Using the Job Description to Prepare Your Perfect Phrases
Once you have a firm grasp of the key skills and particular
experience that are required for a position, it’s time to put
together the phrases you will use to wow the interviewer. Let
this book be your guide as you assemble the phrases you want
to be sure to use in your interview.
To understand how to pick the perfect phrase, let’s go back to our example: After conducting a job search for an Executive Secretary/Admin and compiling the key words and phrases, the most common words/phrases were identified as the following:
Using the Executive Secretary/Admin position, you can see how effective it is to summarize what you have found to be the key words for the interview.
To understand how to pick the perfect phrase, let’s go back to our example: After conducting a job search for an Executive Secretary/Admin and compiling the key words and phrases, the most common words/phrases were identified as the following:
- Written and oral communication skills Confidentiality
and judgment
- Self-starter—independent
- Prioritizing and multitasking
- Very organized
Using the Executive Secretary/Admin position, you can see how effective it is to summarize what you have found to be the key words for the interview.
Perfect Phrase:
“From what I have read in your job posting, it appears that you want someone who has superior communications skills, both written and oral. It sounds like it would take someone who can work independently and who is a self-starter. That matches with my skills completely.”
You have demonstrated an ability to summarize and “cut to the
chase” by getting directly to what you believe it would take
to do this job. Your use of terms and phrases also shows a grasp
of the job requirements and excellent communication skills.
Whenever you say, “It sounds like…” you are paraphrasing what
you have just heard or read. This is a communication skill that
will take you far. It is letting the person with the problem
know that you understand his or her problem.“From what I have read in your job posting, it appears that you want someone who has superior communications skills, both written and oral. It sounds like it would take someone who can work independently and who is a self-starter. That matches with my skills completely.”