Jobs

Careers and work are naturally relatable since most students are either working, studying for a job, or thinking about their future. These questions work well for practicing career vocabulary and talking about goals, skills, and workplace culture.

Beginner (A1-A2)

1. At what age do you want to retire? What will you do after you stop working?
2. What is the most dangerous job you can think of? What makes it so dangerous?
3. Do you work now? Tell me about it.
4. What do you wear to work? How is it different from what you wear on weekends?
5. Who has the most interesting job in your family? What do they do?
6. How do you get to work or school? How long does it take?
7. Do you eat lunch at work, or do you go somewhere else? What do you usually eat?
8. Do you usually get along with your coworkers or classmates? What do you do together?
9. How many days a week do you work or go to school? Is that enough free time for you?
10. Do you work inside or outside? What is your workplace like?
11. How much money do you want to make at your job? What would you spend it on?

Elementary (A2)

1. What are some of the worst jobs you can think of? What makes them so bad?
2. What are some of the best jobs you can think of? What makes them so good?
3. What is one of the most exciting jobs you can think of? How about one of the most boring jobs?
4. What kind of job do you want to get in the future? What kind of tasks will you have to do?
5. What company is the best to work for? Why do you think so?
6. What are three things you look for in a good job?
7. Do you prefer to work in the morning or at night? What’s good about that time?
8. What job did you want when you were a child? Why that job?
9. Do you like working alone or with other people? What’s good about it?
10. Do you work on weekends? How do you feel about it?
11. What kind of job does your best friend have? Why?
12. Have you ever quit a job? What happened?
13. What do you do to relax after a hard day at work? Why does that help?
14. Have you ever worked overtime? What did you think of it?
15. What skills do you need for your job? Which one is the most important?
16. What is the hardest part of your job or studies? Why is it so hard?
17. What is the first job you ever had? How did you get it?

Intermediate (B1)

1. Is it better to be a boss or an employee? Why?
2. What would be the most satisfying job for you? What makes it so appealing?
3. How difficult is it to get a job in your country?
4. Do you prefer a job with a fixed salary or one where you can earn more with tips or commissions? Why?
5. What jobs are popular with young people in your country? Why do you think they choose them?
6. Should people be allowed to work from home all the time? Why or why not?
7. What do you think makes a good boss? Give me some examples.
8. What are the downsides of working for yourself? What are the upsides?
9. Do you think people change jobs too often these days? Why or why not?
10. If you had to choose between a stressful high-paying job and a relaxing low-paying job, which would you pick? Why?
11. If you could start your own business, what kind of business would it be? What would make it successful?
12. Do you think people should follow their passion when choosing a career, or should they focus on money? Why or why not?
13. What is the strangest job interview question you have ever heard? What makes it so strange?
14. Do you think your generation works harder than your parents’ generation? Why or why not?
15. Do you think it is important to be friends with the people you work with, or is it better to keep work and personal life separate? Why or why not?
16. Have you ever had to deal with a difficult boss or coworker? How did you handle the situation, and what did you learn from it?

Upper Intermediate (B2)

1. Do you think what job someone has determines who they are? Why or why not?
2. How is work-life balance different now compared to 20 years ago? How often do people in your generation talk about it?
3. How do employee benefits affect job satisfaction? What can companies do to improve that?
4. What role does networking play in finding jobs today? How has social media changed that?
5. How do workplace dress codes reflect company culture? How is it different in your field?
6. How does job instability affect people’s life decisions? Have you seen this in your friends or family?
7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a side hustle or second job while working full-time?
8. Some companies now care more about skills than university degrees when hiring. What are the pros and cons of this approach?
9. How has AI and automation changed the types of jobs available? Which industries do you think will be most affected in the next 10 years?
10. In some countries, people work 50 or 60 hours a week. What effect does this have on families and communities? How is it different in your country?
11. How do economic recessions reshape what kinds of jobs people value and pursue?
12. Some people change careers completely in their 30s or 40s. What does it take to start over professionally, and why do some cultures encourage it more than others?

Advanced (C1)

1. How might AI automation both reduce drudgery and eliminate meaningful work for people?
2. What tensions exist between promoting diversity in hiring and concerns about fairness or merit?
3. How do open-plan offices both encourage collaboration and undermine individual productivity?
4. How might the normalization of frequent career changes both empower individuals and erode institutional knowledge?
5. Many people say they want to ‘do what they love’ for work. How realistic is that advice, and what happens when a passion becomes an obligation?
6. Job titles and workplace hierarchies are becoming flatter in many companies. Does removing traditional titles actually change power dynamics, or does it just hide them?
7. Companies often say they want creative, independent thinkers, but then reward employees who follow the rules and don’t cause problems. Why does this contradiction exist, and how does it affect innovation?
8. The gig economy gives workers more freedom but fewer protections. At what point does flexibility stop being a benefit and start being a risk?
9. Remote work was supposed to give employees more freedom, but many companies now use software to track every click and keystroke. How did more flexibility lead to more surveillance?
10. Many jobs now require years of experience for entry-level positions. Why do companies keep raising the bar for jobs that used to need no experience, and what does that do to young workers?
11. Companies encourage employees to ‘bring your whole self to work,’ but people who share too much about their personal lives or opinions often face consequences. Where is the real line between authenticity and professionalism?