A job interview is a formal but friendly conversation. The interviewer will ask you a series of questions about your background, your skills and your motivation, and they will expect you to answer clearly and confidently. Knowing a set of useful phrases — both the questions you are likely to hear and the answers you can give — will help you perform much better on the day. Try to learn these phrases as complete chunks, not word by word, so they come out naturally when you need them.

The phrases fall into two groups: questions from the interviewer and answers you can give. The interviewer's questions usually follow a predictable pattern: they begin with Tell me…, Could you…, What…, Why…, Where… or Do you have…. Your answers should be polite, positive and specific — give a real example from your life or work whenever you can. Avoid one-word answers such as 'Yes' or 'Marketing'; instead, build a short sentence: 'Yes, I have two years of experience in marketing.'

Here are some of the most useful phrases, with their function and an Arabic gloss to help you remember the meaning:

A few extra tips: keep your tone polite and slightly formal (use 'Could you…' rather than 'Can you…'); give short examples, not long stories; and always end by thanking the interviewer. If you can master these ten phrases, you will already sound professional and prepared in any interview.

You will hear a short job interview. Listen to how the interviewer and the candidate use the phrases from the table above.

Read the sentence aloud. This is a polite way to start an interview. Try to sound warm and confident.

Read the sentence aloud. Use clear word stress: EX-perience, MAR-keting, TEAM.

You are about to listen to a real job interview between David, the head of the marketing team at a fashion company called NorthStyle, and Maya, a candidate who has applied for the position of Marketing Assistant. The interview takes place in a small meeting room at the company's head office. Listen carefully — you will hear Maya answer questions about her background, her motivation, and her strengths, and you will then hear her ask a question of her own.

Before you press play, think about this: What kind of questions do you expect the interviewer to ask in a marketing interview? Perhaps 'Why do you want to work for us?' or 'What are your strengths?' Make a note of two or three questions in your head. Now listen and see whether your questions come up in the conversation.

As you listen, try to answer the questions in the steps that follow. You do not need to remember every word — just the main ideas and a few specific details.

Listen to the interview between David and Maya. You will hear it once. Focus on the main ideas and on a few specific details (names, places, numbers).

GIST. What is the main purpose of this conversation?

SPECIFIC INFORMATION. What did Maya study at university?

In a job interview, the way you stress multi-syllable words shows confidence and professionalism. Word stress means that one syllable in a word is louder, longer and higher than the others. When you stress the wrong syllable, listeners may not understand you, or they may think you are unsure of yourself. Learning the correct stress in interview vocabulary is therefore a small but important step towards performing well.

English words of three or four syllables usually follow a clear stress pattern. For 3-syllable words ending in -ation (such as qualification and communication), the stress falls on the third syllable from the end — that is, just before -ation. For many other 3- or 4-syllable words used in interviews, the stress falls on the second syllable, as in experience and achievement. Listen carefully and notice which syllable the speaker makes the longest and loudest.

Here are some of the most useful interview words with their stress patterns:

The syllables around the stress are called weak syllables. They are usually pronounced with the neutral vowel /ə/ — the 'schwa'. For example, in qualification, the first two syllables qua and li are weak, the third ca is strong, and tion at the end is also weak. If you stress the wrong syllable, you say QUAL-i-fi-ca-tion or qua-LI-fi-ca-tion — neither of these is correct. A small error like this can change the way the interviewer perceives your level of English.

Listen to this short answer you might give in an interview: 'I have three years of experience in marketing.' Notice how experience is stressed on the second syllable — ex-PER-ience — and not on the first or the third. The phrase in marketing also has stress on the first word, not the second. Stressing the right words makes your English sound fluent and confident.

To practise, say each word slowly and clap or tap your hand on the stressed syllable. Then say it at normal speed. Record yourself and compare with a model. Try to learn these interview words in phrases, not on their own — say them aloud every day for a week: 'I have experience in…', 'My biggest achievement was…', 'I have a qualification in…' When you say a word many times in real phrases, the stress becomes part of your muscle memory.

How to produce word stress. Choose one word from the table, for example qualification. Say it slowly: qua – li – fi – ca – tion. Make the third syllable (ca) longer, louder and higher than the others. The other four syllables should be short and quiet. Now say the whole word at normal speed, keeping the stress on the third syllable. Try the same with experience (stress on the 2nd syllable) and communication (stress on the 4th syllable).

Read the word aloud. Put the stress on the second syllable: ex-PER-ience.

Read the word aloud. Put the stress on the second syllable: a-CHIEVE-ment.

Read the word aloud. Put the stress on the third syllable: qua-li-fi-CA-tion.

Strategy box — Skimming and scanning. When you read a text in English, you do not need to understand every word. Skimming means reading quickly to get the general idea — you look at the title, the first sentence of each paragraph, and the last paragraph. Scanning means looking for specific information — a name, a date, a number, or a particular word. In a job interview lesson, skimming helps you understand the main message of a text about interviews, and scanning helps you find the exact detail you need (for example, 'How early should I arrive?').

