BUSINESS ENGLISH PARIS: The Job Interview

BUSINESS ENGLISH PARIS: Will Your Level in English Affect Your Job INTERVIEW?

French translation: entretien profesionnel

A lot of my students over the years have had job interviews while they were studying with me and they almost universally were scared stiff about what their prospective new employers would think about their English level. Usually, their English was fine; but they always expressed  fear that it was not up to snuff.  There is a tremendous amount of pressure in Paris for professionals to speak "good English."  I keep telling my students that their English is a lot "gooder" (this is not good English!) than my French.

Diamond Studs for Interview

ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT YOUR ENGLISH LEVEL FOR YOUR NEXT JOB INTERVIEW?

I don't want to say don't worry about it, but I would say that chances are, you are much better in English than you give yourself credit for. So don't worry too much.

 At Business English Paris, we feel that the first step to having a successful job interview (from the standpoint of your English) is to be more confident out of the starting bloc. BE CONFIDENT. You can do this!

Confidence is the golden key, my dear.

For example, if the interview is in English, your interviewer may ask a question like: "What are your responsibilities in your current position?" Just start throwing a whole bunch of verbs at her. Just pelt them with verbs.  LOL. No, seriously. Verbs are you friend.  Verbs like those below will always make you sound so English-savvy and it will just wow the interviewer and you will get the job:

• Advice
• Answer
• Investigate
• Prepare
• Write
• Draft
• Negotiate
• Create

But obviously, you have to practice at home to use these verbs in sentences. For example, "I create monthly reports for the treasury department." You will begin most of these verbs with "I". Write out sentences using these verbs and practice using them in the mirror.

Another English word you are likely to encounter in a job interview is "Skill". What specific "skills" do you have that makes you the right candidate for this job you are interviewing for? Use the word "skill" in your interview and wow them even more. You can use this word as either a noun or a verb. Talk about your interpersonal skills, managerial skills, legal skills, analytical skills, etc....

OK? Voila. See you in the next one.

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