The short answer: B2 for most professional jobs
For most professional, office-based jobs in English, employers expect around CEFR B2 — enough to write clear emails, follow meetings, and explain your work without the language getting in the way. B1 is often enough for operational, service, or hands-on roles where the English is more routine. C1 is what client-facing, negotiation-heavy, and senior roles tend to assume, because you need to argue a nuanced point and read between the lines in real time.
These are patterns, not rules. A specific employer sets its own bar, and some formal routes are explicit: the UK Skilled Worker visa, for example, requires English at CEFR B1 as a minimum. Always check the actual requirement for the job or visa you're targeting rather than assuming.
What each level can do at work
The CEFR's own can-do descriptors (published by the Council of Europe) describe workplace ability level by level. Here's the practical version of what each one looks like on the job.
| CEFR level | At work you can… | Typical roles |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | Handle routine tasks, short emails, and familiar phone calls with some effort | Service, retail, operations, trades |
| B2 | Write clear emails, follow and contribute to meetings, explain your work | Most professional / office roles |
| C1 | Argue a nuanced case, handle clients, read dense material comfortably | Client-facing, management, specialist |
| C2 | Operate with near-native precision and nuance in any professional setting | Leadership, high-stakes negotiation |
Find your real level before the interview
Most people misjudge their working English by about half a level in either direction — which is exactly the gap between "my emails are fine" and "my emails read as junior." Knowing where you actually sit tells you whether to apply now or spend a few weeks closing a specific gap first.
Nivelo's free 5-minute test gives you a CEFR range and shows your weakest skill. If your reading is C1 but your writing is B2, that's the skill an employer will notice — and the one worth practising before you apply.