Vocabulary for a job interview
To help you prepare we’ve put together
some handy phrases covering what you’ll typically discuss at a job interview:
your personality, strengths, experience and why you want the job, of course.
Describing your personality
As they sit down with candidates, the
interviewer (your potential boss) is looking to find out if the interviewee
(you) will or won’t fit in well with their existing team. So now’s the time to
show them who you are and why you’re a great person to work with. Here are some
adjectives to use:
Easy-going: a relaxed person who is easy to get along with
Hard-working: someone who works well
and isn’t lazy
Committed: a person who is loyal to a
project or person
Trustworthy: someone who you can rely
on
Honest: someone who tells the truth
Focused: someone who is not easily
distracted
Methodical: a person who pays attention
to details and works in a logical way
Proactive: someone who takes steps to
complete tasks without supervision
You can say:
I’m easy-going
I’m an easy-going
person/employee/worker.
If you’d like to add punch, use an
intensifier like very, extremely, really.
“I’m very trustworthy,”
“I’m an extremely focused employee.”
Describing your strengths
Your interviewer will also want to know
what you’re good at. Why? Because the job you’re applying for requires certain
skills – so now’s the time to explain what you can do well!
Some positive traits and skills
managers look for include:
Organization
The ability to multitask
Perform to a deadline
Solve problems
Communicate well
Work in an international environment
and with people from all over the world
Speak foreign languages
Enthusiasm
You can use phrases like:
I’m good at working under pressure
I’m skilled at multitasking
I’m skilled at working to a deadline,
My strength is my ability to problem
solve
My strengths are my ability to be
enthusiastics and speak fluent English etc.
Describing your experience
If you’ve had a job before you have
valuable experience to bring to this new position. Depending on the sort of job
you’re applying for, your education might also be important to highlight. Here
are some phrases to use:
I have five years’ experience as a
waitress/in retail/as a teacher
I worked in retail for seven years and
was promoted to manager in my second year
I studied at the University of
Queensland
I worked for Amry and Andrian. as a
lawyer
Be prepared to run through and explain
the main points in your CV. Use the opportunity to elaborate on what’s on your
CV and give more details.
Describing your goals for the future
and why you want this job
Here’s your moment to tell the
interviewer why you want the advertised position. Maybe you want to gain
experience in your field, learn a particular skill, believe you are a great fit
for the company or particularly respect them in their industry. These phrases
can help:
I’m looking to further my skills as a
barista/in hospitality, as a childcare worker/in early childhood education
I’m want to further my career in
physiotherapy/as a physiotherapist, in administration/as an administrator, in
retail/as a branch manager
I believe your company is an important
player in its industry
I feel my skill set is a perfect fit
for your team and I can contribute by…
It’s very important to emphasize the
last point – your interviewer will want to be convinced that you really want
the role. Don’t overdo it, of course, but do make sure you make this point
clear.
Example
answers to “Tell me about yourself”
Sometimes
seeing an example can be helpful, though each person’s “Tell me about yourself”
answer will be different. Below are a few short scripts showing how this
question can highlight someone’s strengths supported by successful results in
just under two minutes:
Example
1:
“I
began my career in retail management, but a few years ago, I was drawn to the
healthcare space. I’ve always been skilled at bringing people together and
working towards common goals. My experience successfully leading teams and
managing stores led me to consider administration, and I’ve been building a
career as a driven health administrator for the last four years.”
“In my
current role at XYZ Medical Center, the efficiency of the office has been a
personal focus—especially as it relates to patient outcomes. I set and oversee
goals related to department budget and patient volume. Last year, I worked with
our IT department to implement a communication system for scheduling procedures
and protocols to ensure that all departments were adequately staffed at all
times. With our new online scheduling portal, we increased communication
efficiency by 20%. To stay informed about their ongoing concerns, I hold regular
meetings with physicians, nurses and other healthcare staff. In my role, I also
manage marketing and advertising efforts on behalf of the Center. I’ve been
really enjoying that part of my work and I’m especially interested in bringing
the experience I’ve gained as well as my commitment to efficiency to the team
at ABC Health. Outside of the office, I’m an avid reader and I love to hike. On
weekends, you might find me at the local bookstore or exploring hiking trails
in the area.”
Example
2:
“I’ve
been passionate about design since I was a kid. My parents remodeled their
house when I was in high school and allowed me to play an active role in the
interior design plans. I knew then that I wanted to pursue interior design as
my career. I studied Interior Design at Savannah College of Art and Design and
graduated 4 years ago.”
“Since
college, I’ve been working at an interior design firm in Savannah, Georgia.
During my time there I’ve been able to build my portfolio through designing
both residential and commercial spaces. My experience at the firm has built up
my proficiencies in billing and cutting edge technologies, and it has also
allowed me to build strong relationships with local suppliers. The most
rewarding part of my job has been working in Savannah’s historic buildings.
This experience has familiarized me with best-in-class building preservation.”
“Moving
forward I would love to work at a design firm such as yours that specializes in
the design and preservation of historical buildings. I believe my experience
and passion for preservation will allow me to be a great asset to your design
team.”
Example
3:
“Currently,
I work at XYZ Restaurant as a hostess. I’ve been there for just over two years.
My responsibilities include greeting and seating customers, assessing wait
times, fulfilling to-go orders and answering the phones. I love the lively and
busy environment of XYZ Restaurant—we often have Friday and Saturday wait times
of one hour or more.”
"Before
working at XYZ Restaurant, I worked in retail as a floor associate for a year.
This role really developed my customer service skills as I was consistently
assisting customers in the store. It also equipped me with the ability to work
in a team environment."
