IELTS Speaking Practice Questions with Answers: Work

Currently I’m working as a software developer at a tech start-up. I’ve been in this role for about two years, and it’s been an exciting journey so far.

Useful language:an exciting journey

I develop features for a mobile banking app. Most of my day involves writing code, testing it and working with designers to improve the user experience.

Useful language:user experience

Yes, mostly. I enjoy solving problems and seeing people actually use something I’ve built. The deadlines can be stressful, though.

Useful language:solving problems

I start with a short team meeting at nine, then spend most of the morning coding. Afternoons are usually for meetings, code reviews and testing.

Useful language:code reviews

Yes, I worked in a café during university. It taught me a lot about customer service and working under pressure.

Useful language:working under pressure

A friendly, collaborative one, but with quiet areas where I can concentrate. I also value some flexibility to work from home.

Useful language:collaborative

Definitely. You spend so much time with colleagues that good relationships make work more enjoyable and help teams solve problems faster.

Useful language:solve problems faster

I’d like to try teaching coding to young people one day. I think it would be rewarding to pass on what I’ve learned.

Useful language:pass on

One skill that has been incredibly useful for my work is project management.

I learned it during my final year at university, when I was leading a team project for my computer science course. We had to develop a fairly complex mobile application within a tight deadline, and at the start everything was chaotic — people worked on the same tasks twice and nobody knew what was finished.

To get the project under control, I learned how to break large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks, set realistic timelines and divide the work according to each person’s strengths. I used a simple online board where everyone could see their tasks, and we held short weekly meetings. I also learned how important clear communication is, and how to keep people motivated when deadlines get close.

Since then, I’ve used these skills constantly in my current job. They help me organise my own work, collaborate with colleagues and deliver projects on time. For example, last month I led a small team that launched a new feature for our app, and we finished two days ahead of schedule because we planned carefully from the beginning.

I think this skill is crucial because it isn’t only about completing tasks efficiently — it’s also about teamwork and helping everyone work towards a common goal. In today’s fast-paced workplaces, being able to manage projects well can make a huge difference to productivity and stress levels.

Useful language:a tight deadlinemanageable chunksrealistic timelinesget the project under controlahead of schedulea common goal

It has become more flexible and more digital. Remote and freelance work have grown, and many jobs now require tech skills. At the same time, competition is global, and job security has decreased in many sectors.

Useful language:more flexiblejob security

Meaningful work, good relationships with colleagues, fair pay, opportunities to learn and grow, and a reasonable work-life balance. Feeling appreciated by managers also matters a lot.

Useful language:meaningful workfeeling appreciated

No. Salary matters up to the point where you can live comfortably, but beyond that, people value interesting work, respect and free time more. A well-paid but stressful job can make people unhappy.

Useful language:up to the pointlive comfortably

Technology will have a profound impact. Automation and AI are likely to replace jobs involving repetitive tasks, but they’ll also create new roles we can’t imagine yet. Remote work will continue to offer flexibility while blurring work-life boundaries. Continuous learning will become essential, and governments will need to support workers affected by automation so the benefits are shared fairly.

Useful language:repetitive tasksblurring boundariescontinuous learningshared fairly

Many face strong competition, employers asking for experience they can’t get without a first job, and short-term or low-paid contracts. High housing costs also make it hard to move to where the jobs are.

Useful language:short-term contractshigh housing costs

I think some change is healthy. Moving between roles helps people learn new skills and find what suits them. But changing too often can prevent people from developing deep expertise, so a balance is best.

Useful language:deep expertise

Very important. With phones and remote work, it’s easy to be ‘always on’, which leads to burnout. Time for family, rest and hobbies keeps people healthy and actually makes them more productive.

Useful language:always onburnout

Governments should invest in education and retraining, support industries that create jobs, and provide unemployment benefits while people search for work. Help with job searching and apprenticeships for young people is also effective.

Useful language:retrainingapprenticeships