Business IN English

E-zine for SMART people

30 March 2004   Issue # 4

Dear Subscribers!

Sorry, I've been a bit tied up lately. Here's your next issue of Business IN English. Nature is wakening up. People are waking up too, looking for new ideas, new challenges, new experiences and new jobs. So, let's speak about job interviews today.

Essential Job Interview English

You have applied for a job and now you are getting ready for that important interview. Your English is excellent and you are looking forward to making a good impression on your future boss. Now, you need to make sure that you also have the right type of English for that job interview.

The job interview in English requires a very specific kind of vocabulary. It also requires a certain flexibility in your usage of tenses.

When you walk in the room the very first impression you make on the interviewer can have a great influence on the rest of the interview. It is important that you introduce yourself, shake hands, and are friendly. The first question is often a "breaking the ice" (establish a rapport) type of question. Don't be surprised if the interviewer asks you something like:

• How are you today?
• Did you have any trouble finding us?
• What do you think of the weather lately?

Don't be surprised by the friendly tone. The interviewer wants to put you at ease. Answer the question without going into too much detail. The language you use should be simple but polite, for example:

- How are you today?

- I'm fine thank you, and you?

Talking about your experience and credentials (qualifications) is the most important part of any job interview. Your qualifications include your education from High School on and any special training you may have done in the past. Your experience is any work that you have done that is directly or indirectly related to the job you are applying for.

Your education took place in the past. Therefore you need to use the past tenses, for example:

I attended the University from 1987 to 1993.
I graduated with a degree in agricultural planning.

If you are currently a student you should use the following present tenses:

I am currently studying at the University and will graduate with a degree in Economics in the spring.

When talking about current employment be careful to use the present perfect or present perfect continuous. This signals that you are still performing these tasks at your current job, for example:

ABC and Co. have employed me for the last 3 years as a salesperson.
I have been creating customer contacts for 6months.

When talking about past employers use the past tenses to signal that you are no longer working for that company, for example:

I was employed by Johnson's from 1989 to 1992 as a clerk.
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You will need to demonstrate your qualifications and skills, which are required for the job you are applying for. Therefore, it is important to show how the capabilities you do have relate to the job you are applying for.

Some verbs you may use to express responsibilities and tasks performed:

acted, accomplished, adapted, analyzed, built, carried out, completed, dealt, decreased, developed, edited, engineered, enlarged, facilitated, founded, guided, handled, headed, implemented, improved, increased, justified, localized, managed, maintained, operated, organized, performed, purchased, raised, recruited, saved, serviced, trained, transformed, upgraded, verified, won, wrote, etc.

To describe your skills the following adjectives are useful:

accurate, active, broad-minded, competent, conscientious, dependable, efficient, energetic, enthusiastic, experienced, firm, honest, innovative, loyal, motivated, outgoing, personable, pleasant, reliable, self disciplined, successful, tactful, etc.
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Use these verbs and adjectives and really sell yourself. You only have a few minutes to show how good you really are.

Interviews can often be traumatic for both the interviewee and interviewer. If you prepare properly beforehand then you should be able to overcome the many hurdles an interviewer can place in your way.

Before your interview find out everything you can about the company. Re-read your application, thinking through your own career and the questions they might ask you. You should try to anticipate the general questions which they will ask and also prepare some questions to ask them.

To do well at the interview you will need to convince the interviewer you are technically qualified to do the job. You will also need to show that you are sufficiently motivated to get the job done well and that you will fit in with the company's organisational structure and the team in which you will work.

You should dress smartly for the interview and should leave home earlier than you need to on the day of the interview - you may be delayed by traffic or for other reasons. Be courteous to all employees of the company. At the interview itself you must be positive about yourself and your abilities - but do not waffle.

That's all for today. Hope you could find something useful! Good luck!

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