1.

Draw attention to your education and

qualifications, or any formal training you may have
received:
 I graduated from (university/college etc) in (the year)…
 I studied at (university/college)…
 I got a diploma in…. and then went on to study...
 I did a Management course in 2018 and this helped me to...
 I am a qualified...
 I have an IELTS certificate with a score of (number)…

2. Focus on your work experience and your career

so far:
 I worked for (company name) as a (job role)…
 I worked in (sector) for (period of time)…
 I was promoted to (job role)…
 I was responsible for...
 I am good at multi-tasking/working under pressure/working to a deadline…
 My strengths are/my strength is communicating well/my ability to solve
problems…
 I have worked for several companies including….
 I have …….years’ experience in…

3. Describe your best features and what motivates

you:
 I am hardworking/ organised/decisive/patient/easy going/a team
player/committed/focused/proactive and methodical.
 I am proud of...
 I perform well under pressure.
 I am self-motivated.
 I take pride in my work.
 I’m good at problem-solving.

4. Use intensifiers to make stronger statements:

 I am very organised and extremely focused.
 I am really good at showing initiative/presenting information/problem-
solving/controlling budgets/achieving objectives/motivating
colleagues/meeting deadlines/creating ideas.
 I have very good people skills/management skills/organisational skills.

5. Make sure you highlight your language skills:

 I have effective communication skills in English, both verbally and in writing.
 I’ve been using English in my professional life for the past ……years.
 I’ve got a good grasp of the specialised English needed in this post/industry.
 I’ve been working in an English-speaking environment for the past……years.
 I’m a confident speaker of English/I feel comfortable speaking English.

6. Include any technical expertise or projects that

might be relevant to the role:
 I am very proud of (the last project I was involved in) because...
 I have (say how many years) experience working in (the sector)...
 I have worked in (sector) for...
 I developed some important skills when I (what role or function did you do)...
 7. If appropriate, talk about your background, where
you are from, and where you grew up:
 I was born in (country) and grew up in (country).
 I relocated/moved to (country) when I was (age).
 I speak (number) languages.
 I currently live in (country/city/ town).
 I currently live in (country/city) however I would consider relocating if the
company required me to do so.

8. Demonstrate you can solve a problem:

 A good example that comes to mind is...
 In my role as…. I was responsible for...
 Due to (the situation e.g. COVID 19) our company was under a lot of pressure
to implement new health and safety measures.
 Our team was under pressure to meet new deadlines.
 I was asked to...
 I was able to turn the situation around.
 I organised/arranged/implemented...
 Even though it wasn’t possible there was still a positive outcome.
 Fortunately...
 Finally...
 I was able to turn the situation around.
 By motivating/creating/implementing/showing initiative...
 I was able to get the team back on track.
 However, it was difficult/ it was a challenge because (we had limited
resources).

9. It is always a good idea to give examples of how

you use your skills in a work setting:
 I was involved in several projects…
 I have managed a large number of projects over the years….
 I set up several new systems.
 I was responsible for implementing the new safety measures…
 This involved……
 I was asked to….
 It was challenging/difficult, however the end result was …. (something
positive)…
 I am very/really proud of how well it turned out…
 I am very proud of the end result.
 We achieved the desired result/we achieved the result we wanted.
 We achieved our aim.

10. You may be asked to talk about how you’d like

to develop and where you see yourself in the future:
 I would like to take on more responsibility.
 I’m looking to further my career.
 I would like to further my career, so opportunities for professional
development would be important to me.
 I would like to add to my skill set, so training would be important to me…
 Training is very important to me because….
 11. Some interviewers may want to know what
other interests you have outside of work. Here are a
few suggestions:
 I like/love going to art galleries/museums…
 I like/love playing football/tennis…
 I watch a lot of...
 I like to keep fit and active so I…
 I am a volunteer for (organisation)...This organisation is responsible for…
 The reason why I love/like...is because...
 I play the piano/the guitar/the trumpet and my favourite musician/composer
is…
 Every weekend/summer/winter I go to…

1. I can, I will

Phrases like “I can contribute…” and “I will offer my strengths in this way…”
show that you are positive and confident in the gifts and talents you bring to a
company. The word “will” implies conviction and ability. It shows you have
thought about the subject and come with intention about your talents and
contributions.

