ALL ABOUT INTERVIEW

NEW! I would consider any decent job offer lets assume for arguments sake that youre really stuck for
money and you are prepared to accept any job offer for as long as it pays your bills and puts food on your
familys table. Now, this is how you explain it to the recruiter instead of saying Im desperate to find a job
and Im ready to do anything! you can make it sound smarter and more professional.

NEW! Id be willing to take up employment in this is a somewhat similar phrase, the only difference is that
with this one you can be more specific and tell your recruiter what sector youd be willing to work in. And by
the way theres nothing wrong with starting with the previous sentence and then continuing with this one:
Eventually I would consider any decent job offer, but for the time being Id be willing to take up employment
in warehousing because thats the kind of background I have.
Describing Your Educational Background

I graduated from University (College) in this is a sentence structure you can use when telling what
University or College you graduated and when it happened: I graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2007.
I majored in if youve been studying at a third-level institution such as a University, youll know that soon
after commencing your studies you have to choose a major (a specialty within your field of study). This is how
you explain to your job interviewer what your major was: and I majored in Engineering.
I graduated as in heres an alternative way of saying what your specialty is and when exactly you
acquired the degree: I graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in 2009.
I enrolled for a degree in you may also want to tell your future employer when exactly you started your
studies, and theres no better way of doing it than this one: I enrolled for a bachelors degree in 2010! You
can also use the same word enroll when describing what course, for example, youve just started: Ive
enrolled for a PC maintenance course and Im going to finish it in 7 months.
Obtained my degree this English collocation describes the simple fact of getting a degree its just that
the word obtain sounds a bit more fancy and will send the message to the interviewer that youre a true
professional: and I successfully obtained my masters degree in 2 years.
Im an individual with a solid educational background do you want to praise yourself a little bit during
the job interview? Well, theres nothing wrong with that if done sparingly! And this phrase is just what you
need: Im an individual with a solid IT educational background.
Engaged in extensive extra-curricular activities do you want to show to your potential employer that youve
always stayed active during your studies and did a lot of extra work? This is the proper phrase to be used in
such a situation!
Describing Your Profile UPDATED!!!

Im a wide profile sales/marketing/customer support professional this is a general phrase used to describe
industry/-ies youre been working in. If you say wide profile instead of just Ive been working in , it will
sound smarter and more professional!
I perform well under pressure is a phrase you can use to describe that youre an employee very well capable
of working when theres a lot of pressure and youll do your best to get things done.
Im used to working in a busy environment similar to the previous one, and you can use it interchangeably
with I perform well under pressure during an interview so that you dont constantly repeat yourself.
Customer-oriented means you value customers and youll be polite and efficient when dealing with them.
Remember customers are life-blood of every business, so this is what every potential employer will want to
hear from you!
Meeting targets is a professional way of saying getting things done in time. In terms of work and professional
environment, targets is the word thats used to describe tasks and assignments, so you should use it to sound
like a true professional.
Handle stress easily this phrase is especially relevant in customer support and other industries when dealing
directly with customers starting with catering and ending with direct sales.
Team player if youre a likeable person who gets along well with others while at the same time being able to
maintain professional relationship instead of filling your workplace with gossip then youre a team player!
Can-do attitude means you dont accept defeat and you dont get confused the moment situation gets
difficult and complicated at work. You just get things done, you cheer others up in your workplace and youre
the right person for the job youre going for!
Drive to succeed is one of characteristics of a typical career person, and you definitely want to mention that
during the interview or in your CV. Your future employer will look for someone whos naturally driven by
success, so make sure to describe yourself as such a person.
Results driven this phrase is somewhat similar to the previous one with emphasis on results. Success is a
more general term; results imply youre good at meeting targets, too.
Eager to learn use this English collocation to stress the fact that youre always taking opportunities to
acquire new knowledge. Its going to send a message to your interviewer that youre not afraid of new duties
and responsibilities!
Good at multitasking use this phrase to convince your future employer that youre not easy to give into
despair when things are getting hectic and you have to juggle a lot of responsibilities at the same time.
NEW! I have a natural ability to this is a great way to describe your abilities, and what happens when you
use the word natural in this context is youre making it sound as if you were born with that ability which in
turn means youre excellent in that particular department. I have a natural ability to manage people it
makes it sound like youre a born leader, whereas if you simply say Im good at managing people, it doesnt
send quite the same message to the interviewer.
NEW! Defuse conflict situations if youre ever asked about your ability to deal with difficult situations and
difficult people in particular, this is the English collocation you may want to use its a perfect way of
describing the process of making sure that a conflict situation doesnt escalate and gets resolved instead.
NEW! Committed to meeting deadlines and targets! are you going for a position where youd be required to
work towards meeting targets and deadlines? Then describe yourself as being committed to them it will
boost your chances of getting selected for the job!
NEW! I possess excellent skills in case you think that you would run the risk of sounding too boastful
during the interview, rest assured that thats exactly what your interviewer wants to hear! I mean when you
do the job interview, you have to sell yourself, and thats exactly what this phrase does the word
excellent sends out a strong message that your skills are up to scratch. I possess excellent customer service
skills surely if you were an interviewer, youd be most likely to pay attention to someone who describes
their customer service skills as being excellent instead of just good, right?
NEW! Im a problem solver if youre going for a position where youd be required to deal with difficult tasks,
this is how you should describe yourself. Its a simple yet effective way of letting the interviewer know that
solving various problems is one of your greatest strengths!
Describing Previous Experience and Your Current Position UPDATED!!!

