Meeting someone at work: asking about jobs
CEFR: B1
Read/Listen first
Yesterday, I met a new colleague in the lobby before our morning briefing. My manager said, “Let me introduce you to Alex,” and I replied, “Nice to meet you.” Alex smiled and asked about my occupation: “What do you do?” So I explained that I’m a secretary and I work in the HR department on the third floor. “How about you?” I added. He said he’s an engineer, and he has worked on software for five years in our company. While we were walking to the office, he told me he was dealing with a tricky deadline last week, but he finished it on time. I asked if he could join our team lunch, and he said he would love to. After the meeting, we’re going to email each other our contact details and a short summary of our roles, so we can collaborate more easily next month.⚡ Learning goals
- Introduce a colleague and respond politely during a first workplace meeting.
- Ask and answer about an occupation and where someone works (department, floor).
- Make a simple follow-up plan after a meeting (invite, email, collaborate).
✨ Key language
- Let me introduce you to… “Let me introduce you to Alex.”
- What do you do? “What do you do at the company?”
- I work in the … department. “I work in the HR department.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Let me introduce you to… (introductions)
Rule: Use “Let me introduce you to + name” to present someone politely.Examples: Let me introduce you to Alex.; Let me introduce you to my colleague.; Let me introduce you to our new engineer.
Common pitfall + fix: Saying “Introduce you Alex” — Add “to”: “introduce you to Alex.”
Choose the best introduction sentence.
Tip: Use “introduce … to …” (verb + object + to + person).
Fill with the best answer: Let me introduce you ___ Alex.
Tip: “Introduce” is followed by “to”.
2️⃣ Present perfect for experience (has worked)
Rule: Use has/have + past participle to talk about experience up to now (time not finished).Examples: He has worked on software for five years.; I have worked in HR for two years.; She has worked in the company since 2022.
Common pitfall + fix: “He worked for five years” (sounds finished) — Use “has worked” for ongoing experience.
Which sentence matches ongoing experience?
Tip: Use “has worked” (not “is worked”).
Fill with the best answer: He ___ on software for five years.
Tip: “He” → “has” + past participle.
3️⃣ Past continuous + past simple (was dealing, finished)
Rule: Use was/were + -ing for an action in progress in the past, and past simple for the completed result.Examples: He was dealing with a deadline last week, but he finished it.; While we were walking, he told me about it.; I was answering emails when the meeting started.
Common pitfall + fix: “He dealing” — Add “was”: “He was dealing.”
Choose the correct past form.
Tip: “He” → “was dealing” + “finished”.
Fill with the best answer: He ___ with a tricky deadline last week.
Tip: Past continuous = was/were + -ing.
4️⃣ Future plans & polite modals (going to, could/would)
Rule: Use be going to for plans, and could/would for polite invitations and replies.Examples: We’re going to email each other.; Could you join our team lunch?; He said he would love to.
Common pitfall + fix: “We going to email” — Add “are”: “We are going to email.”
Which option is the most polite invitation?
Tip: “Could you…?” is polite and common at work.
Fill with the best answer: We ___ email each other after the meeting.
Tip: “We” → “are going to” for a plan.
✍️ Vocabulary
colleague
Meaning: a person you work with.Synonyms: coworker, workmate
Chunk/Idiom: a new colleague
Example: I met a new colleague in the lobby.
Morphology: noun (countable)
Self-practice: Say: “My colleague works in ___.”
introduce
Meaning: to present one person to another.Synonyms: present, acquaint
Chunk/Idiom: introduce you to someone
Example: My manager introduced me to Alex.
Morphology: verb (base form), introduced (past), introducing (-ing)
Self-practice: Complete: “Let me introduce you to ___.”
occupation
Meaning: a job or profession.Synonyms: job, profession
Chunk/Idiom: ask about someone’s occupation
Example: He asked about my occupation at the office.
Morphology: noun (countable/uncountable depending on use)
Self-practice: Answer: “My occupation is ___.”
secretary
Meaning: a person who supports an office team (emails, schedules).Synonyms: assistant, admin worker
Chunk/Idiom: I’m a secretary
Example: I’m a secretary in the HR department.
Morphology: noun (countable)
Self-practice: Say: “I’m a ___ and I work in ___.”
engineer
Meaning: a person who designs or builds systems (often technical).Synonyms: developer, specialist
Chunk/Idiom: a software engineer
Example: He’s an engineer and he has worked on software for years.
Morphology: noun (countable)
Self-practice: Ask: “Are you an engineer?” then answer.
department
Meaning: a section of a company (HR, sales, IT).Synonyms: team, division
Chunk/Idiom: the HR department
Example: I work in the HR department on the third floor.
Morphology: noun (countable)
Self-practice: Say: “I work in the ___ department.”
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
Let me introduce you to my new colleague from HR.
What do you do, and which department do you work in?
He has worked on software for five years in our company.
We’re going to email our contact details after the meeting.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Choose the correct question to ask about someone’s job.
Tip: Use “do” with “you”.
Choose the best polite reply.
Tip: “Would love to” is a polite acceptance.
Fill with the best answer:
He ___ on software for five years.Tip: Present perfect for experience up to now.
Fill with the best answer:
We ___ email each other after the meeting.Tip: “We” → “are going to” for a plan.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
What does “colleague” mean?
Tip: A colleague is a coworker.
What will they do after the meeting?
Tip: Look for “going to email”.
Fill with the best answer:
I work in the HR ___ on the third floor.Tip: HR is a department in a company.
Fill with the best answer:
Alex asked about my ___: “What do you do?”Tip: “Occupation” = job/profession.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: Let me introduce you to Alex. He’s our new engineer.B: Nice to meet you. What do you do in the company?
A: I’m a secretary. I work in the HR department on the third floor.
Why this matters:
Clear introductions save time, build trust, and make collaboration easier after meetings.Verb & Adjective Pack:
introduce — “Let me introduce you to Alex.”collaborate — “We can collaborate next month.”
tricky — “It was a tricky deadline.”
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: I asked if he ___ join our team lunch.
Tip: “Could” is polite and common at work.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: He has work on software for five years.
Tip: Use “worked” (past participle) after “has”.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
What do you do?
Tip: Focus on the weak form: “What d’you do?”