Interview English: Learn 23 Words

INTERVIEW ENGLISH INTERVIEW ENGLISH: LEARN 23 WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF!

Imagine you’re at an interview. After the introduction, the interviewer makes the typical comment, “So, tell me about yourself *.” What are you going to say? Just to help you, we’ve got 23 of the best words and expressions that you can use to give a really great impression. Read over them. Then, try the exercises on the following page to help you remember the words so you can use them the next time you’re in an interview. Good luck! Which of these adjectives would you use to describe yourself?

1 A team player

A “team player” is someone who is good at working with other people: “He’s a really good team player, always helping others and contributing positively.”

5 Good at multi-tasking / a multi-tasker

If you’re “good at multitasking”, you can deal with more than one job or task at the same time: “He’s great at multi-tasking. / She’s a great multi-tasker.”

2 Creative

Someone who is “creative” can use their imagination to create original work and ideas: “She’s really creative and good at coming up with original and innovative ideas.”

6 Confident / self-assured

Someone who is “confident” feels positive about their abilities, skills, ideas, qualities…: “He’s really confident and self-assured for someone so young.”

3 Tech-savvy

Someone who is “tech-savvy” is good with computers and technology in general, and they know how to use it: “Today’s consumers are often really tech-savvy.”

7 Resourceful

A “resourceful” person can find quick and clever ways to solve problems: “She’s a resourceful person who always knows how to resolve difficult situations.”

4 Ambitious

Someone who is “ambitious” wants to be successful and reach the top: “He’s really ambitious; I’m sure he’ll be president one day.”

8 A problem-solver

A “problem-solver” is someone who is good at thinking of solutions to problems: “He has a reputation for being a resourceful problemsolver.”

9 Persuasive

Someone who is “persuasive” can easily cause people to do or believe things: “She managed to persuade the investors to double the investment amount. She can be really persuasive when she wants.”

10 Responsible

A “responsible” person will do what they promised to do: “I can rely on her to get the work finished – she’s really responsible.”

11 Level-headed

Someone who is “level-headed” can keep calm, even in stressful situations: “It’s good to have a level-headed person like him around in situations like this.”

If you have “good interpersonal skills”, you have the ability to listen to people and talk and communicate with them effectively: “You need very good interpersonal skills in this job.”

15 Good admin skills

If someone has “good admin skills”, they’re good at administrative tasks such as filing documents, keeping records, developing processes, recording important information, etc.: “We’re looking for someone with really good admin skills to be the next office manager.” Someone with a “can-do attitude”, is very positive and confident that they can solve a problem: “Her can-do attitude motivated the rest of the team.”

16 Pro-active

Someone who is “pro-active” thinks about how a situation might develop and acts early, rather than reacting to any changes: “Pro-active people are good at anticipating needs and predicting possible outcomes.” An “organised” person can plan things carefully and work in a structured way: “She’s a really organised person who often manages large events.”

17 An eye for detail

Someone with an “eye for detail” is good at noticing small but important things that other people might not see: “It’s useful to have a good eye for detail when you’re working as an architect.”

18 Reliable

A “reliable” person can be trusted to work well, arrive on time, and behave in the way that you want them to: “She’s really reliable and will always do what she promises.”

21 Good at thinking out of the box / good at thinking outside the box

Someone who is “good at thinking out of the box”, is good at thinking of new, different or creative ways to solve problems, and they aren’t afraid to experiment: “He’s really good at thinking out of the box and coming up with original solutions.”

19 Good people skills

If you have “good people skills”, you’re good at talking with other people, listening to them and understanding their needs: “You won’t go far in this company if you don’t have good people skills.”

22 Self-motivated

A “self-motivated” person does things as a result of their own enthusiasm or interest, without needing any pressure from others: “He’s an independent, selfmotivated person.”

20 Good listening skills

Someone with “good listening skills” can listen carefully to other people, focus on what they’re saying, ask good questions and respond thoughtfully: “To be a good boss, you need to have good listening skills.”

23 A self-starter

A “self-starter” is someone who doesn’t need to be told what to do – they just get on with it: “We’re looking for a self-starter who is good at working under pressure.”

*TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

Alternatives to this sentence include, “Walk me through your resume / How would you describe yourself ? / Describe yourself in 3 words…

GLOSSARY

to come up with phr vb if you “come up with” an idea, you think of it to deal with phr vb if you “deal with” a problem, you try to find a solution to it to file vb if you “file” a document, you put it in its correct file (a box, or paper or plastic object where you can put papers) to anticipate vb if you “anticipate” something, you understand or imagine what will happen before it actually happens an outcome n the “outcome” of an activity is what exists at the end of it – the result to trust vb if you “trust” someone, you believe they’re honest and that they’ll do what they promised to do to go far exp if you “go far”, you do many great things and become successful, rich, powerful… afraid adj if you’re “afraid” of something, you’re frightened or worried about it, or you think something bad will happen