How to succeed in a job interview in English

How to succeed in your job interview in English

Hey there, and welcome to Speak English with Christina, where you’ll have fun becoming fluent in American English. I’m your English coach Christina, and we’re celebrating Independence Day in the USA.

Today, it’s the 4th of July 4th, the day when the Founding Fathers told the British government “It was fun, but this relationship is finished! Bye bye!” Back in 1776.

We’ve been separate from Great Britain for 241 years now! So to celebrate the United States’ independence from Great Britain, we’ll look at 6 differences between the US and Great Britain.

Let’s go!

And before I forget, be sure to sign up to be a Speak English Ambassador at christinarebuffet.com. I’ll send you a free lesson each week, so you can become independent in English!

Now, the differences…

You can download the slides on this page.

And if you don’t have any headphones with you, or you just prefer to read, let’s imagine…

You’re in an interview.

The recruiter says: “I’ll let you introduce yourself.”

You start:

“Hello, I’m Aurélie, I’m 38 years old. I’m an assistant…”

Three minutes later, you’re still talking.

You ask yourself “Am I saying too much? Am I boring?”

Yes, you’re saying too much, and yes, your answer is boring.

Your introduction has to be interesting, clear, easy to follow. But also concise and complete.
Can you find that difficult balance?

Yes, you can.

Here are 3 simple steps that will make a big difference:

1. LISTEN TO YOURSELF

Practice, practice, practice. Out loud.

Yes, talk to yourself. I always say that English is like sports. The only way to improve is to practice regularly.

It’s not enough to imagine your answers. That’s like preparing for a marathon by imagining “I’m going to run.” It makes no sense.

Try this today: Record yourself. Use the dictaphone on your iPhone to record your introduction. Then listen to it.

What impression do you make? Is your introduction interesting?

Repeat this exercise as necessary. Do this and you’re sure to start with a good impression.

It’s simple, but few people do it. Imagine the extra advantage you’ll have.

2. STRUCTURE YOUR INTRODUCTION

When you introduce yourself in English, you have so much to think about: vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation.

It’s a lot. Especially when you’re nervous.

Is your introduction clear? How do you make easy transitions? How can you organize your ideas so you’re spontaneous but use good English?

You need a solid structure. It makes your answer clear and interesting.

How do you start your introduction?

Don’t start with your oldest job experience.

Don’t start with your studies.

Please don’t start with your name and age. It screams “high school English”!

Here’s an effective structure:

Present: What’s current your situation? What’s the connection to the job you want?

Past: How did your previous experience help you reach your current situation?
Future: What are you looking for? Why are you excited about this opportunity?

3. WHY DO YOU WANT THIS JOB?

This question may come at the beginning of your job interview too. And it’s a crucial one!

But you’ll be just like every other candidate if you say something like “I’m looking for opportunities to develop my skills” or “I want a position where I have more responsibility.” And that’s exactly what you DON’T want.

Go to 8:26 in the lesson and you’ll see how to improve your answer right now.

You’ll learn a simple technique. And you don’t need to be bilingual to do it well.

With all this, you’re ready to make a good first impression. In English we say “A first impression is a lasting impression.” Studies confirm this. Our first impression is more important than we imagine.

You have to make a good first impression if you hope to get the job.

And now you can.

All the best,

Christina