The WORST things to say in a job interview 🤦‍♀️

Sorry, I'm late.

My phone ran of battery, I wanted to call.

No, no questions, I'm pretty keen to get out of here.

This is really important.

Might just take this. Do you mind?

Hello? Oh hi mum!

Hello, I'm Emma from mmmEnglish.

Today we're going to be talking about

going to a job interview.

Now if you've ever done this before,

I want you to think of one word that describes

the experience, an adjective,

just one that summarises the experience

of going to an interview.

Or maybe you can share an emoji

that summarises the experience.

The interview is just like a conversation but there's the

added pressure of being professional,

saying all of the things that your future employer

wants to hear

and of course, doing all of this while being

true to yourself and authentic.

So doing all of this is stressful enough

in your own native language

but doing it in your second language must take things

to a whole new level

But the tips that I'm sharing today are really relevant

to anyone who's preparing for a job or for an interview.

Now, of course planning and practice

helps you to prepare for an interview.

It's excellent to have an idea

of what you're ggoing to say but in an interview,

there are also plenty of things to steer clear of, right?

There are plenty of things that you definitely

shouldn't say or do.

Today, we're going to talk about three of the worst

things that you can possibly say or do

when you go to an English interview.

We're going to talk a little bit about

your interview strategy and

practise some phrases that you can use to make a really

good impression.

Last call everyone.

This is an important announcement

from our good friends at Lingoda who want you to know

that due to high demand,

the deadline to register for the upcoming

Language Marathon has been extended

to the 19th of September which is next week.

So the Lingoda Marathon is your chance to speak

English or German or Spanish or French

more fluently in just three months.

Plus, if you finish the Marathon, you can earn up to

a hundred percent of your money back.

So what is the Marathon? What's it like and is it worth it?

Well if you're a regular viewer here at mmmEnglish,

you'll know that I took part in the Marathon

back in May and it was one of the best things

that I ever did. With my hectic schedule,

the main benefit for me was committing

to taking a Spanish class every single day

and of course, the motivation to keep showing up

for those classes because

I won't lie to you, the Marathon is tough.

In fact, the hardest part of the Marathon

was that it really forced me to be organised,

much more organised than I usually am

because you have to book your classes in advance,

you can't just show up on the day

and at whatever time you feel like.

If you've looked into the Marathon before,

you'll know that they have small group class sizes,

maximum of five students per class

and qualified native teachers who are really friendly

and with you every step of the way.

What you may not know is that the entry rules

have changed a little.

Now you can get full details on how the marathon works

what it costs by clicking on the link

in the description below.

And if you make sure you use this code here

when you register, you'll be supporting mmmEnglish

and you'll also get a ten Euro discount

on your deposit too.

So good luck!

Alright, now I want to talk very quickly about the

two roles that people play in an interview.

The first is the person who is asking all of the questions

we call them the interviewer,

the interviewer.

And then there's the person receiving the questions

and answering them. We call them the interviewee.

Okay, that's you, the interviewee.

So when I interview a new teacher to join my team,

I'm the interviewer and they are the interviewee.

So you'll hear me use these words

throughout the lesson. So just

remember which one's which, okay?

One of the worst things that you can

say or do in an interview is be apologetic,

to be sorry about something that you just don't

need to be sorry about.

Sorry, I'm late.

Sorry, my English is really bad.

Sorry, I'm feeling really nervous.

I don't know. Sorry.

And although being sorry is polite in many other

circumstances and being vulnerable and honest

about your feelings is also important sometimes

and even though the interviewer may understand,

in English, using the word 'sorry'

changes the tone of a conversation and especially

in the context of an interview.

It just adds a negative perspective to things

that you're talking about and it makes you look bad

or worse than you need to.

So in an interview,

any kind of apology really makes you seem

unsure of yourself, flustered,

it can even make the interviewer

feel a little uncomfortable.

Sorry, I think I forgot to brush my teeth this morning.

The interview should be a positive experience

for everyone, for you and for them.

So you may not realise it, but in English you can be late

or you can be nervous without apologizing for it.

So I want to show you

some alternative expressions to try.

Thank you so much for your patience, I made it.

My English tends to get a little shaky during interviews

so I might ask you to repeat every now and again,

if that's okay?

Well, I'm excited about this interview,

what should we talk about?

To be honest, I don't know the answer right now.

