Job interview: Self introduction

💬 After seit, the number word changes its ending: Jahre becomes Jahren. Same with months: seit drei Monaten "for three months".

💬 German uses the present tense with seit for something still going on, where English says "have been working". Saying Ich habe seit fünf Jahren gearbeitet would sound wrong.

💬 Seit wann? is the everyday way to ask "how long?" for something still ongoing. You answer with seit too: Seit März "Since March".

🇩🇪 This is usually friendly small talk, but interviewers may also be gauging your German level and how settled you are. A short answer plus a word about liking it here goes down well.

💬 seit changes ein to einem: seit einem Monat "for a month", seit einer Woche "for a week".

💬 wohnen means where you live, as in your home. leben "to live" is broader, like being alive or your life in general, so use wohnen for your address or city.

💬 With möchten, the second verb goes to the very end: Ich möchte bei Ihnen arbeiten. bei plus a company means "at/for": bei Siemens arbeiten.

🇩🇪 Expect this question in almost every German interview. Have a specific answer ready about the company itself, since vague praise lands poorly.

💬 Capital Ihre is the polite "your". Lowercase ihre means "her" or "their", so the capital letter matters in writing.

💬 After ist, describing words take no ending: Die Firma ist kreativ. Before a noun they do: eine kreative Firma "a creative company".

💬 Here the thing you like is the subject, and you're mir "to me", literally "That pleases me." For plural things it becomes Die Projekte gefallen mir "I like the projects".

💬 sich melden means "to get in touch", and the uns matches who's doing it: Ich melde mich "I'll be in touch".

🇩🇪 This is the standard closing line and doesn't hint at a yes or no. If you haven't heard back in about two weeks, a polite follow-up email is acceptable.

💬 Gespräch basically means "conversation". "Interview" is short for Vorstellungsgespräch "job interview", so context does the work.

🇩🇪 Say this with a firm handshake and eye contact as you leave. It's the expected polite close, and it works for any meeting or phone call too.

🇩🇪 Auf Wiedersehen is the safe formal goodbye for interviews. Save Tschüss "bye" for people you know.