Friendly to Senior
Care · Conversation
現役の頃は、どんなお仕事をされていたんですか？ — What kind of work did you do during your working years? (Care · Conversation, Friendly to Senior, JLPT N4)
You
現役の頃は、どんなお仕事をされていたんですか？
げんえきのころは、どんなおしごとをされていたんですか？
What kind of work did you do during your working years?
Romaji: Geneki no koro wa, donna o-shigoto wo sarete ita n desu ka? / Reply Romaji: Watashi wa zutto shomeikouji no shigoto wo shite imashita yo.
Reply
私はずっと電気工事の仕事をしていましたよ。
わたしはずっとでんきこうじのしごとをしていましたよ。
I was in electrical construction work my whole career.
Gesture & etiquette
Lean forward with genuine interest and react to the career they mention with specific curiosity: 「それは大変なお仕事だったんでしょうね」(That must have been demanding work). Validating the significance of their career history is a powerful act of respect.
「現役の頃」(in your working days) is a respectful way to reference someone's career that frames it as a time of active contribution — not simply 'when you were younger.' Follow-up with 「どんなところが好きでしたか？」(What did you enjoy most about it?) to invite reflection on meaning, not just facts.