#163: 8 Power Words to Use in Your English Job Interview (and 1 to Avoid)
Today we are all about job interviews in English, particularly power words you can use to effectively communicate that you are the right fit for the job you want.
You might be thinking that I’m going to share words like
- team player
- honest
- hardworking
- confident
- loyal
But no, none of those words are on my list.
And here’s why: In a job interview, you’re expected to only use positive words to describe yourself. Everyone knows that.
You’ve probably heard the expression in English, you’re supposed to ‘sell yourself.’
Honestly, I hate that word and the whole idea of selling yourself.
The truth is the interviewer doesn’t want to hear words that you think describe you. The interviewer wants to know two things.
- Can you do the job well?
- Are you the right choice for the position?
Today we’re going to focus on the kinds of power words you can use to say that yes, you absolutely can do the job. And you’re the right choice.
Then at the end, I’m going to share one word you should definitely avoid using in a job interview.
Power Words to Use in Your English Job Interview
Lesson Summary:
Here are the 8 power words I recommend for your English job interview and why.
Number One: Responsible
Every recruiter or interviewer, every employer is looking for someone who is going to do their job and take ownership of it.
What that means is they can rely on you to do the job you’re supposed to do. They don’t need to worry that you might try to avoid doing work or give other people all of your responsibilities.
Number Two: Collaborate
If you want to highlight that you work well with others, then the verb collaborate does that perfectly.
In fact, the precise definition of collaborate means to work with other people to achieve an end goal.
Number Three: Initiative
To take the initiative means is that you do what needs to be done without anyone asking you.
Employers love this because is also shows self-confidence and a commitment to hard work.
Number 4: Lead
Someone who leads inspires others to take action.
Number 5: Resolve
This one is all about problem solving. When we use the word resolved, it communicates that everyone who was part of the problem or disagreement was satisfied in the end, and that is a very positive outcome.
Number 6: Measure
This is about being as specific with your interview answers.
If you want to tell your interviewer that you increased sales last year, that’s fantastic, but if you can make it measurable by saying that you increased sales by 7.9% last year, that is even more powerful.
Number 7: Result
If you have a story about how you collaborated in the past or that you led a team, the interviewer will absolutely want to know what was the end result.
For example, if you have a story about a conflict that you help resolve, what happened after the resolution? Did the team successfully complete a project under budget? Did you win an award for best marketing campaign of the year? What was the final result of the action steps that you took?
This is a great word to pair with the other words on this list. You might talk about an opportunity that you had leading a team and then at the end, you could say the result of that was and then share what happened in the end.
Number 8: Example
This is kind of a weird choice, isn’t it?
Every question in a job interview is an opportunity for you to share an example, a real example, from your past that highlights that, yes, you can do the job and you’re the right choice.
Don’t miss this opportunity.
Now that you have 8 power words to use in your English job interview, let’s talk about 1 word to avoid.
Team player.
Are you shocked? Are you thinking, “But everyone uses it!”
That’s exactly the problem. Everyone uses it.
And as a result, it has lost its power. It’s no longer an effective word to use.
The best way that you can stand out in a job interview is to use power words that accurately describe you and avoid using cliches.
Lessons Mentioned in the Confident English Video:
Now that you’ve watched the video and added 8 new power words to your vocabulary for a job interview, I want to hear from you.
- Number one, I want to know one word on this list that you could use in a job interview and I want you to try using it in a practice sentence.That sentence should include a story or an example of when you’ve exhibited that behavior.
- My second question is, what is one English job interview question that makes you super nervous? I would love to know what it is so I can be sure to help you prepare how to answer it.
You can share with me in the comments at the end of this lesson.
~ Annemarie
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Hi Annemarie.
Your help is really valuable.
I have seen both part 1&2 of your free trainings “How to Confidently Respond to Tell Me About Yourself” and there is a question I’d like to discuss further…
What if some interviewers instead of “tell me something about yourself” , asks to “tell them your CV in English”.
Is the answer the same for both questions?
Should I respond with more personal details?
Should I introduce myself with all the basic informations, such as : ” my name is XX, I am XX years , I live there….”
Hi Akrivi, that’s an interesting question. I’ve never heard of someone asking “Tell me your CV…” but they certainly could. No matter what, it’s best to only provide a brief summary of what is on your CV. You shouldn’t give every single detail because that would require far too much time.
Thanks. Very helpful.
Hi Annemarie! I would use both “Resolved” and “collaborated”. In my previous job, I collaborated with the other managers in the creation of our Business Plan. We discuss our plans for our respective departments to know how they affect the other departments. For this year’s plan, we projected that there will be a decrease in the revenue of one particular department due to the travel restrictions brought by the pandemic. So to minimize, if not to offset, the loss of revenue, I proposed that we start charging the members for the use of the facility being managed by that Department… Read more »
Wow, you have several powerful verbs here, Abby! On top of resolved and collaborated, I also see proposed, pitched, took the initiative, and presented. Bravo!
Inside my Confident Job Interviews course, I provide in-depth details and help students practice that tricky question about leaving a job. You can learn more about the course here: Confident Job Interviews.
P.S. I apologize for my delayed response. My team and I were on a 2-week vacation. This week we’re back at work and catching up. 😊
All the words are distinctive and peculiar suggested by you
We should collaborate on the task to make less mistakes.
l did it on my own initiative.
With regards
Indra Chauhan
You’re the best teacher. Thumbs up
“Tell me a bit about yourself” – what a hard question! It’s hard to answer to this question because we don’t know excacly what the interviwer really wants to know, This question can be deeply or generally answered. What’s the best way to answer to this question? I’d like to show my personal history in a creative way, and showing my experiences, my work and education background.
1. I like so much to all words, but to me the most important capacity in a company is the responsible.
I’m a tourist guide in my city and i has a big responsibility wiht my paxs all the time, i need to know each place that i take them, i need to pay attention with each pax all the time.
2. The question to make me suer nervous is ” tell me about yourself”…it’s very terrible question.
thank you to share your knowledge with us
In a job interview I would tell, that I’m feel responsible for my work and for my results in the company. I am glad for telling you what I think about the word team-player and why I think also it would be better to avoid this in a job interview.I always felt that this word is meaningless, superficial and exaggerated. For me it sounds like a self-praises. Your eight replacement words sound more pleasant. I think these words are the better description for a person, who introduces themself for a job. Each word of them are more acceptable and more… Read more »
Thanks for the comment, Rosi! I’m so glad you found these 8 words useful to you.
Thanks for your information !!!
You’re so welcome, Hien!!
Great information, thank you
Hi Dawn. So glad it was helpful!!
Thanks!!!!! You are the best
You’re so welcome!