French · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 8 of 12
Work and careers
Travail et carrière
Handle a job interview in formal French, describe your experience, and say why you do things with pour, afin de and pour que.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Introduce yourself and your experience in a job interview
- Use formal French and polite set phrases
- Explain your purpose with pour, afin de and pour que
- Say “before” with avant de and avant que
Listen
Véronique Morel, the HR manager of a company in Lille, interviews Alexandre Petit by video for a project manager job. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Véronique
Bonjour, monsieur Petit. Vous m'entendez bien ?
Hello, Mr Petit. Can you hear me all right?
Alexandre
Oui, très bien. Bonjour, madame Morel, et merci de me recevoir.
Yes, very well. Hello, Ms Morel, and thank you for seeing me.
Véronique
Je vous en prie. Pour commencer, pourriez-vous vous présenter rapidement ?
You're welcome. To start with, could you briefly introduce yourself?
Alexandre
Bien sûr. J'ai trente-quatre ans et je travaille depuis huit ans dans la logistique. Je suis chef d'équipe dans une entreprise de transport à Arras.
Of course. I'm thirty-four and I've been working in logistics for eight years. I'm a team leader at a transport company in Arras.
Véronique
Et pourquoi avez-vous posé votre candidature pour ce poste ?
And why did you apply for this job?
Alexandre
Je souhaite évoluer. J'ai déjà géré des projets dans mon entreprise, et j'aime beaucoup ça.
I'd like to move up. I've already managed projects at my company, and I really enjoy it.
Véronique
Très bien. Nos clients sont en Belgique et en Angleterre. Vous parlez anglais ?
Very good. Our clients are in Belgium and England. Do you speak English?
Alexandre
Oui. J'ai vécu deux ans à Manchester pour améliorer mon anglais.
Yes. I lived in Manchester for two years to improve my English.
Véronique
Parfait. Nous proposons aussi une formation d'un mois pour que les nouveaux employés connaissent bien l'entreprise.
Perfect. We also offer a month's training so that new staff get to know the company well.
Alexandre
C'est une très bonne chose. Et est-ce que le télétravail est possible ?
That's a very good thing. And is working from home possible?
Véronique
Oui, deux jours par semaine. Avant de terminer, avez-vous d'autres questions ?
Yes, two days a week. Before we finish, do you have any other questions?
Alexandre
Non, merci. Je vous remercie pour cet entretien, et j'espère avoir bientôt de vos nouvelles.
No, thank you. Thank you for this interview, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Understand
Formal French
In a job interview, a formal email or with a client, French is more formal than English. Use , or + surname, and polite set phrases. The conditional makes questions and wishes softer: pourriez-vous… ?, … (I would like…).
Formal questions often use inversion (A1, chapter 12): the verb comes before the subject, with a hyphen: In everyday speech you'd say
| Formal phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Thank you for seeing me. | |
| You're welcome. / Please go ahead. | |
| Could you introduce yourself? | |
| Thank you for this interview. | |
| I hope to hear from you soon. |
In order to: pour, afin de, pour que
To say why you do something, use + infinitive (to, in order to): + infinitive means the same, but is more formal.
When the subject changes, use (so that) + subjunctive: + subjunctive is the formal version.
- Je vous écris afin de poser ma candidature.I'm writing to apply for the job.
- Je vous envoie mon CV pour que vous ayez toutes les informations.I'm sending you my CV so that you have all the information.
Before: avant de, avant que
Use + infinitive when the subject is the same: (I'll read my CV again before I send it). … (Before we finish…) is a set phrase at the end of a meeting.
Use + subjunctive when the subject changes: (Call me before the manager leaves).
- Relisez votre CV avant de l'envoyer.Read your CV again before you send it.
- Je voudrais vous parler avant que vous partiez.I'd like to talk to you before you leave.
More in the grammar: Asking questions · The conditional: je voudrais, si j'avais… · The subjunctive: que je sois, que tu fasses · Bien que, à condition que, à moins que: conjunctions and the subjunctive
New words
- recevoirto see, to receive (someone) ·
- je vous en prieyou're welcome; please go ahead · formal
- se présenterto introduce yourself
- l'entreprisecompany, firm · feminine
- le / la chef d'équipeteam leader · : the team
- poser sa candidatureto apply (for a job) · : application
- le postejob, position
- souhaiterto wish, to want · formal; : I'd like to move up
- gérerto manage ·
- améliorerto improve
- la formationtraining
- le télétravailworking from home, remote work
- remercierto thank · : thank you (formal)
- l'entretieninterview · masculine; : a job interview
Practise
1.Which question is the most formal?
2.Complete with the subjunctive of .
We offer training so that new staff get to know the company well.
3.Complete with , or .
I lived in Manchester for two years to improve my English.
4.“Before we finish…” Which is correct?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Thank you for this interview.
6.Match the French with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Merci de me recevoir.
Thank you for seeing me.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.