Job interview somephrases

JOB INTERVIEW –
PHRASES–School Systems
British Educational System
Spanish Educational System
Dutch Educational System
French Educational System
American Educational System
By M. van Eijk/MA BOOST YOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS > CHECK CONTENTS (3)!

 Are you a foreign English speaker and you’re fed up with your current situation at
work and you’d really love to change jobs?
 Are you already preparing for a job interview and you’re anxious to make the best
impression possible?
 Or maybe you’re in the process of creating a CV so that you can start applying for
relevant positions?
 Whichever is the case, you may want to make sure you’re using relevant job-
seeking related phrases and expressions! If you do so, you’ll definitely increase
your chances of getting picked for the position because you’ll sound just like your
native English speaking counterparts.
 So, let’s get down to business and see exactly what smart English phrases you
should use in your CV and during your job interviews!

Contents:
 Describing Your Educational Background (sheet 4-6)
 Talking about an Internship (sheet 7-11)
 Describing your profile (sheet 12-16)
 Describing Previous Experience and Your Current Position (sheet 18-19)
 Why You Want This Job (sheet 20-21)
 The Tricky Part of Any Interview – Salary (sheet 22-23)
 What Sets You Apart From Other Candidates? (sheet 24-27)
 The Essential 5 interview questions (sheet 28)
 The Essential Situational questions (sheet 29)
 Common Job Interview Questions (sheet 30-31)
 Dutch MBO – Vocational Education (sheet 32-33)
 The UK educational system (sheet 34)
 The Dutch educational system (sheet 35)
 The Spanish educational system (sheet 36)
 Education Chart USA (sheet 37-38)
 Education Chart france(sheet 39)
 Soft skills (40-48)

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 you’ve been studying at a third-level institution such as a University,
you’ll 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.”

Describing Your Educational Background
 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: “I
enrolled for a bachelor’s degree in 2010!” You can also use the same word “enroll”
when describing what course, for example, you’ve just started: “I’ve enrolled for a PC
maintenance course and I’m going to finish it in 7 months.”
 I graduated as … in … – here’s an alternative way of saying what your specialty is and
when exactly you acquired the degree: “I graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in
2009.”
 Obtained my … degree – this English collocation describes the simple fact of getting a
degree – it’s just that the word “obtain” sounds a bit more fancy and will send the
message to the interviewer that you’re a true professional: “… and I successfully
obtained my master’s degree in 2 years.”

Describing Your Educational Background
 I’m an individual with a solid … educational background – do you want to praise
yourself a little bit during the job interview? Well, there’s nothing wrong with that
if done sparingly! And this phrase is just what you need: “I’m an individual with a
solid IT educational background.”
 I Engaged in extensive extra-curricular activities – do you want to show to your
potential employer that you’ve 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!

The benefits of work experience/Internship
 Work experience provides many benefits, giving you skills and experience
that will allow you stand out to potential employers as well as helping
you choose the right sector to work in.
 Apprentice portrait Having a degree is a tremendous asset to help put
your name on the radar for potential employers, but it's by far not the
only arrow in the quiver. Work experience locks in further potential,
"building useful skills that cannot be taught in the classroom as well as
contacts that students otherwise would not be exposed to," highlights
the general manager of Avanade UK.
 "A perspective employer will always look favourable on the effort taken
by those who have done work experience, which empowers new talent
and gives them an edge to push for the most sought after graduate
positions in the field."
 Below are just a few examples of the way you can benefit from
undertaking work experience and work placements. Whether you're
doing a week-long stint or a year in industry you'll be gaining skills that
will make you much more employable.

 Work experience equips you with certain soft skills such as team working,
communication skills and commercial awareness, all of which are sought
after by employers, especially at a graduate level.
 "It is essential to differentiate yourself," says Mott MacDonald's learning
and development manager. "A willingness to work rather than have a
good time shows diligence. Graduates these days need to have work
ready skills from their first day, such as deadline management, phone and
email etiquette and the ability to work well with a variety of ages in a
team."
 "Employers value competitive advantage and that's what work experience
gives you," adds the chief executive of the Inspiring Futures Foundation.
"If you take two graduates with equally good qualifications and personal
attributes; one has gained work experience and the other has none, it is
likely that the job will go to the person who has shown initiative and
gained experience. There is anecdotal evidence that employers look
more favourably on candidates who have gained a basic understanding
of their business sector and know what it's like to be in a work
environment."

