Your First Job – Funny Stories and Big Mistakes

💼 Starting a new job is stressful.
Starting a new job in English can feel absolutely terrifying. You want to do everything right, but suddenly the printer is blinking, the machine is making strange noises, and everyone in the office is watching you. Your English disappears, your confidence drops, and all you want to do is hide under your desk. This episode of the Context English Podcast is built around that exact moment.

🎧 In this A2–B1 level English podcast, Anna and Mike explore real-life office situations that many English learners experience on their first days at work. The episode begins with a relatable and slightly embarrassing office moment and then turns it into a powerful learning opportunity. Through natural dialogue and clear explanations, listeners learn how to talk about problems, ask for help, and stay calm when something goes wrong at work.

🗣️ The language in this episode is simple, practical, and realistic. You will hear the kind of English people actually use in offices, not perfect textbook sentences. The focus is on understanding everyday workplace English, reacting naturally, and communicating even when you feel nervous or unsure. This makes the episode especially useful for learners who work in international companies or plan to work in an English-speaking environment.

🌍 This podcast is ideal for A2–B1 learners who want to improve their English for work, build speaking confidence, and feel more comfortable in professional situations. By listening and repeating the phrases, you train yourself to think in English during stressful moments instead of freezing. Little by little, office English becomes less scary and much more manageable.

✨ After this episode, situations that once felt embarrassing start to feel normal. You learn that mistakes are part of the process and that clear, simple English is more than enough to survive — and succeed — in the workplace.

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DIALOGUE

Anna: Ugh… okay, just press the blue button. Why is it blinking red? Wait, is that smoke? Oh my god, everyone is looking at me! This is my first day and I am already breaking the office! Please, just… stop… blinking! Oh no, the manager is coming. I want to hide under the desk right now.

GREETING & INTRODUCTION

Mike: Haha, oh Anna, stay calm! I think we have all been there. Hello everyone! Welcome to the Context English Podcast.

Anna: Hi everyone! I am Anna, and I am finally breathing again.

Mike: And I am Mike. Today, we are talking about a very special topic: Your first job.

Anna: Yes! Specifically, we are talking about the funny stories and the big, embarrassing mistakes we make when we start our careers. It is scary, but it is also how we learn.

Mike: Exactly. Our goal today is to help you feel more confident. By the end of this episode, you will know how to use past tenses to describe your work experiences and what to say when things go wrong.

RECENT EVENT / RELATABLE ANECDOTE

Mike: You know Anna, hearing you panic about the office machine reminded me of my very first job. I was eighteen years old, and I worked as a waiter in a very fancy, expensive restaurant.

Anna: Oh, a fancy restaurant? Were you a good waiter, Mike?

Mike: I tried to be! But I was so nervous. My hands were always shaking a little bit. One evening, a businessman came in. He was wearing a beautiful, perfect, white suit. It looked very expensive.

Anna: Oh no. I have a bad feeling about this story.

Mike: You should! He ordered a large glass of red wine. I brought it to his table on a small tray. I was doing great… until I reached for the glass.

Anna: Mike, please tell me you didn’t…

Mike: I did. My sleeve caught the edge of the glass. I watched it happen in slow motion. The glass tipped over, and red wine splashed everywhere. It was like a crime scene. There was a huge, dark red stain right on the front of his white jacket.

Anna: Oh! My heart is beating fast just listening to this! What did you do?

Mike: I froze. My face became as red as the wine. I was so embarrassed that I forgot all my English! I didn’t know the right words to say “I am terribly sorry” or “Let me pay for the cleaning.” Do you know what I said?

Anna: What?

Mike: I just looked at him and said… “Oops.”

Anna: Oops? That is all?

Mike: Yes! Just “Oops.” He looked at me, I looked at him, and I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me. It was the longest ten seconds of my life.

SMOOTH TRANSITION

Anna: Wow, Mike. That really is a nightmare! But look at you now—you survived and you can tell the story.

Mike: I did! The man was actually very kind. He saw how scared I was and he just laughed. But it made me think… Anna, I am sure you have a similar story. Did you make mistakes when you started your career?

Anna: Oh, absolutely. My story is also about a big mistake, but it wasn’t about wine… it was about technology!

MAIN TOPIC: REAL-LIFE STORY

Anna: Exactly! It happened during my first month at a very professional marketing office. I was twenty-one, and I wanted to be the perfect employee. I was so, so serious.

Mike: Oh, I can imagine you in a suit, Anna! Very professional. So, what happened?

Anna: Well, I had this very strict boss named Mr. Henderson. He never smiled. Never! One morning, he sent an email to the whole team about a big, secret meeting. But then, he sent a second email only to me. He asked me to… “handle the coffee and the snacks” for the meeting.

Mike: Okay, that sounds like a normal task for a new person.

Anna: It was! But here is the problem… I was so nervous that I didn’t read the email carefully. I saw the words “secret meeting” and “snacks,” and my brain just… stopped working. I wanted to be helpful, so I decided to send a reply to everyone in the office to ask what kind of cookies they liked.

Mike: Oh no. Anna… did you hit “Reply All”?

Anna: I did! I hit “Reply All” on the secret email! I wrote: “Hello everyone! For our secret meeting with the big client, do you want chocolate chip cookies or lemon ones? Please let me know ASAP! Smiley face.”

Mike: Oh… wow. So the “secret” meeting was not a secret anymore.

Anna: Exactly! Within two minutes, my computer screen was exploding with notifications. Everyone was laughing, and then… I saw Mr. Henderson walking towards my desk. His face was not red like your wine, Mike. It was white. He was so angry.

Mike: What did you do? Did you hide under the desk?

