Why Vocabulary Matters in Interviews
Interviewers don't only listen to what you did — they notice how you describe it. "I did many things with customers" sounds weak. "I resolved an average of 40 customer escalations a week and reduced complaints by 20%" sounds like a professional. The difference is vocabulary: precise verbs, numbers and a clear structure.
Strong Action Verbs
Replace do, make, work on and help with verbs that show exactly what you did.
| Instead of... | Use... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| did / was responsible for | managed, oversaw, coordinated | I oversaw a budget of $200,000. |
| made | developed, designed, launched, built | I launched a new onboarding program. |
| made better | improved, streamlined, optimized | I streamlined the ordering process. |
| made smaller | reduced, cut, minimized | We cut delivery times by two days. |
| made bigger | increased, grew, boosted, expanded | I grew our client base by 30%. |
| helped | supported, assisted, mentored, trained | I mentored three junior accountants. |
| fixed | resolved, solved, troubleshot | I resolved a long-running billing issue. |
| worked with | collaborated with, partnered with, liaised with | I liaised with suppliers in three countries. |
| started | initiated, introduced, set up | I set up a weekly feedback session. |
| talked people into | negotiated, persuaded, secured | I secured a 15% discount from our vendor. |
Tip: add a result with a number whenever possible: by 20%, within three months, for 12 clients.
Talking About Skills
Hard skills are technical and measurable: accounting, data analysis, Excel, project management software, a forklift licence, bookkeeping.
Soft skills are about how you work with people: communication, teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving, time management, leadership, attention to detail.
Useful collocations:
- I'm proficient in Excel and SQL.
- I have hands-on experience with inventory systems.
- I have a strong track record of meeting deadlines.
- I'm comfortable working under pressure.
- I thrive in fast-paced environments.
- I pride myself on my attention to detail.
Describing Strengths Without Arrogance
Don't just list adjectives ("I'm hard-working, creative and a team player"). Every candidate says that. Instead, name the strength and prove it:
"One of my strengths is staying calm under pressure. For example, during a system outage last year, I was the person who kept customers informed while the IT team fixed the problem."
Softening phrases also help you sound confident but modest:
- My colleagues would probably say I'm...
- I've been told that I'm good at...
- Something I'm proud of is...
The Weakness Question
"What's your greatest weakness?" is a test of self-awareness. Choose a real but manageable weakness, then show what you are doing about it.
"I used to find it hard to delegate. I wanted to check everything myself, which slowed the team down. Over the last year I've been working on it by agreeing on clear checkpoints with my team instead of reviewing every detail. It's made a real difference to our deadlines."
Useful phrases: I used to... / I've been working on... / I've learned to... / It's still a work in progress, but...
The STAR Method for Behavioural Questions
Behavioural questions start with "Tell me about a time when..." or "Give me an example of...". They are extremely common in Canada, the US and the UK. Answer with STAR:
| Letter | Meaning | Useful phrases |
|---|---|---|
| S — Situation | The context | At my previous job at..., we were facing... |
| T — Task | Your responsibility | My role was to... / I was asked to... |
| A — Action | What you did (the longest part) | First, I... Then I... I also made sure that... |
| R — Result | The outcome, ideally with numbers | As a result,... / In the end,... / What I learned was... |
Use "I", not only "we", in the Action part. The interviewer wants to know your contribution.
Sample STAR Answer
Question: Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult customer.
(S) In my last role at a telecom company, a business customer called because his office internet had been down for two days and he was losing sales. (T) My job was to calm the situation and get the problem fixed as fast as possible. (A) First, I listened without interrupting and apologized for the impact on his business. Then I escalated the ticket to our senior technicians and set up a direct line so he didn't have to explain the problem again. I called him every three hours with an update, even when there was no news. (R) The connection was restored that evening. He renewed his contract the following month and mentioned me by name in a review. What I learned is that regular updates matter as much as the fix itself.
Common Interview Questions
- Tell me about yourself. (A 60–90 second summary: present role → key achievements → why this job.)
- Why do you want to work here?
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a colleague.
- Describe a situation where you had to meet a tight deadline.
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Why are you leaving your current job? (Stay positive: I'm looking for more responsibility / a new challenge.)
Questions to Ask at the End
Always have two or three questions ready:
- What does a typical day look like in this role?
- How will success be measured in the first six months?
- What are the biggest challenges the team is facing right now?
- What are the next steps in the hiring process?
Common Mistakes
- "I have experience in management of people" → I have experience managing people.
- "I am responsible" (without context) → I'm reliable. (Responsible needs "for": I'm responsible for payroll.)
- "I worked like a manager" → I worked as a manager. (Like = similar to.)
- "My salary expectation is..." → more natural: I'm looking for something in the range of...
Practice Tips
- Write three STAR stories from your experience: a problem you solved, a conflict, and an achievement you're proud of. Each one can answer several different questions.
- Rewrite five CV bullets with the action verbs above and add a number to each.
- Record yourself answering "Tell me about yourself" in 90 seconds, then listen and replace weak verbs.