1. interview vocabulary
.docxEMPLOYMENT - JOBS idioms
above and beyond the call of duty If a person does something which is above and beyond the call of duty, they show a greater degree of courage or effort than is usually required or expected in their job. "The fire-fighter received a medal for his action which went above and beyond the call of duty."
back-room boys The term back-room boys refers to people who do important work but have no contact with the public. "Back-room boys don't always receive the credit they deserve for their work."
brain drain The departure of highly qualified people (scientists, engineers, etc.) for other countries, where they have better opportunities and usually better pay, is called the brain drain.
busman's holiday A busman's holiday is when you spend your spare time or your holidays doing the same sort of activity as you do in your job. "My husband is a chef, so for him time off with the family is often a busman's holiday!"
cream of the crop The expression cream of the crop refers to the best people or things in a particular group. "As usual, the cream of the crop of this year's graduates were offered the best jobs."
dead wood The term dead wood refers to people or things that are no longer considered useful or necessary. "The new manager wants to reduce costs by cutting out the dead wood."
on the dole A person who receives financial assistance from the government when they are unemployed is on the dole. "Their father is on the dole so the family is living on a tight budget."
duty bound If you are duty bound to do something, you are required to do it as part of your obligations. "Teachers are duty bound to report a pupil's absence from school."
earn while you learn The expression earn while you learn refers to the possibility of earning a salary while in training." Become an apprentice and get paid while in training. Earn while you learn!"
firing line Someone who is in the firing line is in a position to be criticized because of their responsibilities or the position they hold. "The managing director of the bank is in the firing line since the fraud was discovered."
golden handcuffs The term golden handcuffs refers to a large sum of money or a generous financial arrangement granted to an executive as an incentive to stay in their job, or to ensure long-term cooperation after their departure.
golden handshake |
A golden handshake is a generous sum of money given to a person when they leave a company or retire (sometimes given to encourage early retirement). |
glass ceiling |
This term refers to a discriminatory barrier perceived by women and minorities that prevents them from rising to positions of power or responsibility. Claire knew she would never break the glass ceiling and rise to a senior management position. |
hang up one's boots |
When a sports player hangs up their boots, they stop playing and retire. (This expression is often used to refer to retirement in general.) Dad says he's going to hang up his boots at the end of the year. |
number cruncher |
This is a humorous way of referring to someone who is an accountant or who is very good at working with numbers and calculations. She's a number cruncher who perfectly understands the organisation's financial situation. |
learn the ropes |
If you learn the ropes, you learn how to do a particular job correctly. He's bright. It won't take him long to learn the ropes. |
paid peanuts |
If you are paid peanuts, you have a very low salary. Jenny has a very interesting job, but she's paid peanuts. |
play second fiddle |
If you play second fiddle to another person, you accept to be second in importance to that person or have a lower position. John resented having to play second fiddle to the sales manager when the company was restructured. |
plum job |
A desirable position which is well-paid and considered relatively easy is called a plum job. Ideally, he'd like to find himself a plum job in New York. |
be sacked/get the sack |
If someone is sacked or gets the sack, they lose their job, usually because they have done something wrong. Charlie got the sack when his boss caught him stealing. |
separate sheep from goats |
If you separate the sheep from the goats, you examine a group of people and decide which are suitable and which are not. Examining job applications is the first stage in separating the sheep from the goats. |
shape up or ship out |
This expression is used to warn someone that if they do not improve, they will have to leave their job. When Tom started neglecting the customers, he was told to shape up or ship out. |
tricks of the trade |
This term refers to a clever or expert way of doing things, especially in a job. He's a tough negotiator; he knows all the tricks of the trade. |
walking papers |
If you are given your walking papers, your contract or a relationship has ended. After causing a diplomatic incident, Carter got his walking papers. |
worth one's salt |
Someone who deserves respect because they do their job well is a person who is worth their salt. Any inspector worth their salt would have checked the papers carefully. |
Reports about INTERVIEWS
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body language https://www.best-job-interview.com/interview-body-language.html
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anxiety https://www.best-job-interview.com/tips-for-interview-success.html
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mistakes to avoid https://www.best-job-interview.com/job-interview-mistakes.html
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etiquette https://www.best-job-interview.com/free-interview-tips.html
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dress https://www.best-job-interview.com/dress-for-an-interview.html
JOB INTERVIEW VOCABULARY
You can expect to be asked about your strengths and weaknesses during a job interview. It's a good idea to use strong adjectives to make a good impression. Use these adjectives to describe yourself by talking about your strengths.
