“Un” for personal descriptor

Question

Regardless of gender, would you always use un when talking of self?  For instance, Soy un cocinera mala.

Accepted Answer

Hola Kaity
You need "un/una" when you use a sentence like you did:
Soy una cocinera mala.
But if you are just saying your profession, what you do for a living, you need to drop it:
Soy cocinera; Soy profesora; Soy ingeniera...
Saludos

Answer

Hola Carolyn 
In this specific case that Kaity mentioned, the sentence has a bit of extra information, it's adding an adjective to the profession, so the emphasis here is more on being "bad" at what you do, not so much "what you do for a living". In this case, we do need the article: 
- ¿A qué te dedicas?
- What do you do?
- Soy cocinera.  
- I'm a cook.
This is where we drop the article.
 
But if someone is saying this with more details, you do use the article:
Soy una cocinera mala. 
I'm a bad cook.
Ella es una atleta de primera clase.
She is a first class athlete.
Manuel es un carpintero excepcional.
Manuel is an exceptional carpenter.
If you read the lesson again you'll see this extra note at the end of it. 
Saludos cordiales
Inma

Answer

I just asked the same question. I was told in this app (and in another Spanish app) that you dude an article (un or una) in front of the profession.  So, I’m also confused.

Answer

I just asked the same question. I was told in this app (and in another Spanish app) that you dude an article (un or una) in front of the profession.  So, I’m also confused.