Common phrases to use in job

interview
Spoken lesson
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

• EX: - I graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2007.

 I majored in … –

• This is how you explain to your job interviewer what

your major/ study specialty was

• EX: - … and I majored in American contemporary

literature.
 I graduated as … in … –

• Here’s an alternative way of saying what your

specialty is and when exactly you acquired the
degree

• EX: - 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 there’s no
better way of doing it than this one. You can also use
the same word “enroll” when describing what
course, for example, you’ve just started.

• Ex: - I enrolled for a bachelor’s degree in 2010!

• Ex: - I’ve enrolled for a PC maintenance course and
I’m going to finish it in 7 months.
Describing Your Profile
 I’m a wide profile
sales/marketing/customer support
professional–
• This is a general phrase used to describe industry/-
ies you’re been working in. If you say ‘wide profile’
instead of just ‘I’ve been working in …’, it will sound
smarter and more professional!

• EX: - I’m a wide admin and IT professional.

 I perform well under pressure

• Is a phrase you can use to describe that you’re an

employee very well capable of working when there’s
a lot of pressure and you’ll do your best to get things
done.

• Ex: If I might add, I perform well under pressure.

 I’m 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 don’t constantly
repeat yourself.

• Ex: -I’m used to working in a busy and demanding

work environment and if I might add, I perform well
under pressure.
 Customer (client)-oriented
• Means you value customers and you’ll be polite and
efficient when dealing with them. Remember –
customers are the life and blood of every business,
so this is what every potential employer will want to
hear from you!

• Ex: - You can say that I am a customer- oriented

employee. Whether I’m dealing with the end
consumer or the company employees, my action
plans and the end goals factor in customer
satisfaction.
 Target-oriented/ results- driven
• Is a professional way of saying ‘getting things done in
time’. In terms of work and professional
environment, ‘targets’ is the word that’s used to
describe tasks and assignments, so you should use it
to sound like a true professional.

• Ex: I’m result-driven in my work. I try to translate

work meetings into achievable targets to guide my
work schedule.
 Handle stress easily (well)

• This phrase is especially relevant in customer support

and other industries when dealing directly with
customers – starting with catering and ending with
direct sales.

• Ex: I handle stress well at my work by

compartmentalizing work load.
 Team player

• If you’re 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 you’re a ‘team player’.

• Ex: I believe in the saying “one hand can’t clap”, so

being a team player is not only important but
necessary for any job.
 Can-do attitude –
• Means you don’t accept defeat and you don’t get
confused the moment situation gets difficult and
complicated at work. You just get things done, you
cheer others up in your workplace and you’re the
right person for the job you’re going for!

• Ex: part of my experience as a supervisor was to offer

the example of my can-do attitude to inspire my
team members when faced with a challenge.
 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 who’s naturally driven by success,
so make sure to describe yourself as such a person.

• Ex: One of my core work philosophy is a drive to

succeed and perform well in my professional (and
personal) endeavors.
 Eager to learn

• use this phrase to stress the fact that you’re always

taking opportunities to acquire new knowledge. It’s
going to send a message to your interviewer that
you’re not afraid of new duties and responsibilities!

• Ex: - I believe what makes me a valuable employee is

my eagerness to learn.
 Good at multitasking

• Use this phrase to convince your future employer

that you’re not easy to give into despair when things
are getting hectic and you have to juggle a lot of
responsibilities at the same time.

• Ex: - What I learned from my previous work

experiences is how to be good at multitasking.
 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 – you’re making it sound as if you were
born with that ability which in turn means you’re
excellent in that particular department. “I have a
natural ability to manage people” – it makes it sound
like you’re a born leader, whereas if you simply say
“I’m good at managing people”, it doesn’t send
quite the same message to the interviewer.
 Defuse conflict situations
• If you’re ever asked about your ability to deal with
difficult situations and difficult people in particular,
this is the English phrase you may want to use – it’s a
perfect way of describing the process of making sure
that a conflict situation doesn’t escalate and gets
resolved instead.

• EX: - My method to defuse conflict (or possible

conflict) situations is clear communication and
understanding.
Describing your experience
 I have … years’ experience in the
field –

• This phrase allows you to describe your experience

precisely while using professional lingo at the same
time.

• Ex: - I have 5 years’ experience in the field of

Industrial inspection.
 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’

• Ex: - We often have to work against the clock to meet

deadlines during the busy season.
 Liaise with other departments –

• It’s a fancy way of saying ‘to communicate with other

departments’. When it comes to speaking about your
communication between departments in your
company, you’ll know exactly what phrase to use!

