Tips for a successful job interview in French
Succeeding at an interview in French
If you are looking for a new job or want to improve your professional situation in Switzerland, chances are you will need to pass a job interview in French. But how do you go about it? What are the keys to a successful interview in French?
Here are some tips on how to succeed in your job interview:
- It is necessary to prepare yourself beforehand. Anticipate the questions and answers you might give, especially if it is an interview in French (we would recommend that you "recruit" a friend to help you with a mock interview).
- Define your best qualities and why you want the job.
- As with any interview, it is essential to arrive on time and to be cordial at all times.
- If some of the recruiter's questions are too intrusive, don't hesitate to answer: " Je ne me sens pas à l'aise pour répondre à cette question".
- Remember to thank the recruiter at the end of the interview and send a thank you email/letter later in the day.
Useful vocabulary for a successful interview in English
To succeed in an interview in French if you’re not a native speaker, it is important to prepare the sentences, phrases and keywords you are going to say. Don't worry if you feel like you are reading from a script, preparing a list of words or phrases in advance can take the stress out of the interview and keep you on track throughout the interview!
Here is a list of a few keywords/phrases to know:
Verbs
- Hire : Embaucher
- Built : Construire
- (to) Deal with : S'occuper de, régler
- (to) Delegate : Déléguer
- (to) Establish : Établir, créer, fonder
- (to) Lead : Conduire, gérer, guider
- (to) Purchase : acheter
- (to) Review : Vérifier, relire
- (to) Set up : Organiser, installer
- (to) Train: former
- (to) Upgrade : Promouvoir
Adjectives
- Reliable : fiable
- Trustworthy : De confiance
Nouns
- Team player : Avoir l'esprit d'équipe
- Resume : CV
- Cover letter: Lettre de motivation
Expressions
- (to) Fill the position / to take up a job : Prendre le poste
- My current job : Mon poste actuel
- Starting salary : Salaire d'entrée
- Gross salary : Salaire brut
- Net salary : Salaire net
- Salary expectations : Salaire souhaité
Key questions :
- Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?: Parlez-moi un peu de vous.
- What do you know about our company? : Que savez-vous de notre entreprise ?
- Why do you want to work for us ? : Pourquoi voulez-vous travailler pour nous ?
- Why should we hire you ? : Pourquoi devrions-nous vous embaucher ?
- Why are you applying for this job? : Pourquoi postulez-vous à ce poste ?
- What are your strengths? your weaknesses? : Quels sont vos points forts ? Vos points faibles ?
- What is your dream job?: Quel est votre job de rêve ?
- Where do you see yourself in five years ? : Où vous voyez-vous dans cinq ans ?
- Tell me about the salary range you’re looking for : Quelle fourchette de salaire recherchez-vous ?
- Why are you leaving your current job? : Pourquoi avez-vous décidé de quitter votre travail ?
- What do you like to do outside of work?: Qu'aimez-vous faire en dehors de votre travail ?
- Do you have any questions for us ?: Avez-vous des questions à nous poser ?
Make sure to be honest about your level of French before you show up for an interview. And if you think you need a little more preparation, at Swiss French School we are here to help you in any way we can.