5 useful idioms for talking about your job

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(1)    line of work
Rather than talk about your 'job", refer to it as your 'line of work'. For example:

EXAMINER: What do you like most about your job?
CANDIDATE: I find my line of work challenging, but interesting. Keeping up with the latest technological developments keeps me on my toes, which is something that I enjoy.

Note that if you want to use this expression to say what you do, you should use the name the profession, not the title of a person who does the job. For example:

"My line of work is electrical engineering. I'm interested in building industrial robots". (Don't say "my line of work is engineer".)
"My line of work is sales" (not salesperson).
"My line of work is nursing" (not nurse).
"My line of work is teaching" (not teacher).

 

(2)    what I do for a living / what I do for a crust. / as my means of support
Use these expressions when speaking about a job that you are not enthusiastic about, but which is something you do because it gives you an income and is better than being unemployed. For example:

EXAMINER: Do you work or are you a student?
CANDIDATE: Well, I recently graduated from university, and now what I do for a crust is teach in a cram school. But I’m looking for a job where I can use my skills as a website designer.

(3)    my calling
You can also call your job your “calling”. It refers to the kind of job you do when you follow your heart. For example:

 

"I tried many jobs before I finally found my calling as a social worker."

(4)    land a job
It means ‘get a job’. For example:

"I was fortunate to land a job in my local area"
"It took me a long time to land the job I really wanted."

(5)    labour of love
If you love your job even though it is very difficult and you receive little financial reward, you can describe it as a ‘labour of love’. For example:

"For me, being a kindergarten teacher is a labour of love. It’s difficult and I still have a lot to learn, But I really enjoy being with young children."