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  • My name is Andres Herrera.

  • And on this video I'm going to teach you a very interesting topic: language and phrases that you can use during a job interview.

  • Now, let's meet our characters.

  • The boss

  • The candidate

  • If you have got to this step, then well done.

  • It means you're a strong candidate and are closer to getting the job you want.

  • However, practising for the job interview is crucial, as this will help to reduce your stress levels, increase your confidence, and boost your chances of being hired.

  • Wait a second, wait a second.

  • If you want to learn English with Cambridge University Press, don't forget to subscribe.

  • Now, let's see some of the most popular questions that candidates get asked while on a job interview.

  • Why do you think we should hire you?

  • Why are you suitable for this position?

  • These are typical questions that you might have to answer.

  • For these type of questions, a good idea is to tell them about your professional and academic background, giving some examples of your previous job positions.

  • Very important: make sure you know how to use the past simple and the present perfect before going to a job interview.

  • You could start by using this sentence: I think I'm suitable for the position at, name of the company, and give the reason.

  • Then you could add some information by letting them know about your academic and professional background.

  • I think I'm suitable for the position at HSS because I have more than ten years of experience in imports and exports.

  • Following my degree in marketing, I started getting interested in international sales.

  • I have also worked in retail sales, so I have a lot of experience in customer service.

  • When you're finishing the interview, it's good to give the main points again, so here you can use, "to sum up."

  • To sum up, I think I'm suitable for the position of import manager at HSS. Firstly, because I have a lot of experience in the field.

  • And, secondly, because I can adapt to any difficult situation.

  • Another common kind of question is, "what are your weaknesses?"

  • It's always hard to tell people about your weaknesses, so try to soften them with words like, a little, a bit, sometimes, occasionally, and then say something that has helped you to overcome them.

  • I sometimes lack the confidence to speak up and voice my opinion, but I have worked really hard on my confidence and communication skills over the past year and I have improved a lot.

  • Here is another example question: Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision.

  • You have to be careful with your answer, because the interviewer wants you to give him or her a specific example of when you had to face a difficult or challenging situation.

  • But don't worry, there is a method that you can use, the STAR method.

  • S for Situation (give the context).

  • Here you set the scene and give the context of a situation you faced in the past.

  • When I was working for Export Leather, my boss offered me the opportunity to work in Australia for a year, but that meant that I had to leave my family and my home country for one year.

  • T for Target (describe the purpose).

  • Here you tell them what was necessary to improve the situation.

  • I had to make my family understand that this trip would be beneficial for us in the future.

  • A for Action (explain what you did).

  • Here you describe the action that you did in order to improve the situation, why, and when you did it.

  • I decided to take the offer in Australia, and after six months of working, the project turned out to be a huge success.

  • R for Result (share the outcome).

  • Finally, you describe the outcome of the situation.

  • It was so successful that I made enough money to bring my family over to Australia, and we lived (there) for six months.

  • That was such an amazing experience.

  • The job is yours.

  • Now, let's have a look at the expressions we have learnt today.

  • "I think I'm suitable for the position at, name of the company", and then you give the reason.

  • To talk about your academic background, you can use "following my degree", and then you add your piece of information.

  • You can use the past simple to talk about your life experiences.

  • You can use present perfect, as in "I have worked in".

  • To organize and give a conclusion, you can use "to sum up".

  • Remember to use words like sometimes, occasionally, a bit, when talking about your weaknesses.

  • Use the STAR method when you have to describe a challenging situation.

  • Do you know any other phrases related with job interviews?

  • Let us know by leaving a comment below.

  • If you liked this video, then don't forget to subscribe.

  • Bye.

My name is Andres Herrera.

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