• Ex: - I believe in successfully liaising with other teams

to achieve the overall required goal.
 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.

• Ex: -… and during the busy season I have to deal with

an extremely high level of sales orders…
 currently I’m 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!

• EX: - Are you currently working?

- I’m currently between jobs actually.
Explaining why you want this job
 I want to further my career in
sales/marketing

• It’s a perfect way of saying that there aren’t any

promotional opportunities in your current job
without admitting to it directly.

• Ex: - the reason I’m applying for this position is that I

want to further my career in Corporate consultancy.
 In line with my qualifications –

• If you tell your future boss that you want to get this
job because it’s in line with your qualifications, it’s
going to send a message that you’re a person fully
aware of what your expertize is. (a great way to avoid
saying you’re unhappy with your old job)

• Ex: - I’m pursuing this career opportunity because I

truly believe it’s in line with my qualification.
 I want to take on more
responsibility –
• A totally valid phrase you can use when aiming for a
slightly higher position. It highlights the fact that
you’re an ambitious professional but doesn’t directly
say – “Nobody will promote me in my current
company…”

• Ex: - After working in my field for 5 years, I am ready

to take on more responsibility (or a bigger role).
 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 that’s why you’re
applying for this position.

• Ex: - 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
you’re just using this phrase as a cliché.

• Ex: - Considering that I’d be required to deal

with the customers directly, this job would be a
natural progression for me as a sales professional!
Salary – the tricky part
 I believe it’s 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 what’s to come after that!

• Ex: - As a matter of fact, I believe it’s fair for me to

expect 32,000 $ a year with twice-a-year bonus
scheme.
 Competitive salary –

• You can’t go wrong with this one – if you say that

you’re expecting a ‘competitive salary’, it means you
know what the industry average is and you’d like to
get at least that amount of hourly wage.

• Ex: - In terms of salary, of course I expect a

competitive salary which I’m sure your company is
capable of.
 My Salary was adequate –

• if you don’t want to reveal how much you earned in

your previous company, this is the phrase to use!

• Ex: I was compensated adequately in my previous

job. OR My previous salary was adequate.
I expect experience based salary –

• Mentioning numbers during a job interview speaks

of bad manners, so if you’re quite an experienced
professional in a certain field, it’s safe to say that you
expect your experience to reflect on your
remuneration package.

• Ex: - for the position of call center director, I am

expecting an experience-based salary.
 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.

• Ex: - I’d like to say that my salary expectations are in

line with my qualifications and education.
What Sets You Apart From Other
Candidates?
 What sets me apart from other
candidates is
• This is how you can actually start the sentence
to describe your unique qualities

• Ex: -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.

• Ex: - So I strongly believe that my ability to

perform well under extreme pressure is what
makes me the best candidate for this position!
 I’m 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 don’t have to be
constantly supervised and you’re 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.

• Ex: - I take pride in how well I perform at work

and how it impacts the overall process.
 I’m very attentive to detail
• here’s 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 who’s going to be meticulous when it
comes data entry and similar tasks is very
important!

• Ex: - I believe my strength is that I am very

attentive to details.
 I’m 100% involved while
performing work-related duties
• Means you’re really dedicated and your
future boss won’t have problems with you not
completing your tasks and assignments.

• Ex: - Once I sign up a project, I’m 100%

involved while performing the required duties.
 I’m good at resolving problem
situations
• Don’t 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
I have effective communication skills
in English – both verbally and in
writing.

• It’s a perfect way of elaborating on the matter

in your CV because it also explains that you’re
good both at writing and speaking. ‘Fluent’ is
a term that can be stretched; this phrase,
however, leaves very few questions to be
asked!
I’ve been speaking English for the
last … years
• You can use this sentence to alleviate any
doubts that your English mightn’t be good
enough for the job.

• Ex: -Well, Turkish is my mother tongue but I

have also been speaking English for the last 10
years.
 I’ve 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. It’s going to send a strong message to
your future employer that you won’t have any
problems communicating with your fellow
employees and supervisors!
 … wouldn’t present any difficulties
whatsoever

• This is how you explain that you’re really

comfortable using the English language:

• Ex: - Using English at work wouldn’t present

me any difficulties whatsoever – I’ve been
around English speakers for 5 years.
 Smart questions to ask your
interviewer at the end of a job
interview
Why is this position available?
What are the skills needed to master
this job?
What’s the most important role of this
part ?
What are the prospects of growth for
this job?
When are you looking to start the right
candidate?
What do you enjoy most about
working here?
Can I have a quick tour of the
office