Useful Expressions
Level: Elementary Intermediate Advanced
Telling people your job
When people ask you 'What do you do?', there are different ways that you can answer. In all the examples below the speaker is a hairdresser.
Ten Expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing
- I'm a hairdresser.
- I'm in hairdressing.
- I work as a hairdresser.
- I'm a professional hairdresser.
- I do a bit of hairdressing.
- I'm in the hairdressing business.
- I cut hair (for a living).
- I work for a hairdressers.
- My day job is hairdressing.
- I earn my living as a hairdresser.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English
- Phrase 1 is simply giving the job as a fact.
- Phrase 2 is describing the job as an area with a variety of possible jobs - hair-cutter, stylist, colourist etc.
- Phrase 3 says that the speakers job is now hairdressing but maybe she can do other things as well.
- We say phrase 4 when we want to make our job sound more important or difficult.
- We say phrase 5 when we want to make the job sound less important or difficult. Also, maybe it is only part-time work.
- Phrase 6 is simmilar to phrase 2.
- Phrase 7 simply describes the action of the job. It makes the job sound less glamorous or difficult.
- Phrase 8 is saying who the employer is. Maybe the speaker doesn't actually cat hair. Maybe he / she sweeps the floor.
- Phrases 9 and 10 says that the speaker makes money by cutting hair but has another profession that he / she wants to follow in the future.