I need a little bit more time to think about it.

Can you see the difference? We're responding to

exactly the same situation,

but we're doing it in a much more positive way

so practise these expressions a few times

so that you've got them ready for action

just in case you need them during your interview.

And,

if you're really, really feeling like you need to apologise

for something then don't say "Sorry"

use "My apologies" instead.

It's just a little more formal

and a little more appropriate for an interview.

Now the second worst thing that you can do

during an interview is to make yourself

the most important thing in the room, especially

when the interviewer is trying to understand

why you want the job.

So tell me Emma,

What motivated you to apply for this position?

Well, my grandma's really sick

and I have to help pay for her hospital bills, so

I really need the job.

My current boss is a total nightmare.

I just, I can't wait to get out of there.

Well, I want to learn more about marketing because

I want to launch my own business and I feel like

I can do that sooner if I, you know, learn from you guys.

You guys have got such great marketing!

Actually, I've already got a job so it's not that I need it

but I've got a bit of spare time during my week and

this job could be a good filler.

Now maybe you do need the cash,

maybe you are really desperate to learn a particular skill.

Maybe this would be the perfect job to fit your schedule.

But please don't tell them that, right?

Save these kinds of comments for the conversations

that you have with your friends after the interview.

Try to avoid saying "I want"

or "I need" during an interview.

It's not about you. Okay?

The interviewer is a lot more interested in what

you can do for them

rather than how the job is going to benefit you.

So when you're talking about why you want the job,

make sure you talk about how your goals

and your ambitions can be valuable to them

and what they want.

So let's look at a few different alternatives.

I just love the story and the concept behind this brand.

I'd love to contribute to the growth of such

an exciting company.

Well, I learned a lot from my last employer

and I really think that I can apply those skills to this role

and get a great outcome for you guys.

Actually this place seems like somewhere where my

skills would be a great fit

and I'm excited to take on some new challenges too.

This position seems really interesting, I'd literally

rearrange my schedule for the chance to be involved.

Can you see the difference?

When you express these types of attitudes,

most interviewers would feel excited

and optimistic about the contribution

that you can make to their team.

And finally, the third worst

thing that you can say or do during an interview.

Alright, well before we wrap things up,

do you have any questions that you'd like to ask me?

No.

No questions.

No,

I think I've got a pretty good understanding.

Questions.

Questions.

No, not really. No.

So what exactly do you guys do around here?

Never ever go into an interview without at least

one or two great questions prepared

so that you can ask them to the interviewer yourself.

This is your chance to become the interviewer

for a few minutes and even if you don't have any

specific questions, that shouldn't stop you from at least

showing interest in asking questions.

This is how we show interest in other people

and in the context of an interview that is exactly

what you need to be doing. You want to show interest.

You want to be curious about the job.

So are you married? You've got kids?

That's too curious!

But curious and interested enough

to generate some good discussion about

the interviewer, about the company that they work for

or about the position.

So the best way to do this is with open-ended questions.

An open-ended question is one that

the person answering can't answer in just a few words.

Okay, they need to explain or express something,

give an opinion a perspective or a reason.

Closed questions are answered with yes or no.

Do you like working here?

This is a closed question. Right? It's limited. But

"What motivates you to keep working here?"

is an open-ended question.

Alright, can you see the difference?

The answer is going to be much different.

So I want you to practice these ones with me.

Sure, I've got a few questions.

What's the work culture like here?

Actually, yes,

how would you describe the management style here?

Yes, I was wondering

what the company's five-year plan is

and how does this role fit into it?

Yeah, I've got one more question.

What kinds of opportunities are there to learn

and grow in my role? What's the company's

position on professional development?

So questions like these, open-ended questions,

allow you to direct the conversation to the interviewer

and give yourself a bit of a break

from being under the spotlight.

So that was three things that you should

definitely avoid during interviews.

So while you're preparing for an English job interview,

I want you to make sure that you consciously

try to avoid those different scenarios.

Now have you got any advice about what to say

or perhaps what not to say during an interview?

I'd love to hear about it so make sure you

share it in the comments below and if you enjoyed this

lesson, make sure you let me know by giving it a like

and leaving a comment down below.

I'm thinking about making some more videos

to help you perform better at interviews

so if you like the sound of that then let me know.

But in the meantime you can jump right into another

professional English lesson right there.

I'll see you in there!