Work and Career Vocabulary: The Words You Need in an Interview
⏱ 5 Minutes · B1/B2
📖 From Experience
I have had job interviews on three continents — in English, in French, once in broken Creole in Réunion. The one thing that helped everywhere was knowing the right vocabulary: not just the buzzwords, but the verbs and collocations that make you sound professional, not rehearsed.
📚 Essential Collocations
| Verb | + Noun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| apply for | a job, a position | I applied for the head waiter role. |
| gain | experience, qualifications | I gained experience in fine dining. |
| manage | a team, a budget, projects | I managed a team of fifteen. |
| develop | skills, strategies | I developed my leadership skills. |
| be responsible for | a department, training | I was responsible for onboarding. |
| achieve | targets, results | We achieved all quarterly targets. |
📚 Interview Language
- “In my previous role, I was responsible for…”
- “I developed strong communication skills through…”
- “My greatest achievement was managing a complex…”
- “I am looking for an opportunity to contribute to…”
✏️ Your Turn
Rewrite using professional vocabulary:
- I did a lot of stuff at my old job.
- I got better at talking to people.
- I was in charge of the new workers.
💡 Check Answers
- I undertook a wide range of responsibilities in my previous role.
- I developed strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- I was responsible for onboarding and training new staff members.
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