Road test a company/sector/role
 One of the great things about gaining work experience as a student is
that it gives you the chance to try things out to see if they suit you. Want
to find out what a company is actually like to work for, or what doing a
certain job is like? Well work experience gives you the chance to
experience this - for a week, a fortnight, a summer or even a year.
 "It can crystallise your mind about your career choice, either confirming
that you are making exactly the right choice, or change your mind. If the
latter happens, you should view this positively as you can re-direct your
energy into an area you find more stimulating," notes the chief executive
of the Inspiring Futures Foundation.

Personal development
 "But work experience isn't just about impressing recruiters, it is also about
personal development," they add.
 Indeed, the skills - both soft and technically focused will all help you start
on the professional development path. If you plan to work towards
professional registration skills you learn during work experience are the
first steps towards ticking off competencies. Be sure to take advantage of
the a tool to record all you achieve during your placements and
internships.

Talking about an Internship
I had an internship with....
I did my internship with...
I did my intership in...
I was an intern at...

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!
 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.
 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.

 Customer-oriented means you value customers and you’ll 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 that’s 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 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’!
 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!
 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.

 Results driven – this phrase is somewhat similar to the previous one with
emphasis on results. Success is a more general term; results imply you’re good at
meeting targets, too.
 Eager to learn – use this English collocation 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!
 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.

Describing your
profile
Success Stories
Every interview question should have a base. A stable foundation to build on
I would like to refer to these foundational elements as “success stories“.
A success story is an example from your past work
experience that clearly demonstrates you succeeding in some way.
For example, a time that you solved a problem, excelled in
a difficult situation or used a certain skill to get the job done.

Describing Previous Experience and Your
Current Position
 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 you’ve 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.”

Describing Previous Experience and Your
Current Position
 SLA (Service Level Agreement) is a standard term used across industries
whenever two parties have agreed on certain targets in terms of performance. It’s
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 you’ve been having similar
responsibilities in your current/previous job but you didn’t know it’s called
‘meeting SLAs’ – make sure you use this smart phrase in your CV and job
interview!
 Liaise with other departments – it’s a fancy way of saying ‘to communicate with
other departments’. If you’re 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, you’ll know exactly what phrase to use!

Explaining Why You Want This Job
 This question comes up during every job interview, and oftentimes interviewees
aren’t quite sure how to respond to it. It’s 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 you’re going for a new job because you hate your boss, never admit to it
during an interview. That’s when the following phrases come in handy:
 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.

 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. And I don’t think they’ll
keep probing you during the interview until they get you to confess that you’re
just unhappy with your current job. They’ll 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 you’re an ambitious
professional but don’t 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 that’s why you’re 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
you’re just using this phrase as a cliche: “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!”

The Tricky Part of Any Interview – Salary
 In 9 situations out of 10 you’re looking for a better pay when going for a new job,
aren’t you? But what if the advertised position doesn’t have a price-tag attached
to it? The problem is – you can’t just tell your potential employer right upfront – I
want to get paid 12$/h!
 That’s when you have to be smart and use the right phrases to send a message
to the interviewer that you’re aware of what your experience and skills are worth.
 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.

The Tricky Part of Any Interview – Salary
 My remuneration was adequate – if you don’t 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 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.
 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 bachelor’s diploma to work as a salary-boosting
factor when applying for a catering position – better think twice!

What Sets You Apart From Other Candidates?
It’s 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 you’re
probably not a unique person
among other job-seekers out
there, you’ve just got to sell
yourself as the best person
possible for the position!

 And of course – don’t forget that being a foreign English speaker, you have to
sell your spoken English skills as well, so that’s 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!”

 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.
 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!

 ’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.
 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.

The Essential 5 interview questions:
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
3. Give me an example or a situation in which…
1. a) You were in a situation in which you faced a conflict or difficulty at work or in school;
2. b) You were in a situation in which you may have had difficulty with a supervisor, co-
worker, or peer;
3. c) You were in a leadership opportunity or had a project you were most proud of.
4. Can we go over your resume?
5. What are your career goals and where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

The Essential Situational questions:
 Give me an example of a time in which you worked under a deadline.
 Give me an example of when you worked with a team.
 Give me an example of a time you worked on multiple assignments during one time.
 Provide an example of a time in which you solved a problem for an employer, peer, or customer.
 Describe a situation where you taught a concept to a peer, co-worker, or other person.
 Describe a time where you disagreed with a supervisor.
 Give me an example of a time you gave a presentation.
 Describe a situation in which someone critiqued your work.
 Give me a time where you worked under minimal supervision.
 Give an example of a creative piece of work.

