Acing the Job Interview

Interview day — keeping your composure and reading the room.

20 words

1. interview n. /ˈɪntɝvˌju/

a formal meeting where someone asks you questions, usually to see if you are right for a job or to get information for a news story.
2. interviewer n. /ˈɪntɝvˌjuɝ/

the person who asks you questions during a meeting to see if you are right for a job. They also talk to famous people on TV or for news stories.
3. question n. /ˈkwɛstʃən/

a sentence or phrase used to find out information, or a topic that people are discussing.
4. answer n. /ˈænsɝ/

a common word used when you reply to a question, solve a problem, or pick up the phone.
5. response n. /ɹiˈspɑns/

a common word for an answer or a reaction to something that has happened. In computing, a response is the data or message that a server sends back to your computer after you make a request.
6. nervous adj. /ˈnɝvəs/

a word used to describe feeling worried or afraid about something, or things related to the body's nerves.
7. confidence n. /ˈkɑnfədəns/

a feeling of being sure about yourself or trusting that something will go well.
8. confident adj. /ˈkɑnfədənt/

a common word used to describe feeling sure about yourself or certain that something is true.
9. composure n. /kəmˈpoʊʒɝ/

the state of being calm and in control of your feelings, even in a difficult situation. It means you are not letting stress or anger show on your face or in your actions.
10. articulate v. /ɑɹˈtɪkjəˌɫeɪt/

to express your ideas clearly in words, or to speak in a way that is easy to understand; as an adjective, it describes someone who is good at speaking.
11. eloquent adj. /ˈɛɫəkwənt/

able to express ideas clearly and beautifully in speech or writing. You use this to describe someone who speaks in a way that easily persuades or moves people.
12. impression n. /ˌɪmˈpɹɛʃən/

a common word for the feeling or opinion you have about someone, an imitation of a person, or a physical mark left by pressure. In digital advertising, an impression is when an advertisement is shown once on a user's screen.
13. rapport n. /ɹæˈpɔɹ/

a friendly relationship where people understand each other's ideas and feelings well. When you have this, you find it easy to talk and work together.
14. strength n. /ˈstɹɛŋkθ/

the quality of being strong, whether in your body, your mind, or the power of a feeling or object.
15. weakness n. /ˈwiknəs/

the state of not being strong, a specific fault in someone's character, or a strong liking for something you probably should avoid.
16. competency n. /ˈkɑmpətɪnsi/

the ability to do a job or a task successfully. It is often used in work or school to describe a specific skill you have mastered.
17. preparation n. /ˌpɹɛpɝˈeɪʃən/

the process of getting ready for something, the state of being ready, or a substance like a medicine that has been specially made.
18. prepared adj. /pɹiˈpɛɹd/

ready for something that will happen, or willing to do something.
19. handshake n. /ˈhændˌʃeɪk/

a way of greeting someone by grabbing and moving their hand up and down. In computing, it also means the way two machines agree on how to talk to each other.
20. rejection n. /ɹiˈdʒɛkʃən/

the act of refusing to accept, use, or believe something or someone; it can also describe a body's reaction to a medical transplant.