English for Work: The Practical Guide to Job Interviews and Professional Emails

Workplace English is not "harder English" — it is more predictable English. Interviews, emails and meetings are built from patterns that repeat. Learn the patterns and you arrive prepared — and the confidence difference shows immediately.

The interview: three questions that always come up

• "Tell me about yourself" — prepare a 60-second answer: current role, one achievement with numbers, and why this job. Not a life story.
• "What are your strengths?" — pick one relevant strength and prove it with an example: "I'm good at solving problems. For example, last year I…".
• "Do you have any questions for us?" — you always do. Ask about the day-to-day: "What does a typical week look like in this role?".

The professional email: a four-line structure

A good work email is short and predictable: a greeting (Hi Sarah / Dear Mr. Cohen), a context line ("I'm writing about…"), the request or information itself, and a close with the next step ("Could you send it by Thursday?"). Sign off with Best regards — safe in every situation.

An instant politeness upgrade: replace "Send me the file" with "Could you send me the file?" and use "I'd appreciate it if…" for bigger requests. In business English, indirectness equals politeness.

In meetings: three phrases that save you

• Did not catch it? "Sorry, could you say that again more slowly?" — asking for clarification is professional; guessing is risky.
• Need a moment to think? "That's a good question — let me get back to you on that." Buys time with dignity.
• Want to contribute? "Just to add to what David said…" — the easy way in without interrupting.

These patterns only work if they leave your mouth naturally — so you must practise them out loud. Our speaking section has dedicated topics for work, meetings and phone calls, with audio and pronunciation feedback.