1. How to Introduce Yourself Professionally in the Business World

Podcast Introduction
Hello, I’m Daryush, and welcome to the Business English Hub — the podcast that helps you speak clearly and confidently at work. This podcast is for professionals, students, and job-seekers who use English in meetings, presentations, interviews, and beyond. Listen regularly to build your vocabulary, improve fluency, and feel more comfortable using English in the workplace. Oh, and by the way, we have a free transcript for this episode. If you want to read along or review later, just check the link in the description.

Episode Introduction

This week’s episode is all about how to introduce yourself in a professional context — clearly, confidently, and naturally. Sounds like a lot, right? But don’t worry, we’ll break it down step by step. Whether it’s a team meeting, a networking event, or a job interview, knowing how to describe your role and responsibilities is key. You’ll hear four short examples from different professionals. Your job might be completely different — and that’s okay. The goal is to learn useful phrases you can adapt to your own situation. So, as you listen, pay attention to the kinds of phrases they use to talk about their work. After that, I’ll walk you through some of the most useful phrases they used. Then I’ll show you how you can use them in your own introduction.

Let’s start with our first example: Olivia.

Working Profiles

1.      Olivia – HR Manager at a Tech Company

“Hi, I’m Olivia. I work in Human Resources for a large tech company based in Berlin. I’m responsible for recruitment and employee development, and I specialize in leadership training. A big part of my work consists of planning workshops and onboarding new team members. I also work with department heads to understand their hiring needs. So overall, I’m in charge of creating a positive and productive workplace culture.”

Now Let’s hear from Marco.

2.      Marco – Sales Consultant for a Logistics Firm

“Hello! My name’s Marco, and I work as a sales consultant. I work for a logistics firm that provides transport solutions across Europe. I’m mainly in charge of developing client relationships, and I deal with contract negotiations on a daily basis. I also work with the marketing and finance teams to align our strategies. My job involves a lot of travel, and I specialize in cross-border logistics.”

Now, let’s listen to Aisha’s introduction.

3.      Aisha – Freelance Graphic Designer

“Hello, I’m Aisha. I work as a freelance graphic designer, and I specialize in brand identity and digital content. I work with startups, NGOs, and sometimes advertising agencies. Most of my work consists of creating visual campaigns and refining client branding. I’m responsible for the entire design process—from concept to final delivery. My projects often involve collaboration with writers and developers.”

And finally, Daniel.

4.      Daniel – Customer Support Representative in the Tourism Industry

“Hi, I’m Daniel. I work in customer support for a travel company that organizes eco-tours. I deal with customer inquiries and bookings, and I’m responsible for resolving any issues travelers may face before or during their trip. I also work with our logistics team to ensure everything runs smoothly. A big part of my role involves communication, so I specialize in helping clients feel heard and supported.”

Language Focus / Key Phrases

Alright, now that you’ve heard Olivia, Marco, Aisha, and Daniel talking about their jobs, let’s take a closer look at some of the key phrases they used. These are super common in the business world, especially when you’re introducing yourself or describing what you do. I’ll explain what each phrase means and give you some examples. I’ll also show you how to use each one in a sentence. Let’s get started! The first phrase is “be in charge of.”

• Be in charge of

This one came up in Olivia’s introduction — she said, “I’m in charge of creating a positive and productive workplace culture.”

So, to be in charge of something means you’re leading it, or you have the authority to make decisions about it. You’re the one making sure things happen.

And here’s an important grammar tip: after “be in charge of” you should always use either a noun or a verb ending in -ing.

For example:

I’m in charge of the budget.
I’m in charge of managing our events.

So don’t say: “I’m in charge of manage the team” (That’s incorrect)— we need that -ing form after “of.” You need to say: “I’m in charge of managing the team.”

Now, another important phrase is “be responsible for.”

• Be responsible for

It’s very similar to “be in charge of,” but sounds a bit broader. You don’t have to be the manager — you just need to make sure the task gets done.

Daniel said: “I’m responsible for resolving any issues travelers may face.”

So, same structure: Again — always a noun or a verb in the -ing form. For example:

I’m responsible for social media.
I’m responsible for handling customer feedback.

Again, it’s incorrect to say: “I’m Responsible for reply to emails.” That’s incorrect. You need to say: “I’m responsible for replying to emails.”

Now, let’s move on to “work with.”

• Work with

This one’s nice and easy — it tells us who you collaborate with.

Aisha said: “I work with startups, NGOs, and sometimes advertising agencies.”
Daniel also said he works with the logistics team.

So, this is followed by a person, group, or department. It, of course, depends on your job. You could say:

I work with a team of engineers.
I work with international clients.
I work with suppliers from different countries.

Here is another one with the verb “work,” which is super useful: “work as.”

• Work as

This one tells us your job title or what kind of professional role you have.

