prior to working

USAGE SUMMARY

"prior to working" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate something happened before a particular job or task. For example: "Prior to working as a doctor, I spent several years volunteering in hospitals."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

What did they accomplish prior to working at your organization?

Harvard Business Review

Prior to working at Penguin, Ellie worked for a small recruitment company specialising in publishing recruitment.

The Guardian

Prior to working with EverString, Autodesk relied on field experience and customer buying histories.

Harvard Business Review

Prior to working at Yahoo, Mr. Dickerson worked on early Web-based newspapers, including Salon.com.

The New York Times

Prior to working at Wells Fargo, Lewis worked – in a similar capacity – at American Express for almost 10 years.

The Guardian - Business

Charlotte is a qualified chartered accountant having spent six years in practice prior to working in the voluntary sector.

The Guardian

Prior to working at the Arboretum I worked at the Harvard Art Museums as an Attendant.

Harvard University

Prior to working at UCB, I worked in London, UK at Queen Mary, University of London.

University of California, Berkeley

Prior to working at Berkeley, Elliott worked at Western Washington University.

University of California, Berkeley

Prior to working in government, Jonas was a Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.

University of California, Berkeley

Prior to working at Poundland, she held a number of senior HR positions with Sainsbury's, including head of learning and development, and HR director for Sainsbury's logistics division.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing past experiences in a resume or cover letter, use "prior to working" to clearly and professionally indicate your previous roles and responsibilities.

Common error

Avoid using "prior to working" to describe current or future activities. This phrase specifically refers to actions or experiences that occurred before a particular job or task. Instead, use "before starting" or "in preparation for".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "prior to working" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a verb or noun, indicating the time frame before starting a particular job or role. Ludwig provides numerous examples showcasing its use in describing past experiences.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

39%

Academia

33%

Science

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "prior to working" is a grammatically sound and widely used prepositional phrase that effectively conveys the timing of events before a particular job or role. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability, as evidenced by numerous examples across various authoritative sources, including news outlets, academic institutions, and scientific publications. While versatile, it's best suited for professional and formal contexts and should be used to describe past experiences rather than present or future actions. Related phrases like "before starting work" offer alternative ways to express this temporal relationship.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

before starting work

Focuses on the commencement of work, simplifying the phrasing.

earlier than working

A more direct and less formal way of saying before.

before commencing work

More formal and emphasizes the start of work.

ahead of working

Uses "ahead of" to convey the sense of precedence, a slightly more informal tone.

before being employed at

Focuses on the state of employment, specifying the timeline.

previously employed at

Emphasizes previous employment history, suitable in professional contexts.

in advance of employment

Highlights preparation or anticipation of employment, more formal phrasing.

leading up to working

Suggests a period of preparation or events culminating in work.

preceding my work

A more formal and slightly archaic way of indicating what came before.

on the eve of employment

Implies something just before beginning of work

FAQs

How can I use "prior to working" in a sentence?

Use "prior to working" to describe experiences or roles held before a specific job. For example, "Prior to working as a software engineer, I volunteered as a web developer."

What can I say instead of "prior to working"?

You can use alternatives like "before starting work", "previously employed at", or "before being employed at", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "prior to work" instead of "prior to working"?

"Prior to work" is grammatically correct, but "prior to working" is more commonly used when referring to a specific job or role. "Prior to work" is more general. For example, "Prior to work, I always have a cup of coffee."

What's the difference between "prior to working" and "after working"?

"Prior to working" refers to experiences or actions before a particular job, while "after working" refers to experiences or actions following a job. They denote opposite timeframes in relation to employment.