Anna: I almost did! My heart was beating like a drum. Thump-thump, thump-thump. I felt so small. I stood up, and my voice was shaking. I said, “Mr. Henderson, I am so sorry. I… I didn’t mean to tell everyone.”

Mike: That is a huge mistake for a first job. How did you fix it?

Anna: Well, I had to be honest. I went to his office, and I didn’t make excuses. I told him I was nervous and I made a technical mistake with the email. I promised to double-check every single email before hitting send for the rest of my life!

Mike: And did he fire you?

Anna: No! He actually sighed, looked at me, and said… “Well, Anna, at least everyone wants the chocolate chip ones.” He actually smiled for the first time!

Mike: Haha! That is a great ending. It shows that even the scariest bosses are human. But it also shows that we need the right words to apologize and move forward.

BREAKDOWN OF 5 USEFUL PHRASES

Anna: You are right, Mike. Let’s look at the language we can use when we are in these tricky situations.

Mike: Good idea. Our first phrase is very common for new workers. It is: “I’m still learning the ropes.”

Anna: “I’m still learning the ropes.” Mike, what does that mean? Are we on a boat?

Mike: Haha, no! It means you are still learning how to do a new job or a new task. It is a very friendly way to say, “I am new here, so I might be a little slow.” For example: “Sorry it’s taking a long time, I’m still learning the ropes.”

Anna: I love that. Okay, phrase number two is a big one. When you are confused, you should say: “Could you please show me how to…?”

Mike: “Could you please show me how to…?” This is so much better than just sitting there being confused.

Anna: Exactly. Use this for the printer, the coffee machine, or a computer program. For example: “Could you please show me how to use the scanner?” People usually love to help!

Mike: True. Now, phrase number three. This is what I should have said instead of “oops.” It is: “I’m sorry, I’ve made a mistake.”

Anna: “I’m sorry, I’ve made a mistake.” It is simple, professional, and honest.

Mike: Yes. Don’t hide it. Just say it. “I’m sorry, I’ve made a mistake with the wine jacket… I mean, the report.” It shows you are responsible.

Anna: Phrase number four is for when your boss is talking too fast! You say: “I didn’t quite catch that, could you repeat it?”

Mike: “I didn’t quite catch that, could you repeat it?” This is great because “I didn’t catch that” sounds very natural. It means “I didn’t hear or understand.”

Anna: Right. It is better to ask them to repeat it than to do the wrong thing. And finally, phrase number five. After you make a mistake and apologize, you say: “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Mike: “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” This is the perfect way to finish a difficult conversation.

Anna: Yes, it gives your boss confidence. You are saying, “I learned my lesson.” For example: “I am sorry about the ‘Reply All’ email, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

PRACTICE DIALOGUE

Mike: Okay, everyone. Now let’s hear those phrases in a real office situation. Imagine I am a new employee at a marketing agency, and Anna is my experienced colleague. I am trying to use the big office scanner, and… well, let’s listen.

Anna: Hey Mike! How is it going? You look a bit… stressed.

Mike: Oh, hi Anna. Yeah, I’m a little frustrated. I’m trying to scan these documents for the big meeting, but the machine is making a very strange clicking noise. I’m sorry, I’m still learning the ropes here and everything is a bit confusing.

Anna: Don’t worry about it! That machine is older than it looks. It can be very tricky.

Mike: Well, the clicking noise stopped, but now the screen says “Paper Jam.” Oh no… I think I put too many pages in at once. I’m sorry, I’ve made a mistake. I hope I didn’t break it!

Anna: Haha, no, you didn’t break it. Here, let me open this side door… see? We just need to pull this small piece of paper out. There!

Mike: Phew! Thank you so much. Actually, could you please show me how to set it for double-sided scanning? I don’t want to mess it up again.

Anna: Sure! First, you press the green button, then select “Job Settings,” then “Layout,” and then click “Two-sided.” Got it?

Mike: Oh, sorry Anna. I didn’t quite catch that, could you repeat it? You were a bit fast for me!

Anna: Of course! No problem. Press “Green Button,” then “Job Settings,” then “Layout,” then “Two-sided.”

Mike: Ah, okay! Green, settings, layout, two-sided. I see it now. Thank you, Anna! I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. I’ll write the steps down in my notebook right now.

Anna: That’s a great idea, Mike. You’re doing fine!

Mike: Now, let’s listen to three of those key phrases again, slowly.

Anna: I’m still learning the ropes.

Mike: I’m sorry, I’ve made a mistake.

Anna: I didn’t quite catch that, could you repeat it?

CONCLUSION & KEY TAKEAWAY

Mike: Wow, I feel better already! You know Anna, it is so important to remember that everyone—even the CEO of a company—was a beginner once.

Anna: That is so true, Mike. Making mistakes is just part of the journey. The important thing is how you handle them. If you are honest and you use the phrases we learned today, people will respect you for your professional attitude.

Mike: Exactly. So, here is our top tip for today: Don’t try to be perfect. Instead, try to be a good communicator. If you are starting a new job soon, write these five phrases on a small sticky note and put it on your computer screen.

Anna: That’s a perfect tip! It gives you a little “safety net” when you feel nervous. You can do this! We believe in you.

OUTRO & CALL TO ACTION

Mike: Well, that’s all for today’s episode of the Context English Podcast. We really hope you enjoyed our “horror stories” from our first jobs!

Anna: We want to hear from you now! What was your very first job? And did you ever make a funny or embarrassing mistake? Please tell us your stories in the comments—we read all of them and they make us laugh so much!

Mike: And if this episode helped you feel a bit more confident about your English, please give us a like and subscribe to our channel. It really helps us create more lessons for you.

Anna: Thank you for listening, and thank you for being part of our community.

Mike: Thanks everyone! See you in the next video!

Anna: Bye for now!