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[4:17] Workplace English: How to Describe Your Job Responsibilities and Daily Tasks in Detail

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This article explains how to describe your job responsibilities and daily tasks in English in detail, including common expressions, verb usage examples, and how to introduce yourself professionally, helping improve workplace English communication skills.

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Sometimes we want to give more details about what we do in our job. Let's take a look at some useful vocabulary. We can describe the main part of our job like this. I'm in charge of. My main responsibility is. I'm responsible for. Often we follow the last two expressions with an ING form of a verb. We can use I head a department and I supervise a team to say that we are in charge of people. We can also say that I'm the head of with the name of the department or the main area of responsibility. I'm the head of recruitment.

We use collaborate with or work with to show that we work in a team or at the same level. We use deal with and handle with words like problems, complaints, issues, inquiries. We use get to to show that we have the opportunity to do something, usually something we enjoy. We can use have to to show that something is necessary, often something we don't like. We can use don't have to when something we might not like is not necessary.

Now read some examples of people giving more details about their work. What words do you think are missing? Then listen to see if you were right. I head the sales department. I'm in charge of accounts. I'm responsible for following up on payments. My main responsibility is maintaining our computer systems. I deal with problems our staff have with computers. Have to come in on the weekends a lot, which isn't much fun. I work mainly with our international partners. I get to travel a lot, especially over to Europe. Again, what words do you think are missing in these examples? Then listen to see if you were right.

I'm responsible for preparing budgets, arranging meetings, preparing reports, things like that. I work with the public a lot. I handle questions about people's accounts. I supervise the payroll team. I collaborate with different teams across the organization on all kinds of projects. I don't have to stay in the office all day, which is nice.

When we introduce ourselves to someone in a professional situation, we give our name, and then follow up with where we work and job title. Maybe a little detail about what we do. Nice to meet you. I'm Sully. I'm a sales manager at InterTex. I'm responsible for our international contracts. Hello, Jerry. Jerry Robinson. I'm with Global Systems. I'm a senior project manager. I work mainly in our New York office, but I get to come to Seattle once or twice a year. So what do you do, Sully? I'm a product developer at Peacock Dreams. I'm responsible for designing our new summer fashion line.

Listening Comprehension

collaborate
verb
1. work together on a common enterprise of project
e.g. The soprano and the pianist did not get together very well
We joined forces with another research group
Synonym: join forcescooperateget together
2. cooperate as a traitor
e.g. he collaborated with the Nazis when they occupied Paris
supervise
verb
1. keep tabs on
keep an eye on
keep under surveillance
e.g. we are monitoring the air quality
the police monitor the suspect's moves
Synonym: monitor
2. watch and direct
e.g. Who is overseeing this project?
Synonym: overseesuperintendmanage
introduce
verb
1. introduce
e.g. Insert your ticket here
Synonym: insertencloseinclosestick input in
2. be a precursor of
e.g. The fall of the Berlin Wall ushered in the post-Cold War period
Synonym: inaugurateusher in
3. put before (a body)
e.g. introduce legislation
4. cause to come to know personally
e.g. permit me to acquaint you with my son
introduce the new neighbors to the community
Synonym: presentacquaint
5. furnish with a preface or introduction
e.g. She always precedes her lectures with a joke
He prefaced his lecture with a critical remark about the institution
Synonym: precedeprefacepremise
6. bring before the public for the first time, as of an actor, song, etc.
Synonym: bring out
7. put or introduce into something
e.g. insert a picture into the text
Synonym: insertinfixenter
8. bring in or establish in a new place or environment
e.g. introduce a rule
introduce exotic fruits
9. bring something new to an environment
e.g. A new word processor was introduced
Synonym: innovate
10. bring in a new person or object into a familiar environment
e.g. He brought in a new judge
The new secretary introduced a nasty rumor
Synonym: bring in
responsibility
inquiries