The job interview
Vocabulary
- entrevistainterview
- qualidadequality / strength
- defeitoweakness / flaw
- disponívelavailable
- responsávelresponsible
- pontualpunctual
- organizadoorganized
- motivadomotivated
- objetivogoal / objective
- empresacompany
The Polite Conditional (Gostaria de / Poderia)
In formal situations like job interviews, Portuguese uses the conditional for politeness.
Key forms
- Gostaria de + infinitive — I would like to
- Poderia + infinitive — Could you / I could
- Seria — It would be
Example: "Gostaria de saber mais sobre a empresa." — I would like to know more about the company.
Example: "Poderia começar na segunda-feira." — I could start on Monday.
Formal address: O senhor / A senhora
In interviews, use o senhor (you, sir) and a senhora (you, madam) instead of tu or você:
- "O senhor tem experiência?" — Do you have experience?
- "A senhora poderia enviar o currículo?" — Could you send your CV?
Tip: Using gostaria and o senhor/a senhora shows respect and professionalism.
Expressions
- Gostaria de me candidatar.Saying you'd like to apply
- Sou uma pessoa organizada.Describing your strengths
- Poderia explicar o horário?Asking about the schedule
- Tenho três anos de experiência.Stating your experience
- Estou disponível imediatamente.Saying you are available now
- Qual é o próximo passo?Asking about next steps
Common mistakes
Minha qualidade é pontual.A minha qualidade é ser pontual.You need ser before the adjective: a qualidade é ser pontual
Quick quiz
Question 1 of 4
How do you say “available” in Portuguese?
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