has its particular vocabulary, and to be a successful candidate, you need to talk the talk, and also convince the other person that you know what you are talking about. This book has literally hundreds of examples of useful vocabulary on offer.
Thirdly, it is not just knowledge of the industry-specific words and phrases which is important; it is the way in which you describe yourself and your actions. For instance, instead of just stating "I supervised a staff of 30" it is more effective to use a sentence containing a number of "action verbs" as well, such as "led", "trained" and "hired" - this tells the interviewer more about what you actually did, and advertises your competencies. Chapter 20 of the book contains a list of over 500 "action verbs", "high impact phrases" and "personality descriptors" which you can select, mix and match, as it were.
So what is my impression of KeyWords to Nail Your Job Interview? I think that it is a good resource, and, again, would compare it to a toolbox. You can open it up, search for what you need, then go out and maximise your chances of getting through the interview stage of your application. I have a few quibbles, which I'll come to, but in the main, this book is a solid storehouse of useful words and phrases.
If I had a job interview lined up for next week, this is how I would use the book. I would go straight to the chapter covering my field (or the closest one I could find) and search through it, making a personal list of all the vocabulary I considered relevant. I'd do the same with the chapters containing lists of verbs and descriptors.
Then I would do what the author suggests in Chapter 1 and come up with my own words and phrases to add to my list. In each case, I would ask myself: "Is this accurate?" and "What does it say about me?"
I would have also used this book earlier on, when preparing my CV and the covering letter for my application. And I would rehearse my interview, ideally with another person filling in for the interviewer, until whatever I had to say sounded natural. "I specialise in cross-cultural business relations" looks grand on paper, but the words would also have to sound convincing when they came out of my mouth.
Which leads me to the caveats. The biggest danger is that you end up memorising a number of words and phrases and simply parrot them, without paying attention to delivery, timing or relevance. All industries and professions have their ever-growing and impenetrable thickets of jargon, and there
Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:
Add your voice
Know something about Book reviews: KeyWords to Nail Your Job Interview, by Wendy S. Enelow?
We want to hear your view.
Write now!
Cast your vote!
Click for your side.
Featured Partner
Chesapeake Service Systems (CSS) has partnered with Helium, giving you the chance to write for a cause. Browse C...more
hide