accurate - I'm an accurate bookkeeper. active - I'm active in two volunteer groups.
adaptable - I'm quite adaptable and happy to work in teams or on my own. adept - I'm adept at identifying customer service issues. broad-minded - I'm proud of my broad-minded approach to problems. competent - I'm a competent office suite user. conscientious - I'm efficient and conscientious about paying attention to detail.
creative - I'm quite creative and have come up with a number of marketing campaigns. dependable - I'd describe myself as a dependable team player. determined - I'm a determined problem solver who won't rest until we've come up with a solution. diplomatic - I've been called in to mediate as I'm quite diplomatic. efficient - I always take the most efficient approach possible. enthusiastic - I'm an enthusiastic team player. experienced - I'm an experienced C++ programmer. fair - I have a fair understanding of programming languages. firm - I have a firm grasp on the complexities facing us. innovative - I've often been complimented on my innovative approach to shipping challenges. logical - I'm quite logical by nature. loyal - You'll find that I'm a loyal employee. mature - I have a mature understanding of the market. motivated - I'm motivated by people who love to get things done. objective - I've often been asked for my objective views. outgoing - People say I'm an outgoing person who's very personable. personable - My personable nature helps me get along with everyone. positive - I take a positive approach to problem solving. practical - I always look for the most practical solution. productive - I pride myself on how productive I am.
reliable - You'll find that I'm a reliable team player. resourceful - You might be surprised by how resourceful I can be. self disciplined - I've often been complimented on how self disciplined I remain in difficult situations. sensitive - I do my best to be sensitive to others' needs. trustworthy - I was so trustworthy that I was asked to deposit company funds.
Use these verbs to really sell yourself. You only have a few minutes to show how good you really are.
A
Verb |
Example Sentence |
accomplished |
I've accomplished a lot in my current position. |
acted |
She's acted as head of the department. |
adapted |
I adapt to team working situations easily. |
administered |
I administered four committees. |
advanced |
I've advanced many new ideas. |
advised |
I advised management on purchasing decisions. |
allocated |
I allocated resources on a weekly basis. |
analyzed |
I analyzed financial data. |
applied |
I applied my knowledge to workflow. |
approved |
I approved new products for manufacturing. |
arbitrated |
I arbitrated for Fortune 500 companies. |
arranged |
I arranged meetings. |
assisted |
I assisted the CEO. |
attained |
I attained the highest level of certification. |
B-C
Verb |
Example Sentence |
blended |
I blended traditional approaches with new insights. |
brought |
I brought a team player sensibility to the job. |
built |
We built more than 200 homes. |
carried out |
I carried out a wide range of duties. |
cataloged |
I cataloged our company's library. |
collaborated |
I've collaborated with more than fifty clients. |
completed |
I completed the highest level of the training. |
conceived |
I've conceived of numerous products. |
conducted |
I conducted telephone surveys. |
constructed |
I constructed prototypes for marketing. |
consulted |
I've consulted on a wide range of issues. |
contracted |
I've contracted with large and small businesses. |
controlled |
I controlled more than $40,000,000. |
cooperated |
I cooperated successfully on more than team projects. |
coordinated |
I coordinated between sales and marketing departments. |
corrected |
I edited and corrected company brochures. |
counseled |
I counseled clients on insurance policies. |
created |
I created more than twenty advertising campaigns. |
D-E
Verb |
Example Sentence |
dealt |
I've dealt with a wide variety of issues. |
decided |
I've decided I need to further my career. |
decreased |
I decreased spending while improving profits. |
delegated |
