Do you want to ask deeper questions when someone tells you about their job?
Listen in to today’s episode and learn the vocabulary to use to keep the conversation going.
This will help you build connections when someone shares about their work experience and what they do.
Talking about jobs
Michelle asks Lindsay if she ever met someone whose job title confused her.
Lindsay answers that she has experienced that and it can happen a lot.
There are times that you might hit a brick wall when you’re trying to figure out what someone does.
You might find yourself trying to find the words to start a conversation.
There are certain jobs that are a little bit more straightforward than others when you describe them to someone.
- doctor
- lawyer
- teacher
But there are other positions where someone might say what they do and it’s a little unclear.
Do you know your friends’ jobs?
Michelle then asks Lindsay if she has friends whose jobs she doesn’t know.
Lindsay responds that she has a few.
She then mentions that it makes her think of the movie Father of the Bride.
In this film, Steve Martin’s character asked her daughter’s fiancé about his job and his answer was “independent communications consultant.”
They mention that on the TV show Friends, no one knew what Chandler did.
Career questions to ask
Today you’ll learn how to ask about careers that are unclear based on a job title.
This is a huge time for connection.
It shows you are interested in this person and what they do.
Michelle asks Lindsay when she is in the position of not knowing what someone does, does she usually dig deeper.
Lindsay answers that it is a good way to connect and there are many questions you can ask to be able to learn more about someone’s career.
Here are some sample questions Lindsay and Michelle suggest you can use:
- That sounds interesting. What is involved in that?
- Wow! I’m sorry I’m not that familiar with that industry. Can you explain it to me?
- What projects do you typically work on?
- How did you get into that industry?
The last question doesn’t directly ask what the person does in their job.
However, it will give you an understanding about their history which can give you clues about their job.
Different industries
Lindsay asks Michelle what people’s reactions are when she shares what she does and what industry she works in.
Michelle shares that sometimes it can be a little confusing to talk about her own job because she has several positions.
To simplify, Michelle says she co-hosts a podcast for teaching English and teaches ESL to adults in college.
You need to know the common questions to expect about your job.
You should be ready with answers when talking about the details of your career.
Roleplay
Here is a quick roleplay from Lindsay and Michelle using the tips shared in today’s episode.
This will help you better understand how to continue a conversation about someone’s work and career experiences without hitting a brick wall.
In this scenario, Lindsay and Michelle are talking at a party.
Lindsay: So what do you do?
Michelle: I’m an ad creator at a boutique.
Lindsay: That sounds interesting. What is involved in that?
Michelle: Well, I typically do a lot of storyboarding and filming for this boutique to get the word out.
Lindsay: Oh, so marketing.
Michelle: Absolutely.
Lindsay: How did you get into that industry?
Michelle: I studied it in college and grad school! I worked for a larger corporate company, but switched to working with smaller companies and I love it.
Lindsay: That’s great!
Michelle: What do you do?
Lindsay: I’m a communications accountant.
Michelle: Wow! I’m sorry I’m not familiar with that industry. Can you explain it to me?
Lindsay: Sure!
Takeaway
There are different ways to say what you do at work.
The way you respond when asked about your job will depend on who you are talking to.
It’s a great way to connect with other people or even learn interesting things about different industries and career backgrounds of other people.
What’s important is to be genuine so you don’t break the connection.
You may have the right conversation starters or responses but it is vital that you show you’re actually interested and want to learn about them.
You can listen to more Business English episodes to not hit a brick wall when talking about careers.
Check out episode BE 316: Be Confident on Your First Day at Work to learn how to show strength and self-assurance on your first day on the job.
What are other conversation starters you use to know more about someone’s job?
Share one in the comments below.