Marco said: “I work as a sales consultant.”
Aisha said: “I work as a freelance graphic designer.”

A common mistake my students often make is to say: “I work like a project manager.” But you need to say:

I work as a project manager.
I work as a software engineer.

Is that clear? “work as” not “work like.” Alright, another great phrase to know is “work in.”

• Work in

This one’s about your department, field, or industry — not your company or organization, but the area you work in.

Olivia said: “I work in Human Resources.”
Daniel said: “I work in customer support.”

You can use it like this:

I work in education.
I work in marketing.
I work in the finance department.

Now, the next phrase is “work for.”

• Work for

This one tells us who your employer is — the company, the organization, or even yourself. A quick note here: a lot of my students mistakenly say: “I work in Google” or “I work in Microsoft,” but that’s not quite right. When you’re talking about the company you work for, the correct phrase is “work for” — so you’d say, “I work for Google,” or “I work for Microsoft.”

Let’s hear some examples from our speakers:

Marco said: “I work for a logistics firm.”
Daniel said: “I work for a travel company.”
And Aisha? She works for herself — she’s a freelancer, like me.

So you can say:

I work for a startup in Berlin.
I work for an NGO that supports refugees.

Let’s add another phrase to your toolkit: “involve.”

• Involve

This one’s a verb — and we usually use it to describe what your job includes.

Marco said: “My job involves a lot of travel.”
Daniel said: “A big part of my role involves communication.”

So when you say “My job involves such and such,” it’s always followed by a noun or a verb in the -ing form. For examples you could say:

My job involves planning events.
My job involves budget analysis.

Again — we need that -ing: so, don’t say: “My job involves plan events,” but “planning events.”

Well, there’s another useful way to talk about different parts of your job — and that’s with the phrase “consist of.”

Consist of

This one’s a bit more formal, but still useful. It’s about describing the main parts of your job — what it’s made up of.

Aisha said: “Most of my work consists of creating visual campaigns and refining client branding.”

So, after “consists of,” you usually list two or more things — and if they’re actions, the verbs need to end in -ing. For example, you can say:

My job consists of replying to emails, solving problems, and writing reports.

Or, Most of my work consists of team meetings and project planning.

It’s great when you want to give people a clearer idea of what your day actually looks like.

Alright, we’re almost at the end — the second-to-last phrase is “specialize in.”

• Specialize in

Specialize in means you focus on one particular area — you have a certain expertise.

Olivia said she specializes in leadership training.
Marco said he specializes in cross-border logistics.
Aisha specializes in brand identity.

After “specialize in,” we use a noun — something you’re really good at. For instance, you could say:

I specialize in cybersecurity.
Our company specializes in educational technology.

A mistake my students often make is saying “I'm specialized in ...” — but this sounds unnatural in English. The correct way to express your expertise is to use the verb form: “I specialize in ...” For example, “I specialize in education,” not “I’m specialized in education.”

Our last key phrase today is “deal with.”

• Deal with

This means you handle something — a task, a problem, or a type of person.

Daniel said: “I deal with customer inquiries and bookings.”
Marco said: “I deal with contract negotiations.”

So, this is followed by a noun — usually something you manage or respond to. For example:

I deal with technical issues.
I deal with suppliers and deadlines.
I deal with customer feedback.

Practice Time

Alright, now it’s practice time! We’ve gone through all those useful phrases, and now it’s your turn to put them into practice.

But, first, let’s do a quick recap — and as I say each phrase, I want you to repeat it out loud. Ready?

• I’m in charge of …

• I’m responsible for …

• I work with …

• I work as …

• I work in …

• I work for …

• My job involves …

• My work consists of …

• I specialize in …

• I deal with …

Great job. Saying these out loud will help you feel more natural and confident when you actually need to use them.

Now, I’d love for you to take a minute to create your own working profile. Think about your current job — or the kind of role you’d like to have — and try to describe it using at least three or four of the phrases we practiced. Well, you can follow the structure from the examples we listened to today. Start by saying your name and what you do. Then describe your responsibilities, who you work with, and any special areas you focus on. Keep it short and professional — just a few clear sentences.

And if you’d like to test your understanding before you share, I’ve designed a short interactive exercise to help you review. You’ll find the link in the episode description. And here’s the best part: if you feel comfortable, share your self-introduction in the comments! It’s always a great way to get feedback and connect with other learners. I’ll be checking, and I’d love to see what you come up with.

Okay, this brings us to the end of this episode. I hope you found these tips useful for talking about your job. Thanks again for joining me today on the Business English Hub. Make sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss next week’s episode. Until then — keep practicing, and keep growing your confidence in English. Talk to you soon!

Click here to download the full transcript in PDF format.

Click here to take the quiz and test your understanding of the phrases.