Example interview question: Why are you a good fit for this job?

Example answer: “I am a good fit for this job because I can produce results.
In my last job, I sold the highest number of customer maintenance plans for
three quarters in a row.”

2. I look forward to

As soon as you have been granted an interview, you can respond with
something like, “I look forward to the chance to discuss what I can bring to
your company.” It is positive and hopeful language that shows you have
confidence in your abilities. Then, during your interview, you can use it to
explain aspects of the job you would enjoy or explain your working style.

Example interview question: How do you respond to new project

assignments?

Example answer: “I look forward to the first project planning meeting with a
new team. Listening to everyone’s input and ideas helps everyone get to know
each other and figure out what roles we will take on.”

3. Opportunity

“Opportunity” is a word that both describes chances you have been given in
the past to develop your skills and shows possibility and gratitude. It is
frequently associated with a job offer in an interview setting. You can talk
about past opportunities and how you are excited about the prospects of
future opportunities.

Example interview question: What are you looking for in a new position?

Example answer: “I see this job as an opportunity to increase my exposure to

clients. I have been working in the back office at my previous job, and I look
forward to improving my customer service skills.”
4. Experience

Though your resume should speak to your job experience, it is often a

shortened summary of the many tasks you have accomplished during your
career. When possible, it is good to describe your duties, projects or
deliverables in terms of your job experience during an interview, and you can
emphasize the length of time to help someone understand the nuances of your
previous work. Saying “experience” can make you sound knowledgeable and
qualified.

Example interview question: How have your previous jobs prepared you for
this one?

Example answer: “I have 10 years of experience in sales and marketing, most

of it with one company. I worked for many different clients during that time
and learned how to adapt my work to the needs of each one.”

5. Skills

Similarly to describing your experience, pointing out some of your relevant

skills can help an interviewer know you better. Instead of listing many skills,
choose one or a few that help recommend you for the position. For example,
instead of saying you have computer skills, you could explain how you are
skilled in certain software programs that you might use for the job.

Example interview question: Can you describe some of your soft skills?

Example answer: “I think the most valuable skill I have is time-management. I

am diligent in using a calendar and each day I use a journal to record my
accomplishments and what I need to complete the next day. It helps me stay
organized and on track for deadlines.”

6. Goals

It can be helpful to show how the prospective job helps you meet your
professional goals. Describe your goals and how the job can give you skills or
experience. For example, if you have been working at an entry-level job in the
hospitality industry and you are seeking a management position, talk about
how your experience has helped you formulate your goal and why you believe
the prospective position helps you achieve that goal.

Example interview question: Can you explain why you changed careers?

Example answer: “As soon as I settled on a design major in college, I set a

goal that I wanted to design logos for clients and help them develop their
brand strategy. I have been working at our family business to help my dad, but
I never forgot my goal. This job will help me get closer to that goal.”

7. Flexible

If you can demonstrate that you can work with various people in many
different environments and adapt to changes in projects, deadlines and scope,
you will show how you can be a flexible and positive addition to a team. You
could explain how you adapted to a change in circumstances in the past and
what being flexible has taught you about yourself.

Example interview question: Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve

faced at work, and how you dealt with it.

Example answer: “In my last big project for my previous employer, the client
needed to make frequent changes to the scope, which affected many of our
task deadlines. As the project manager, it fell to me to help my team learn to
be flexible and avoid frustration. We held frequent meetings, I gave people a
voice to express their concerns and we all found ways to adapt and complete
that project to our client’s satisfaction.”

8. Example
This word helps you change a general statement to a specific statement.
Rather than saying “I was responsible for team building,” you could add
something like “May I share an example of how a team-building exercise
increased our office unity?” Then you can briefly explain the activity and some
results you observed. Stories and examples can help an interviewer get to
know you better, and will highlight your qualities or abilities when they focus
on a few relevant details.

Example interview question: What is one of your greatest recent

accomplishments?

Example answer: “If I may, I would like to share an example of how my team
won the national sales award you see mentioned on my resume. In this
instance, we each recognized our unique strengths and ended up
collaborating well together, resulting in a top sales award.”