Before you read the article below, look at these four key words. They will help you understand the text more easily:

Now read the short article once for the gist (the main idea), and then read it again more slowly to find the details needed for the questions that follow.

Five tips for a successful job interview

Preparing well is the secret to performing in a job interview. First, research the company thoroughly — read its website, understand its values, and check its recent news. Second, practise your answers to common questions, but avoid sounding like you have memorised them. Third, dress professionally and aim to arrive about ten minutes early. During the interview, listen carefully to each question and answer with clear examples from your own experience. Finally, prepare two or three questions to ask the interviewer — this shows that you are genuinely interested in the role. Remember, an interview is also your chance to find out if the company is right for you.

The article (read it carefully):

Five tips for a successful job interview

Preparing well is the secret to performing in a job interview. First, research the company thoroughly — read its website, understand its values, and check its recent news. Second, practise your answers to common questions, but avoid sounding like you have memorised them. Third, dress professionally and aim to arrive about ten minutes early. During the interview, listen carefully to each question and answer with clear examples from your own experience. Finally, prepare two or three questions to ask the interviewer — this shows that you are genuinely interested in the role. Remember, an interview is also your chance to find out if the company is right for you.

GIST. What is the main idea of this article?

DETAIL. According to the article, why should you prepare questions to ask the interviewer?

Speaking confidently in a job interview is a skill, and like any skill it gets better with practice. The most common interview question is 'Tell me about yourself.' Many candidates give a long, unfocused answer — they talk about their childhood, their hobbies, or their family. A strong answer is short (about 30–45 seconds), relevant (only work and study), and ends with a reason why you are a good fit for the job. A good structure is: present role → past experience → future goal.

Another important question is 'Why do you want this job?' A confident answer mentions something specific about the company (a product, a value, a recent project) and connects it to something specific about you (a skill, an interest, an experience). This shows that you have done your research and that you are genuinely interested — not just applying for any job you can find.

Here are useful phrases to help you answer common interview questions. Try to learn them as full sentences, not as separate words:

Listen to the short model dialogue below. Notice how the candidate uses some of these phrases naturally. Then you will have the chance to record your own answers.

Listen to this short model interview. Pay attention to the way the candidate answers each question — short, specific, and confident.

Read your answer aloud. Use clear word stress on EX-perience, MAR-keting and TEAM.

Read your answer aloud. Speak slowly and confidently, and pause slightly after because.

A cover letter is a short letter that you send with your CV when you apply for a job. Its job is to introduce you, explain why you are a good fit for the position, and convince the employer to invite you for an interview. A good cover letter is one page (about 200–250 words), formal in tone, and personalised to the company — never send the same letter to every employer.

A cover letter usually has three parts. The opening says where you found the job and states the position you are applying for. The body (one or two short paragraphs) gives your most relevant qualifications and explains why you are interested in this particular company. The closing thanks the reader and invites them to contact you or to meet you for an interview. A formal opening is 'Dear Mr Hassan' or 'Dear Ms Ali' (use the surname, not the first name), and a formal closing is 'Yours sincerely'.

Model text — read the example below carefully. It is about 60 words, the kind of short cover letter you might write in a B2 exam:

*Dear Mr Hassan,

I am writing to apply for the Marketing Assistant position at your company. I have recently completed a degree in Business Administration and have six months of experience as an intern at an advertising agency.

I am organised, hard-working, and enjoy working in a team. I would welcome the chance to discuss my application with you.

Yours sincerely, Layla Ahmed*

Strategy tip — Using formal openings and closings. In a cover letter, always use a formal greeting and a formal sign-off. Open with 'Dear Mr/Ms + surname' (never 'Hi' or 'Hello') and close with 'Yours sincerely' (if you know the reader's name) or 'Yours faithfully' (if you do not). Inside the letter, use full forms ('I am' rather than 'I'm', 'I have' rather than 'I've') and avoid contractions, slang or very informal vocabulary. These small choices make your letter sound professional and respectful.

Using formal openings and closings. Look again at the model cover letter above. Notice three formal features: (1) The opening 'Dear Mr Hassan' uses the title Mr and the family name — not the first name. (2) The sentence 'I am writing to apply for…' is a common formal way to begin a cover letter. (3) The closing 'Yours sincerely' is used because the letter begins with a name. Inside the letter, the writer uses 'I am' and 'I have' (not 'I'm' or 'I've'). When you write your own cover letter, copy these three features.

Which of these is the correct formal closing for a cover letter that begins with 'Dear Mr Hassan'?

Now write your own short cover letter (3–4 sentences) for a job you would like. Use the model above as a guide. When you have written it, read it aloud in a clear, formal voice.