Idioms and Phrases About Job Interviews

Introduction

Hello! It’s Kristine here with the Express to Impress podcast. This episode is part two of How to Answer Interview Questions Without Rambling. You will learn nine new English idioms and phrases about job interviews. If English is your second language, expanding your English vocabulary will allow you to communicate better with native English speakers.

You’ll also get some homework at the end so you can continue to improve your English communication skills.

 

Don’t forget to subscribe to receive notifications whenever I release a new episode. As a reminder, you can subscribe anywhere you download podcasts like Apple or my website at express-to-impress.com. 

Now, I want to take a moment to give a special shoutout to Tarcila Lopes from Portugal. Here’s what she said in her review on Itunes:

 

I’ve been listening to the Express to Impress podcast, and it’s really helpful. Thank you for all the tips, Kristine!!

Thank you, Tarcila! It makes me so happy that the podcast has been helpful for you. And, of course, your review truly helps more people discover the podcast.

If you’d like to receive a shoutout on a future episode, leave a review for the show in Apple Podcasts!

Now, let’s begin!

 

 

English Idioms and Phrases

 

Bear With Me

 

Alright, thank you for bearing with me.

I used this after explaining how to leave a review for the podcast on Apple Podcasts. This expression means to be patient. You can use it as a request, such as “Please bear with me while my PowerPoint Presentation loads,” or you can use it to thank people for their patience, as I did.

 

Shoestring Budget

 

I’m producing the podcast on a shoestring budget, and your review will help the podcast grow.

This term describes a budget with very limited funding.

 

Shy Away (From Something)

 

Much like in the U.S., interviewers in Australia are direct and don’t shy away from asking interview questions about weaknesses and failure.

This phrasal verb means to avoid something because it makes you nervous or fearful, or because you dislike it.

 

Jump In

 

American interviewers can grow impatient during pauses and jump in to say something and interrupt your train of thought.

This informal phrasal verb means to join a conversation abruptly, especially by interrupting another person speaking.

 

Train of Thought

 

American interviewers can grow impatient during pauses and jump in to say something and interrupt your train of thought.

Train of thought means a series of connected thoughts or flow of thinking. It’s frustrating when hiring managers interrupt your train of thought during job interviews!

 

Buy Yourself Time

 

So, buy yourself some time by saying, “Sure! I just need a few moments to gather my thoughts.”

This means to do something to give yourself more time. To buy yourself time, you could stall or delay something to gain more time to do something. In last week’s episode, I recommended you buy some time in job interviews by telling your interviewers you will be thinking before answering questions.

Tried and True

 

When asked a behavioral interview question, that is, a question about your past work experience, you should follow a tried and true, easy-to-follow answer format.

This phrase refers to something that has proven in the past to be effective or reliable.

 

Two-Way Street

 

Keep in mind that interviews are a two-way street.

A two-way street is a situation or relationship where both sides must put forth equal effort to achieve the desired outcome. So in job interviews, you should be assessing employers as they assess you.

 

In/Into High Gear

 

If you have an interview coming up, it’s time to kick it into high gear.

This idiom means at a faster or more intense pace. We often say “kick” or “shift” into high hear to indicate a shift or change to a more intense pace.

Alright! That’s all of the English Phrases and Idioms we’ll be talking about today.

 

 

How to Write a Standout Resume Online Video Course

I often remind my clients that they interview with a company BEFORE they ever talk to someone about a job. The first interviews are written ones, of course! Before you get a chance to talk about yourself and your abilities, you represent yourself in writing on your LinkedIn profile, resume, cover letter, public online communication, and email correspondence.

To help my clients succeed in their written communication during the job search process, I created the 90-minute online course, “How to Write a Standout Resume.” The course makes it extremely easy to create a standout resume and other important documents because it includes resume, cover letter, and e-note samples and templates. Most people pay at least $100 for a good resume editor and, sadly, never learn how to create their own standout resume. As you know, you need to update your resume continually, so you could end up spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on resume editing throughout your career. However, you can invest in learning how to do it yourself. The course is priced at just $49, and you can get 15% off by using the coupon code podcast15 at the checkout. As a result, you’ll have a skill that will allow you to prepare your resume efficiently and save you money again and again.

To learn more about my How to Write a Standout Resume video course and watch free lessons from it, visit my website at express-to-impress.com/courses. 

 

 

English Learning Homework

Alright, learning takes repetition and implementation, and I can’t resist the English teacher in me. So, I’ll give you some homework! Listen to this episode again and repeat the words out loud. It will not only expand your English vocabulary but help you to improve your American pronunciation, listening skills, and intonation. You’ll be doing the Shadowing Technique! If you need a reminder about implementing the Shadowing Technique, check out episode 15, Introducing the Shadowing Technique for English Learning.

If there’s something I can do to support you, write me an email at hello@express-to-impress.com, and I’ll be happy to help out.

Thank you so much for listening to the Express to Impress podcast. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend. See you next time. Bye!

 

Music by Lucas Knutter