I formerly worked

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I formerly worked" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate a previous job or position you held before your current one. Example: "I formerly worked as a marketing manager at XYZ Corporation before transitioning to my current role."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

I formerly worked on Maiden Lane, so I experienced firsthand the inhumanity of the Lower Manhattan environment.

The New York Times - Arts

(I formerly worked at Bloomberg L.P). "This is a very unique problem for him — we don't have a very good picture of his financial situation, we really don't know what he owns, we don't know all his entanglements".

The New Yorker

I formerly worked for the organisation under consideration.

Journal of International Humanitarian Action

"I formerly worked in financial services, on the natural resources side of things.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

So it should be no surprise when I say that Jayaram formerly worked on the search quality team for Google.

TechCrunch

Sam & Adam will be joined by Josh Webb who I have worked closely with and who formerly worked at Idealab.

TechCrunch

Noah Kulwin, a senior editor at Jewish Currents (who formerly worked at VICE News), had a more terse response when I messaged him: "It's funny," he said.

Vice

"I think it's a bloody good thing," said Dale Smith, 41, a Broadway producer who formerly worked in the health care industry.

The New York Times

"I didn't know you could abbreviate his name to PTA," said a local law student who formerly worked at a dispensary.

Vice

The firm has ample experience in major international design projects: four of the five people on the Studio a+i team formerly worked for the celebrated architect Rafael Vi?, who has completed buildings worldwide.

The New York Times

They formerly worked at Bryan Cave.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I formerly worked" to clearly and professionally indicate a past employment, particularly when providing context or background information.

Common error

Avoid using "formerly" excessively in casual conversations or informal writing, as it can sound overly formal or stilted. Opt for more common alternatives like "used to work" in such scenarios.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I formerly worked" functions as a statement of past employment. Ludwig indicates that this phrase is grammatically correct. The examples show it used to provide context about one's professional background.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Formal & Business

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

1%

Academia

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "I formerly worked" is a grammatically correct phrase used to indicate past employment. Ludwig confirms this with its analysis. While not extremely common, it's suitable for professional contexts where providing background on one's work history is relevant. As suggested by Ludwig's examples, it's frequently found in news articles and professional communications. When a more casual tone is appropriate, alternatives like "I used to work" may be preferable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I previously worked

Replaces 'formerly' with 'previously', maintaining a formal tone and similar meaning.

Before, I worked

Simple reordering of the sentence, maintaining the core meaning.

I used to work

Employs a more casual and common expression for past employment.

In the past, I worked

Adds 'in the past' for emphasis, slightly increasing formality.

I once worked

Indicates a past job held at some point, with less emphasis on recentness.

I have previously been employed

A more formal and slightly lengthier alternative.

I was employed at

Focuses on the state of being employed, rather than the action of working.

I am a former employee of

Shifts the perspective to describing oneself as a former employee.

My past role was

Shifts the focus to the role itself, rather than the act of working.

I had a position at

Highlights having held a specific position in the past.

FAQs

What is a more casual way to say "I formerly worked"?

A more casual alternative to "I formerly worked" is "I used to work". This phrase is suitable for informal conversations and writing.

Is "I formerly worked" appropriate for a resume?

Yes, "I formerly worked" is appropriate for describing past roles on a resume, especially when followed by the company name and your position. However, in bullet points detailing your accomplishments, action verbs are preferred.

Which is correct: "I formerly worked" or "I formally worked"?

"I formerly worked" is correct. "Formerly" means 'in the past'. "Formally" means 'in a formal manner', so "I formally worked" is incorrect unless you mean you worked in a very formal way.

What can I say instead of "I formerly worked" to emphasize the role?

To emphasize the role, you could say "My previous role was" or "I was previously employed as", followed by the specific job title and company.