I've delegated tasks on a number of projects. |
detected |
I detected a number of mistakes. |
developed |
I developed an invention. |
devised |
I devised a plan to improve profits. |
directed |
I directed the sales department. |
discovered |
I discovered the reason. |
distributed |
We distributed throughout the country. |
documented |
I documented company policies. |
doubled |
We doubled profits in only two years. |
edited |
I edited company communications. |
encouraged |
We encouraged research and development. |
engineered |
I engineered a wide range of applications. |
enlarged |
I enlarged our community outreach. |
escalated |
We escalated the problems to the director. |
established |
I established company guidelines. |
estimated |
I estimated future costs. |
evaluated |
I evaluated investment opportunities. |
examined |
I examined sites for pollution. |
expanded |
I expanded our sales to Canada. |
experienced |
We experienced difficulties meeting the deadline. |
explored |
We explored a wide range of possibilities. |
F-L
Verb |
Example Sentence |
facilitated |
I facilitated an exchange of ideas between the companies. |
finalized |
I finalized projections for the year. |
formulated |
I formulated answers to the questions. |
founded |
I've founded two companies. |
functioned |
I functioned as a liaison between management and employees. |
guided |
I guided operations through the process. |
handled |
I handled customer complaints. |
headed |
I headed an exploratory committee. |
identified |
I identified issues and reported back to management. |
implemented |
I implemented company plans. |
improved |
I improved the feedback process. |
increased |
We increased sales by over 50%. |
initiated |
I initiated investments into the latest technology. |
inspected |
We inspected more than two hundred companies. |
installed |
I installed air-conditioning units. |
introduced |
We introduced innovate products. |
invented |
The company invented double-sided tape. |
investigated |
I investigated customer complaints. |
led |
I led the sales department to its best year. |
M-P
Verb |
Example Sentence |
maintained |
I maintained the company database. |
managed |
I've managed more than five hundred employees. |
moderated |
I moderated negotiations between the two companies. |
negotiated |
I negotiated a better deal for the company. |
operated |
I've operated heavy machinery. |
organized |
I've organized many projects. |
performed |
I performed as company clerk. |
pioneered |
We pioneered new sound technologies. |
planned |
I planned company retreats. |
prepared |
I prepared documents for management. |
presented |
I presented at many conferences. |
programmed |
I programmed the company database. |
promoted |
I promoted employees in human resources. |
provided |
We provided feedback to management. |
purchased |
I purchased materials for the company. |
R-Z
Verb |
Example Sentence |
recommended |
I recommended cutbacks at the company. |
recorded |
I recorded notes during meetings. |
recruited |
We recruited the best talent. |
redesigned |
I redesigned company workflow. |
repaired |
I repaired watches for a few years. |
replaced |
I replaced the director after only six months. |
restored |
I restored the company to profitability. |
reversed |
We reversed the trend and grew. |
reviewed |
I reviewed company documents and made recommendations. |
revised |
I revised figures at the end of each quarter. |
screened |
I screened applicants during job interviews. |
selected |
I selected employees and assigned tasks. |
serviced |
We serviced all the buses in the area. |
set up |
I set up four branches. |
stimulated |
I stimulated discussion between departments. |
strengthened |
We strengthened sales abroad. |
summarized |
I summarized complex ideas so everyone could understand. |
supervised |
I supervised two teams on the project. |
supported |
I supported management with research. |
tested |
I tested a number of devices in the field. |
trained |
I trained employees. |
transformed |
We transformed the company in a short time. |
upgraded |
We upgraded our IT infrastructure. |
validated |
I validated customer claims. |