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This week in class, we talked about societal norms and how we introduce ourselves in a professional context. Today, we’ll look at the word “freshman”. In Japan, people often use school terms for work, but in English, using “freshman” at an office can lead to a very awkward misunderstanding!
A student started a new job at an international company. During a coffee break, they met a senior manager from the US. They had good intentions and wanted to say they just started working there.
They said:
…Uh oh. The manager looked confused. He asked, “Oh! Are you an intern? Which university do you go to?”
The student was embarrassed. In English, a “freshman” is a first-year student in high school or college. It is almost never used for a professional worker!
A student was attending an afterwork drinks event with their new global team. They wanted to explain that they were still learning the ropes because they had only been with the company for a week.
They said:
…Uh oh.
Their colleagues laughed out of the blue. The student inadvertently made themselves sound like a young adullt starting high school. In a business context, this makes you sound unprofessional or like an intern.
They realized they should have just said they “were new” or “just joined” to avoid the awkward silence that followed.
A student was introduced during a high-stakes faculty meeting. They wanted to acknowledge their status as the most recent addition to the department while remaining assertive and professional.
They stated:
…Uh oh. By using “freshman,” the student inadvertently stripped themselves of their professional authority.
In hindsight, they realized that school-based terminology does not translate to societal norms in Western workplaces. They had to quickly clarify that they were an experienced hire, not a student, to regain the room’s respect.
In Japanese, it is common to use terms like “shinjin” or even school-like levels to describe being new. However, in English, “freshman” is strictly an academic term. If you use it at work, people will think you are still a student or an intern. To be assertive and professional, you must use “work” language, not “school” language!
Use these phrases to highlight your new status without sounding like a student:
Which expression would you use in each situation? Talk about the following:
- You are at a job interview and want to sound very professional.
- You are talking to a teammate and explaining that you are still learning how the office works.
- You made a mistake last year, and now you realize why it happened. (Use 'hindsight'!)
- You want to highlight a problem in a meeting in a kind, “constructive” way.
- If you want to sound assertive and confident.
- If you want to explain you are still in training.
If you want to practice these in real situations or share your answers, you can book a lesson with me on Cafetalk and work on making your English more natural and professional!
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