a workaholic. I work full-time. (work too much)
24I took early retirement. (retire at 55 in Britain)
25I am on / take sick leave. (a period spent away from work, etc. because of illness)
26I am on / take maternity leave. (expecting a baby)
27I gave up work e.g. in order to study
28I was laid off (informal) e.g. when the factory went bust
29I was made redundant. (no longer needed and therefore out of work)
30I was dismissed (formal) e.g. for refusing to obey orders
31I was fired (informal) e.g. for always being late
32I am on / off duty. (to be working / not working)
Other useful phrases
33We usually take a break e.g. for lunch / for ten minutes
34We normally knock off work (informal) e.g. about 5:30 p.m. and go off to a restaurant nearby
35I get some rest. (a period of time when you relax after working)
36I was rather inexperienced e.g. for that kind of work
37I have a lot of experience e.g. in this area / of this kind of problem
38I am sufficiently qualified e.g. for this position
39This is a job requiring (a period of time when you relax after working)
40I try to be hardworking. (work hard)
41I'm quite competent e.g. at my job
42I try to work efficiently. (work quickly without making mistakes and wasting time)
43 Efficiency is very important e.g. in my job
44A lot of people do voluntary work. (you want to do it and you're not paid)
45I was promoted. (get a higher position)
46It is a demanding job. (needing a lot of effort, care, skill)
47I fill in for / stand in for / cover for e.g. her while she is off sick
48I am acting e.g. as a manager for the next couple of months
49I will take the place of e.g. our manager when he leaves
50The morning shift takes over from e.g. the night shift at 9 a.m.
51It is great teamwork e.g. that helps get the job done on time
52We teamed up e.g. with another group to finish our project
53We cooperate e.g. with a German firm on this project
54I was employed e.g. as a secretary for a couple of months
55I do casual work. (not regular, usually paid hourly)
56I've got a temporary job e.g. working in a newspaper office
57This factory has 200 employees. (a person who is employed)
58The staff e.g. are so polite and friendly
59They promoted e.g. me to office manager
60I'm on leave e.g. at the moment because...
61The post has been vacant e.g. for some time
62I turned it down. (to refuse one's offer)
Payment
63I am paid e.g. every months and this pay goes directly into my bank account monthly
64My salary e.g. is 20.000$ a year
65I earn e.g. 200$ a week as a hairdresser
66With many jobs you get holiday pay and sick pay. (when you're off duty or ill)
67I'm going to a pay rise. (my pay goes up)
68My average income e.g. has risen 2% this year
69I'm poorly paid / badly paid / don't earn much. (I'm paid very little money)
70I have a high income / earn a lot / am well-paid. (I'm paid a lot of money)
71My take-home pay / net income is 150$. (money left after deductions)
72My gross income is more than that. (before deductions)