Telling people your job - Intermediate

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.

10 expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing: 
  1. I'm a hairdresser.
  2. I'm in hairdressing.
  3. I work as a hairdresser.
  4. I'm a professional hairdresser.
  5. I do a bit of hairdressing.
  6. I'm in the hairdressing business.
  7. I cut hair (for a living).
  8. I work for a hairdressers.
  9. My day job is hairdressing.
  10. I earn my living as a hairdresser.
How To Use These Phrases In Your English: 
  1. Phrase 1 is simply giving the job as a fact.
  2. Phrase 2 is describing the job as an area with a variety of possible jobs - hair-cutter, stylist, colourist etc.
  3. Phrase 3 says that the speakers job is now hairdressing but maybe she can do other things as well.
  4. We say phrase 4 when we want to make our job sound more important or difficult.
  5. We say phrase 5 when we want to make the job sound less important or difficult. Also, maybe it is only part-time work.
  6. Phrase 6 is simmilar to phrase 2.
  7. Phrase 7 simply describes the action of the job. It makes the job sound less glamorous or difficult.
  8. Phrase 8 is saying who the employer is. Maybe the speaker doesn't actually cat hair. Maybe he / she sweeps the floor.
  9. 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.
Intermediate

Find an Online English Course