”I am
looking to further develop my customer service and problem-solving skills as a
hostess in a restaurant environment. I am interested in your restaurant
specifically as it has a great reputation for delivering first in class
customer service to your patrons while being in a lively and dynamic
environment.”
Fundamentally,
“Tell me about yourself” really boils down to “What do you want the interviewer
to remember about you?” Answering this opening question effectively gives you
the power to make a good first impression and structure the rest of the
interview to your benefit.
How to introduce
yourself in an interview
In this segment,
we will talk about how to introduce yourself in an interview, before reaching
the interview room and also during the interview process.
Before the interview begins
When you get to
the venue you will need to introduce yourself to a few people before you reach
your interviewer.
Remember, it is a job interview and you must maintain your interview etiquette at all times while you are at the venue.
Here are a few things to remember when preparing for a job interview.
Greet everyone politely
When you visit an
office as a visitor, it is only natural that you will be asked for your
introduction quite a few times by the security, at the reception, etc.
Here’s what you can do, step forward and give them your full name, the purpose of your visit and also the name of the person you are meeting.
They might ask to see a document of the purpose of the visit. Keep the email out beforehand. This way you will save time and will showcase preparedness.
So, here’s a self-introduction sample that you can use to introduce yourself to people other than your interviewer.
“Hello, My name is (your name). I have an interview appointment with Mr. X (name of the person) at 12 pm for the position of (mention the role).”
Be patient
When appearing
for a job interview at a new office, you might need to go through a series of
security procedures and a bit of waiting to do before you actually reach the
main interview room.
It is understandable that you are nervous and security layers or providing your introduction at every stage might be a little overwhelming.
Be patient, don’t lose your cool if you have to wait. Unnecessary snapping will not leave a very good impression on your interviewer.
Tip: You can drop a text to your interviewer that you have arrived to inform him on your behalf.
During the interview
Now that you have
finally entered the interview room, your interview etiquette need to be on
point.
Take the time to get settled and take out a pen, notepad, and your resume as you wait for the interviewer to arrive.
Here are a few things to consider when you have to introduce yourself in an interview.
1. Prepare a short statement to greet
Basic interview
etiquette is to stand up and shake hands with the interviewers as they enter the
room.
You could use this self-introduction sample to greet your interviewer. Although your interviewer will know who you are and why you are there, doing so can help in exuding confidence and clarifying your name and purpose of visit.
“Hello, I’m (your name). A pleasure to meet you.”
2. Prepare a spot on elevator pitch
Once settled,
hand over your resume and allow the interviewer to go through it. Once ready,
he is sure to ask you to introduce yourself.
This is where an elevator pitch can help you to best introduce yourself in an interview.
An elevator pitch is a precise description that can help in your self-introduction in an interview.
Here are some self-introduction samples that you can take inspiration from.
1. Self-introduction for freshers/fresh graduates:
“To begin with I
grew up in X city and graduated from ABC University with English Major.
I have been at the top of my class both in academics and during my internship in EFG Publishing.
You will find the certificates attached. Writing has always been my passion and the works your writers have turned out have always been informative and impressive.
I believe it would be a great learning experience for me if I am given the opportunity to work here.”
2. Self-introduction
for experienced candidates:
“I have been working
for 5 years in the editorial team of leading publications.
I have expertise in InDesign, Quark, SEO, and Digital Marketing.
I am now looking forward to enhancing my management skills and inspiring a great team of my own.”
Example of Interview Conversation:
Mr. Adam: Good
morning.
John: Good morning,
Sir.
Mr. Adam: So, you’ve
applied for the marketing position, right?
John: Yes, I have
Sir.
Mr. Adam: Please tell
me about yourself.
John: Alright Sir. My
name is John El Rumi. I am from Kudus and currently I live on Teuku Umar
Street. I am 26 years old.
Mr. Adam: What
experience do you have?
John: I had worked
for 2 years as a sales and marketing in a furniture company, Sir.
Mr. Adam: Oh, that’s
good. Why did you resign from your last job?
John: The reason why
I left my last job because my salary was not worth my responsibility. Besides,
I also want to work in a bigger company in order to improve my skills.
Mr. Adam: Why do you
want to work for this company?
John: Because your
company is one of big companies in Bali Sir. Therefore, I am really interested
to work here.
Mr. Adam: Do you have
any computer skills?
John: Yes, Sir. I can
operate Ms. Office and also Adobe Photoshop.
Mr. Adam: Okay, can
you tell me your strengths and weaknesses?
John: Hmmm, I think
my strength is I can work well both individually and within a team. For the
weakness, I think sometimes I cannot control my emotion Sir when I fell under
pressure.
Mr. Adam: Alright,
I’ve noted it. What is your salary
expectation?
John: For the salary,
I hope I can get more than my previous job, Sir. I think above 4 million
Rupiah.
Mr. Adam: Well, we
will consider it. When can you start to work?
John: I am available
anytime Sir.
Mr. Adam: Good then,
just kindly waiting my confirmation via email or phone call. Thank you for
coming to the interview.
John: Sure Sir, I will wait for the confirmation. I also would like to say thank you for giving me a chance to come for an interview.
Assignment: Read this example then write and translate into Bahasa Indonesia! Rewrite the example with your own data
My name is Kevin Smith, I am 21 years old and I am a fresh graduate from Gajahmada University. I learned a lot about international affairs and corporate communications. I maintained a GPA of 3.6.
I've been a hard-working student and have taken my subjects quite seriously. now, as I am graduated, I want to implement my knowledge in my work. that is the reason, I am applying for this job. although I don't have real-life work experience, I have had a lot of business-related exposure during my graduation. so I would assure yu to be a valuable asset to your esteemed company by implementing all of my knowledge mixed up with hard work.
