125 Good Words and Adjectives to Use in an Interview When Talking About Yourself
During the interview, the person asking you questions may ask you about yourself to learn more about you and your life. Human resources can decide if they want to move you forward in the hiring process based on how you talk about yourself and your work history during an interview. Using the right positive words to describe yourself and your skills can help a hiring manager, recruiter, or human resources professional have the best first impression of you.125 Good Words and Adjectives to Use
This article has a list of words and adjectives you can use to tell a potential employer about yourself. It also has advice on how to use descriptive words during the hiring process.
Why is it important to say good things about yourself?
If you want to get a job, you need to make a good first impression at an interview. If you describe yourself well on a job application or in an interview, hiring managers can get a sense of who you are as a professional. Using the right words to describe your best traits also helps potential employers figure out if you’ll fit in with the company’s culture and if you’ll be able to do well in the new job. When telling people who hire people about your strengths, it’s also important to use positive language.
In an interview, it’s easier to answer questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “Use four words to describe yourself” if you’ve thought about how you’ll answer them ahead of time. Even if a recruiter or hiring manager doesn’t ask you to describe yourself, it’s still a good idea to use strong adjectives and words that help the interviewer learn more about your skills, professional attitude, and personality. Use detailed words to talk about your most marketable qualities and show how your skills are related to the job you want. As you talk about yourself in the interview, take the chance to explain what you mean by each word.
How to talk about yourself at work in words
During an interview, the words you use to talk about yourself and your skills leave a lasting impression and give potential employers a chance to figure out how good an employee you might be. When you talk about your best qualities, try to use the most marketable professional words that are related to the job. Choose words that you think relate to the most important skills and traits that the job requires. Here are some lists of words from different groups that you can use in an interview to talk about yourself:
30 words to describe your work style
How well you do your job at work says a lot about who you are as a person. During an interview, use these words to describe how you do your job tasks and responsibilities:
- Dedicated
- Curious
- Persistent
- Resilient
- Disciplined
- Practical
- Ambitious
- Tenacious
- Resourceful
- Organized
- Bold
- Open-minded
- Respectful
- Cooperative
- Self-motivated
- Adaptable
- Reliable
- Loyal
- Inspiring
- Hard-working
- Proactive
- Attentive
- Thorough
- Responsible
- Insightful
- Engaging
- Committed
- Focused
- Punctual
- Reflective
32 words that show how you’re feeling
Hiring managers can see how you work with others when you talk about your professional attitude. Here is a long list of words you can use to describe your work ethic to possible employers:
- Confident
- Kind
- Empathetic
- Patient
- Considerate
- Courageous
- Genuine
- Humble
- Dynamic
- Independent
- Enthusiastic
- Direct
- Generous
- Intelligent
- Friendly
- Witty
- Passionate
- Truthful
- Straightforward
- Sociable
- Clever
- Considerate
- Joyful
- Thoughtful
- Easygoing
- Sincere
- Humorous
- Tactful
- Assertive
- Self-reliant
- Tolerant
- Teachable
20 words to use to describe your work skills and experience
It’s important to use descriptive words when talking about your work history as a professional. You can use any of the following words in an interview to talk about your skills from previous jobs:
- Skilled
- Professional
- Experienced
- Knowledgeable
- Creative
- Analytical
- Detail-oriented
- Adept
- Communicative
- Strategic
- Entrepreneurial
- Data-driven
- Collaborative
- Accomplished
- Qualified
- Precise
- Proficient
- Responsive
- Technological
- Visionary
43 words that say who you are
When you talk about your personality, potential employers can see past your work persona and get a sense of who you really are and how you interact with the world. Choose from the words below to give the interviewer a better idea of who you are:
- Adventurous
- Happy
- Pleasant
- Introverted
- Extroverted
- Honest
- Cheerful
- Bright
- Warmhearted
- Intuitive
- Optimistic
- Helpful
- Loving
- Gentle
- Energetic
- Understanding
- Vibrant
- Artistic
- Balanced
- Imaginative
- Approachable
- Charismatic
- Authentic
- Wise
- Fun
- Original
- Uplifting
- Trustworthy
- Outgoing
- Upbeat
- Inventive
- Mature
- Philosophical
- Traditional
- Studious
- Pragmatic
- Judicious
- Meticulous
- Meditative
- Industrious
- Goal-oriented
- Fearless
- Diplomatic
How to talk about yourself in a professional setting
You can make a good impression on your interviewer if you talk about yourself and your skills in the right way. Choose the best words to show how well you fit the job during an interview. Here are some tips to help you find the right words to describe yourself to a possible employer:
Don’t doubt yourself.
Talk with confidence and pride about who you are and what you’ve done. During an interview, look at the person you’re talking to and speak in a strong, clear voice to seem more confident. Find a balance between being honest and sure of yourself to show potential employers that you can meet and exceed their expectations.
Choose unique words
If you use interesting and unique words to describe yourself, employers will remember you better. This will also help you stand out at your interview from other candidates. Choose words that aren’t as common and avoid using broad terms that don’t say much about your skills and personality. If you want to keep your writing fresh, try to use different words for words you use too often.
Provide clear examples
As you describe yourself with words, give examples of how these traits have helped you in the past. Tell me about a time when your skills helped a former boss or a coworker. Explain how and why your skills helped the organization succeed. For example, if you say you are resourceful, tell a story about how you made a presentation for a client in an hour by putting together information from a slideshow you had already made for another client. If you can, link terms to concrete evidence like a higher percentage of sales or a number of leads.
Check the boxes
To get ready for an interview, look over your resume and cover letter. Pay close attention to the words you use in the summary, skills, and experience sections. Use some of the same words from your resume and cover letter to talk about your work history with the person who is interviewing you. During an interview, you can tell a potential employer more about your professional accomplishments and show them why you are the best person for the job. To do well in an interview, you need to be well-prepared and quick on your feet so that you can connect with your interviewer and answer questions clearly.
Choose the words you use with care.
Use words from the job posting to talk about yourself. Look for words that describe you, your skills, and your personality. Employers often list certain qualities that they think best match the skills of the potential employee or the duties of the job. Think about the words that best describe you and how you act at work, and then use those words in your professional documents and bring them up in an interview.