Common Job Interview Questions
 Common Job Interview Questions
 Why should we hire you?
 Tell me about yourself
 What are your strengths?
 What are your weaknesses
 Where do you see yourself in five years
 Why do you want to work for us?
 What do you know about the company?

Common Job Interview Questions
 How would your coworkers describe you?
 How do you deal with pressure?
 How do you manage your time?
 Why did you leave your last job?
 What are your goals?
 How do you make decisions?
 Why is there a gap in your resume?
 How do you handle difficult customers?
 Do you have any questions for me?

Dutch MBO – Vocational Education
 The MBO (middelbaar beroepsonderwijs; literally, "middle-level applied
education") is oriented towards vocational training. Many pupils with a
VMBO-diploma attend MBO. The MBO lasts one to four years, depending
of the level. There are 4 levels offered to student.:[5]
• MBO level 1: Assistant training. It lasts 1 year maximum. It is focused on
simple executive tasks. If the student graduates, he/she can apply to MBO
level 2.
• MBO level 2: Basic vocational education. The programme lasts 2 to 3 years
and is focused on executive tasks.
• MBO level 3: The programme lasts 3 to 4 years. Students are taught to
achieve their tasks independently.
• MBO level 4: Middle Management VET. It lasts 3 years and prepares for
jobs with higher responsibility. It also opens the gates to Higher education.

Dutch MBO – Vocational Education
At all levels, MBO offers 2 possible pathways: a school-based
education, where Training within a company takes between 20
and 59% of the curriculum, or an apprenticeship education,
where this training represents more than 60% of the study time.
Both paths lead to the same certification.[5] Students in MBO are
mostly between 16 and 35. Students of the "apprenticeship" path
are overall older (25+).[5] After MBO (4 years), pupils can enroll in
HBO or enter the job market. A multitude of MBO studies is
typically offered at aregionaal opleidingen centrum (ROC; literally,
"regional education center"). Most ROCs are concentrated on
one or several locations in larger cities. Exceptions include
schools offering specialized MBO studies such as agriculture,
and schools adapted to pupils with a learning disability that
require training in small groups or at an individual level.

The Spanish Educational System

Education Chart USA
USA has the world's most flexible education system, students can
study their area of interest as specialization. As the education system
of USA is not centralized each institute can determine its program and
admission standards. Lateral movement in the education system is
possible any time.

SOFT SKILLS
How to Get Soft Skills
Unlike hard skills that are learned, soft skills
are similar to emotions or insights that allow
people to “read” others. These are much
harder to learn, at least in a traditional
classroom. They are also much harder to
measure and evaluate.
That said, some job skills programs do cover
soft skills. They may discuss soft skills so job
seekers know what they are and the
importance of highlighting them on their
3

SOFT SKILLS
Key Takeaways
Soft skills are non-technical skills that impact your performance
in the workplace.
You likely already have soft skills from your school and work
experience.
You can also develop soft skills at work, school, volunteer
activities, and in job training programs.
Include your soft skills in your resume and cover letter.
Demonstrate your soft skills during interviews.

SOFT SKILLS-Communication
Communication
How well do you communicate? Communication
skills are important in almost every job. You will likely
need to communicate with people on the job, whether
they are clients, customers, colleagues, employers, or
vendors. You will also need to be able to speak clearly
and politely with people in person, by phone, and in
writing.
You will also likely need to be a good listener. Employers
want employees who can not only communicate their
own ideas, but who also listen empathetically to others.

SOFT SKILLS -communication
•Listening
•Negotiation
•Nonverbal communication
•Persuasion
•Presentation
•Public speaking
•Reading body language
•Social skills
•Storytelling
•Verbal communication
•Visual communication
•Writing reports and proposals
•Writing skills

SOFT SKILLS- Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
No matter what the job, employers want candidates who
can analyze situations and make informed decisions.
Whether you are working with data, teaching students, or
fixing a home heating system, you need to be able to
understand problems, think critically, and devise solutions.
Skills related to critical thinking include creativity, flexibility,
and curiosity.

SOFT SKILLS- Critical Thinking (1)
Adaptability
Artistic aptitude
Creativity
Critical observation
Critical thinking
Design aptitude
Desire to learn
Flexibility
Innovation

SOFT SKILLS- Critical Thinking (2)
Logical thinking
Problem solving
Research
Resourcefulness
Thinking outside the box
Tolerance of change and uncertainty
Troubleshooting
Value education
Willingness to learn

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