I have years experience in the field this phrase allows you to describe your experience precisely while
using professional lingo at the same time.
Proven track record when you say, for example I have a proven track record in telecommunication it
means youve been working in the sector and you have an official employment history and related references.
Work against the clock this is a perfect way of describing a fast-paced work environment in your previous or
current job. Another good job-seeking related word combination to go with this one is to meet deadlines
We often have to work against the clock to meet deadlines during the busy season.
SLA (Service Level Agreement) is a standard term used across industries whenever two parties have agreed on
certain targets in terms of performance. Its especially relevant for customer support based positions where
every individual has to work towards meeting Service Level Agreements such as responding on e-mails within
a certain period of time, logging phone calls properly and ensuring timely resolution of customer problems. So
if youve been having similar responsibilities in your current/previous job but you didnt know its called
meeting SLAs make sure you use this smart phrase in your CV and job interview!
Liaise with other departments its a fancy way of saying to communicate with other departments. If youre
willing to get the job though, you may as well learn the word liaise. When it comes to speaking about your
communication between departments in your company, youll know exactly what phrase to use!
NEW! Deal with an extremely high level of this is a great way of describing the fact that you have to deal
with a very high volume of work, and it makes it sound really professional. Heres an example: and during
the busy season I have to deal with an extremely high level of sales orders you just have to admit it makes
it sound like youre a really hard worker, doesnt it?
NEW! Currently Im between jobs if you happen to be out of work at the moment and the interviewer asks
you the question: Are you currently working? this is the phrase you may want to use! If you just say Im
out of work, it makes you sound as if youre a little bit of a loser, but the phrase between jobs makes it
sound as if youre still working while at the same time being out of work!
Explaining Why You Want This Job

This question comes up during every job interview, and oftentimes interviewees arent quite sure how to
respond to it. Its essential therefore that you learn a few phrases you can use exactly for this purpose!
Also remember never speak ill of your previous/current jobs or employers! Even if youre going for a new
job because you hate your boss, never admit to it during an interview. Thats when the following phrases
come in handy:
I want to further my career in sales/marketing its a perfect way of saying that there arent any promotional
opportunities in your current job without admitting to it directly.
In line with my qualifications if you tell your future boss that you want to get this job because its in line
with your qualifications, its going to send a message that youre a person fully aware of what your expertize
is. And I dont think theyll keep probing you during the interview until they get you to confess that youre just
unhappy with your current job. Theyll take this answer as a satisfactory response and be happy with it!
I want to take on more responsibility a totally valid phrase you can use when aiming for a slightly higher
position. Just like when using the first phrase in this section you can use this sentence, highlight the fact that
youre an ambitious professional but dont say directly Nobody will promote me in my current company
I want to pursue a career in this is how you explain that you simply want to start a career in a particular
industry and thats why youre applying for this position: Having worked 10 years in the retail industry, I
made the decision to upskill and now that I have my certificate done, I want to pursue a career in
accountancy.
This job would be a natural progression this is a great way of explaining why you actually want this
particular job. Well, obviously you have to highlight what features of the new job would constitute the
progression or else it will seem that youre just using this phrase as a clich: Considering that Id be required
to deal with the customers directly, this job would be a natural progression for me as a sales professional!
The Tricky Part of Any Interview Salary UPDATED!!!

In 9 situations out of 10 youre looking for a better pay when going for a new job, arent you? But what if the
advertised position doesnt have a price-tag attached to it? The problem is you cant just tell your potential
employer right upfront I want to get paid 12$/h!
Thats when you have to be smart and use the right phrases to send a message to the interviewer that youre
aware of what your experience and skills are worth.
NEW! I believe its fair for me to expect this is how you can start talking about your salary expectations
the word fair here is the key and sets the right tone for whats to come after that!
Competitive salary you cant go wrong with this one if you say that youre expecting a competitive salary,
it means you know what the industry average is and youd like to get at least that amount of hourly wage.
My remuneration was adequate if you dont want to reveal how much you earned in your previous
company, this is the phrase to use!
I expect experience based remuneration as I already told you mentioning numbers during a job
interview speaks of bad manners, so if youre quite an experienced professional in a certain field, its safe to
say that you expect your experience to reflect on your remuneration package.
My salary expectations are in line with my qualifications and education same thing as the previous phrase
but with an emphasis on your qualifications and education. This is a good way of emphasizing your
educational background and its role in your career of course, if you have something really relevant to bring
to the table. If you expect your bachelors diploma to work as a salary-boosting factor when applying for a
catering position better think twice!
What Sets You Apart From Other Candidates?

