Career Cube Blog

It can be hard to know what to say in an interview and how to effectively get your point across. Nobody wants to be too pushy, virtually everyone is uncomfortable to some degree with selling themselves outright, but everyone wants to get the point across that they’re interested in the position. So I thought compiling this list of helpful catchphrases to pepper throughout the interview would help you to get yourself in the right frame of mind.

“I’ve read the job description, and it looks like this job relates to what I used to do in this way. In my old job I (fill in the blank)…and in this job I would be (fill in the blank)…. Am I on the right track?” This candidate has basically done the interviewer’s job for them. The interviewer is trying to figure out if they like you, and trying to figure out if what you’ve done has any relevance to what they’re going to ask you to do. If I had a candidate say this to me, I would be hard pressed NOT to hire them, all other things being equal. This simple phrase shows that not only have you read and comprehended the job description, but you took the extra step of relating it to what responsibilities you’ve had in the past and were able to relate the two. Perfect. Employers want to hire people who can think, and you’re definitely demonstrating that here. You want to include this phrase early on in the interview, perhaps after they’ve asked and you’ve answered the “Tell me about yourself” question.

“Let me talk you through some of the typical duties of my job.” I was recently working with a candidate who, when asked “Tell me what responsibilities you liked most about your past positions,” responded that she loved working with people, got very excited about working with people with different backgrounds, and was just thrilled about working with people. Ummm…good…but doesn’t tell me anything, really, about anything. AVOID these “smooshy” blanket statements. They do nothing to help you. Take the initiative to tell the employer about what you have actually done at prior jobs. In some cases, it may not be apparent to you—as it was in the first example—that there’s a direct correlation between your past jobs and the one you’re interviewing for, but you should still be able to give a specific anecdote that outlines your responsibilities. This is typically early- to mid-way through the interview.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity because…” This lets the interviewer know that you understand what this position is all about and how it will fit into your career path. This is important. Interviewers know that you just want the job. They also know that too many people are so desperate for a new job that they’ll sell themselves into anything without even stopping to consider if they’re going to want it three months down the road. Describing why you’re interested in a position shows that you’ve considered what they company can do for you, and how the skills you’re bringing to the table will help the company. This is typically a comment you make more than halfway or toward the end of the interview.

I’m sure that every interviewer will have a different list, or you may even have some great “money lines” that have served you well in the past. But don’t be afraid to go for it. Be proud of your accomplishments and tell others about them.

by Melanie Szlucha

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