Describe your first day at a new school or job

In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you get this card, one minute to prepare and up to two minutes to speak. Below: the notes a strong candidate might make in that minute, a natural Band 7–8 answer, the words that make it work, and the Part 3 discussion the examiner usually moves on to.

The cue card

One-minute notes

Notes in the preparation minute should be keywords, not sentences — one line per bullet, plus the one detail that makes your story yours. Something like:

• first day at my current job, 3 years ago
• mid-size marketing agency
• laptop not ready; spent morning reading documents
• a colleague took me to lunch, showed me everything
• remember: from very awkward to welcome in one lunch

Band 7–8 sample answer

I'd like to talk about my first day at my current job, which was about three years ago, at a medium-sized marketing agency in the city centre.

I arrived about twenty minutes early, wearing clothes that were much too formal, as it turned out — everyone else was in jeans. The manager who'd hired me was in a meeting, so the receptionist gave me a seat and a stack of documents about company policies to read. My laptop wasn't ready either, because the IT person was on holiday, so I spent the whole morning reading things that I've honestly never needed since, trying to look busy.

By lunchtime, I was feeling quite awkward and starting to wonder if I'd made a mistake. Then one of the designers, a woman called Aylin, came over and asked if I wanted to join her for lunch. She took me to a small place round the corner, told me who was who in the office, which people to ask for help and which meetings I could safely ignore. In the afternoon she introduced me to the rest of the team, and my laptop finally arrived at about four o'clock.

I remember the day mainly because of that contrast. It went from very uncomfortable to welcoming in the space of one lunch, just because of one person who made an effort. Aylin is now one of my closest friends at work. And since then, whenever someone new joins our team, I always make sure I'm the one who takes them to lunch on their first day.

About 261 words — roughly two minutes at a relaxed pace. Notice what it does: one specific story instead of general statements, every bullet covered, natural spoken linking rather than "firstly… secondly…", and the "why" part of the card answered properly at the end — that is where many candidates run out of things to say. Use it to see the structure; don't memorise it. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and your own story will always sound more fluent.

Useful vocabulary

• as it turned out — as was discovered later
• awkward — uncomfortable and embarrassing
• who was who — which person had which role
• make an effort — to try hard to do something, often for someone else
• settle in — to start feeling comfortable in a new place
• show someone the ropes — to teach someone how a job or place works

Part 3: questions and model answers

After your two minutes, the examiner moves to a discussion linked to the card's topic. These questions are more abstract: give an opinion, a reason and an example, and it's fine to say "it depends" — as long as you explain on what.

Why are first days often stressful?

Because everything is unfamiliar at once — the people, the routines, even where the toilets are. People also want to make a good impression, so they feel watched and judged. And there's uncertainty about whether they've made the right choice.

How can companies help new employees settle in?

By being prepared: having their equipment ready, a clear plan for the first week and a named person they can ask questions. Small things like a team lunch help a lot. A good start makes new employees more confident and more likely to stay.

Is it good for people to change jobs often?

It can be, in moderation. Changing jobs every few years helps people learn new skills and often increase their salary. But changing too often can make it hard to build deep expertise or relationships, and employers may wonder whether the person will stay.

What makes a workplace friendly?

Mostly the people and the management style. When colleagues help each other and managers treat people with respect, the atmosphere is friendly. Physical things help too — shared spaces where people can chat — but they can't make up for a culture where people compete or feel afraid to make mistakes.

More cue cards about school and work

• Describe a time you worked with a team
• Describe a job you would like to do
• Describe a subject you enjoyed at school

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