Its another one of those questions that can make or break your job interview. The thing is while both you
and your future employer know that youre probably not a unique person among other job-seekers out there,
youve just got to sell yourself as the best person possible for the position!
And of course dont forget that being a foreign English speaker, you have to sell your spoken English skills as
well, so thats when the following phrases come in handy:
What sets me apart from other candidates is this is how you can actually start the sentence to describe your
unique qualities: What sets me apart from other candidates is my ability to handle difficult customers.
is what makes me the best candidate for this position! and this is another handy phrase used to make it
100% clear what you think is your best quality: So I strongly believe that my ability to perform well under
extreme pressure is what makes me the best candidate for this position!
Im self-motivated this phrase is kind of overused, but if you really mean it, it says a lot about you as a
worker. It means you dont have to be constantly supervised and youre mature enough to take on
responsibility!
I take pride in my work this a great phrase and I bet your future boss wants to employ someone who takes
pride in his/her job and is enthusiastic enough to make sure day-to-day tasks are run effectively.
Im very attentive to detail heres a quality that can really set you apart from others. I know from my own
experience that small mistakes can lead to big expenses down the road for your employer, so having someone
on board whos going to be meticulous when it comes data entry and similar tasks is very important!
Im 100% involved while performing work-related duties means youre really dedicated and your future boss
wont have problems with you not completing your tasks and assignments.
Im good at resolving problem situations dont forget to mention a difficult situation from your past which
you resolved successfully. Typically it involves dealing with a difficult customer, but it can also include
resolving other problems delivery issues, technical problems and whatnot.
Language Skills
Its of the utmost importance for you as a foreign English speaker to describe your English and other language
skills so that those descriptions properly portray your capability of using the respective languages. Heres how
to describe your English skills other than just fluent:
I have effective communication skills in English both verbally and in writing. Its a perfect way of
elaborating on the matter in your CV because it also explains that youre good both at writing and speaking.
Fluent is a term that can be stretched; this phrase, however, leaves very few questions to be asked!
Ive been speaking English for the last years you can use this sentence to alleviate any doubts that your
English mightnt be good enough for the job.
Ive been working in an English speaking environment for the last years same as the previous one, with a
slight emphasis on your work-related spoken English skills. Its going to send a strong message to your future
employer that you wont have any problems communicating with your fellow employees and supervisors!
My English is competent for this industry its a way of admitting that your English mightnt be 100% fluent
yet you can deliver 100% results in the respective industry. Youre probably better off avoiding this phrase
unless you run into some English fluency issues during the interview and then this might be your last chance
to salvage the situation.
wouldnt present any difficulties whatsoever this is how you explain that youre really comfortable using
the English language: Using English at work wouldnt present me any difficulties whatsoever Ive been
around English speakers for 5 years.
As we all know, in times of stress your spoken English may suddenly sound quite bad, and Ive written about
dealing with such and similar problems extensively. Here are a few articles you should definitely read:
Native English Speakers Dont Always Spot Your Mistakes!
How to Achieve Complete English Fluency in 4 Easy Steps
Put On a Show Every Time You Speak in English
The biggest problem you may be facing is the following your English is quite fluent, but stress is getting the
better of you during the interview which in turn results in a lot of spoken English mistakes. Now, in your CV
youve indicated that your English is fluent, but if thats the case why youre sounding like a beginner English
learner?
Therefore its best to prep up for the interview well in advance to avoid such situations, and if youve
memorized at least a dozen smart phrases like the ones in this article, your chances of sounding like a fluent
English speaker are much bigger!
You should CONSTANTLY practice with yourself during these last days leading up to the interview!
1. Create the potential interview questions and answers on paper.
2. Highlight the most commonly used expressions & industry phrases (theyre the ones in the article above!)
3. Learn those expressions off by heart and do a role-play whereby you pretend to be both yourself and the
interviewer.
4. For best results, record it all on a camcorder!
5. Do this exercise all over and over again until you can comfortably provide an answer on all possible
questions.
And of course on the interview day simply forget about it all and try and ignore everything the mounting
pressure, everything. Just go into the interview room and allow your mouth to do the talking because the
more youll stress out, the worse youll perform!