English phrases for job interviews | Learn English with Cambridge

My name is Andres Herrera.

And on this video I'm going to teach you a very interesting topic:

language and phrases

that you can use during a job interview.

Now, let's meet our characters.

If you have got to this step, then well done.

It means you're a strong candidate and are closer

to getting the job you want.

However, practising for the job interview is crucial,

as this will help to reduce your stress levels,

increase your confidence,

and boost your chances of being hired.

Wait a second, wait a second.

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Now, let's see some of the most popular questions

that candidates get asked while on a job interview.

Why do you think we should hire you?

Why are you suitable for this position?

These are typical questions that you might have to answer.

For these type of questions,

a good idea is to tell them about your professional

and academic background,

giving some examples of your previous job positions.

Very important:

make sure you know how to use the past simple

and the present perfect before going to a job interview.

You could start by using this sentence:

I think I'm suitable

for the position at, name of the company,

and give the reason.

Then you could add some information by letting them

know about your academic and professional background.

I think I'm suitable for the position at HSS

because I have more than ten years of experience

in imports and exports.

Following my degree in marketing,

I started getting interested in international sales.

I have also worked in retail sales,

so I have a lot of experience in customer service.

When you're finishing the interview, it's good

to give the main points again,

so here you can use: To sum up.

To sum up,

I think I'm suitable for the position

of Import Manager at HSS, firstly,

because I have a lot of experience in the field,

and, secondly,

because I can adapt to any difficult situation.

Another common kind of question is: What are your weaknesses?

It's always hard to tell people about your weaknesses,

so try to soften them

with words like, a little, a bit,

sometimes, occasionally,

and then say something

that has helped you to overcome them.

I sometimes lack the confidence to speak up

and voice my opinion,

but I have worked really hard on my confidence

and communication skills over the past year

and I have improved a lot.

Here is another example question:

Tell me about a time

when you had to make a difficult decision.

You have to be careful with your answer,

because the interviewer wants you to give him

or her a specific example of

when you had to face a difficult or challenging situation.

But don’t worry, there is a method that you can use,

the STAR method.

S for Situation.

Here you set the scene and give the context

of a situation you faced in the past.

When I was working Export Leather,

my boss offered me the opportunity to work

in Australia for a year,

but that meant

that I had to leave my family and my home country

for one year.

T for Target.

Here you tell them what was necessary

to improve the situation.

I had to make my family understand

that this trip would be beneficial for us in the future.

A for Action. Here you describe the action

that you did in order to improve the situation, why,

and when you did it.

I decided to take the offer in Australia,

and after six months of working,

the project turned out to be a huge success.

R for Result.

Finally, you describe the outcome of the situation.

It was so successful that I made enough money

to bring my family over to Australia,

and we lived for six months.

That was such an amazing experience.

The job is yours.

Now, let's have a look

at the expressions we have learnt today.

I think I'm suitable

for the position at, name of the company,

and then you give the reason.

To talk about your academic background, you can use,

following my degree,

and then you add your piece of information.

You can use the past simple to talk

about your life experiences.

You can use present perfect, as in, I have worked in.

To organise and give a conclusion,

you can use, to sum up.

Remember to use words like, sometimes, occasionally,

a bit, when talking about your weaknesses.

Use the STAR method

when you have to describe a challenging situation.

Do you know any other phrases related with job interviews?

Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Bye.