There are many reasons why you might want to get a Portuguese-speaking job or interview a job applicant in that language. Maybe you want to expand your business to Portugal and bilingual employees will help you achieve that. Or maybe you want to live in Brazil and therefore you’re looking for a job there.
We don’t know your motivations, but we do know that preparing for a job interview in Portuguese can be very scary! I mean interviewing for your dream job is already a nerve provoking experience. Now imagine in a language that’s not your mother tongue. Uff!
If this is your case, first off, congrats! Being brave enough to take on an interview in your second language is something to applaud. Second, we get that you’re nervous. It’s okay. But believe us, there are things you can do to prepare yourself better. And we’re here to help you out.
This next guide will help you prepare for a job interview in Portuguese. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the interviewer and this is your first time asking things in Portuguese or you’re the interviewee.
Remember: The more prepared you are, the calmer you’ll feel. Now go succeed!
Practice the Portuguese Job Interview
A great thing to do to prepare better for any job interview is to practice the interview. What? But how? How could you practice for a job interview? It’s not like football or a ballet recital. Well, here are some tips on how to do that:
Get a friend to help you
Act out the interview! That’s one of the best ways to practice, if not the best! You can ask a friend of yours, maybe one that’s also learning Portuguese or one that’s a Portuguese native speaker! This would be amazing, because you’d get to hear a true accent in Portuguese and real Portuguese idioms and expressions. So you’ll be highly prepared.
This friend of yours will be the interviewer. Make sure he or she acts like a boss or an authority figure. This will be more realistic and will probably make you super nervous. But it’s better that you make tons of mistakes now because of your nervousness than during the real interview.
Give your friend a copy of your resume. So everything is as real as possible. Dress for the occasion. Your friend can use the phrases and questions above to ask you things. And you can answer with the phrases we taught you above.
Remember to also use the words we gave you in the beginning.
It’ll be fun. Most importantly, it’ll help you be more relaxed during the real interview.
Practice the vocabulary pronunciation
If you haven’t practiced speaking Portuguese for business, that’s okay. Business vocabulary it’s not that common to practice in a normal language lesson. We get it that the lack of practice can make you a bit nervous. Don’t worry, there’s a solution. Simply practice saying business words and phrases out loud.
You can ask a native-Portuguese friend or your Portuguese teacher how they’re pronounced. Then, repeat out loud as many times as necessary. That way, you’ll be able to improve your pronunciation of those words you don’t use on a daily basis.
Remember to speak Portuguese at all times!
This will help you be calmer in the interview as you’d have already mastered the language. It’ll also help you improve your accent and fluency. You’ll impress the interviewer.
Answer the questions below
On this blog, we’ll teach you some common questions almost all interviewers will ask you. They find those questions very important to ask to all candidates applying for any job in any industry. So you should really practice those. How?
Just read the question out loud, as if you were the interviewer. Then, answer. But make sure your answers are based on real life and your real skills. Answer like you would during the real interview.
Since you’re practicing you might make mistakes. That’s okay. You’re organizing your ideas. The more you practice, the more fluent you’ll be. Therefore, you’ll arrive on the important day completely prepared.
Don’t memorize the answers you give! Otherwise, you might forget during the real interview and that’ll make you more nervous. It’s all just about making your mind get used to answering those major questions, so when the time comes everything flows.
Ps. You can even record yourself to hear how well you’re doing!
25 Words for a Job Interview in Portuguese
Maybe you already know Portuguese as a second language. But the truth is that in the business world there are some very specific words that aren’t taught everywhere. Unless you studied a business course in Portuguese. Don’t worry. To help you, here are some of those important Portuguese words that you might use in a job interview:
- Job interview – Entrevista de emprego
- Job – Trabalho / Emprego
- Contract – Contrato
- Office – Escritório
- Skills – Competências / Habilidades / Capacidades
- Studies – Estudos
- Internship – Estágio
- Academic degree – Grau académico
- Hire – Contratar
- Job role – Cargo
- Work environment – Ambiente de trabalho / Ambiente laboral
- Remote work – Trabalho remoto / Trabalho à distância
- Hybrid mode – Modo híbrido
- Bachelor’s degree – Diploma de bacharel
- Master’s degree – Mestrado
- PhD – Doutorado
- Years of experience – Anos de experiência
- Strengths – Pontos fortes
- Education / Educational background – Formação académica / Formação educacional
- Salary – Salário
- Job vacancy – Vaga de emprego
- Schedule – Horário
- Delegate tasks – Delegar tarefas
- Professional – Profissional
- Problem-solving – Resolução de problemas / Resolver problemas
How to Greet
Maybe you’re saying hi to the assistant when you arrive at the place where the interview will happen. Or maybe you’re greeting the interviewer. Whatever’s the case, you need to learn how to properly greet them.
- Good day / Good morning – Bom dia
- Good afternoon – Boa tarde
- Nice to meet you – Prazer em conhecê-lo
- My name is… – Meu nome é
- I am… – Eu sou…
Of course, you can combine these phrases. For example: Bom dia, Eu sou… Or: Prazer em conhecê-lo, eu sou…
Remember that these greetings go very well with a handshake. It’s formal and kind.
14 Portuguese Phrases for a Job Interview
Even if you’re not the type of person that likes to talk about herself/himself, you’ll need to do it during the interview. Because they want to know about you. Not very personal information, but things of general knowledge, like your full name and age. As well as your studies and work background.
To help you out, here are some phrases in Portuguese you can use to talk about yourself and elevate your qualities. These are very common during a job interview:
- I was born in France, but I live in Spain. / Nasci em França, mas moro em Espanha.
- I was born in the U.S., but I grew up in Mexico and now I live in Italy. So I know many cultures. / Nasci nos Estados Unidos, mas cresci no México e agora vivo na Itália. Por isso, conheço muitas culturas.
- I’m trustworthy. / Sou digno de confiança.
- My skills are… / As minhas capacidades são…
- I worked for Teddy Inc. Five years ago. / Trabalhei para a Teddy Inc. há cinco anos.
- I’m very good at problem solving. / Sou muito bom na resolução de problemas.
- I studied at University of Harvard. / Estudei na Universidade de Harvard.
- I have a law degree. / Tenho uma licenciatura em Direito. / Sou licenciado em Direito.
- I speak three languages. / Eu falo três línguas.
- In my past job, my role was to… / No meu emprego anterior, a minha função era…
- I was responsible of supervising the customer service area. / Fui responsável pela supervisão da área de atendimento ao cliente.
- I speak fluent Spanish. / Falo espanhol fluentemente.
- I’m looking to grow my career as a designer. / Estou a tentar desenvolver a minha carreira como designer.
- I admire this company because of… That’s why I’d like to work here. / Admiro esta empresa porque… É por isso que eu gostaria de trabalhar aqui.
Questions to Ask
If you’re the interviewee, the person interested in getting the job, you can still ask some questions. You might have doubts about your role or the company and that’s valid. Here are some questions you can ask:
- How’s the work environment? / Como é o ambiente de trabalho?
- Is there opportunity for professional growth in this company? / Existem oportunidades de crescimento profissional nesta empresa?
- Which benefits do you offer to your employees? / Que benefícios oferece aos seus empregados?
Questions You Might Get Asked
If you’re the interviewer, here are some phrases and questions in Portuguese to ask important things when interviewing a candidate.
And if you’re the interviewee, these questions are also useful for you, as you can see what you might get asked and prepare for it. You can practice in advance the sound, listening, and meaning of these Portuguese phrases and questions. So you don’t get confused during the interview.
- Do you speak Portuguese? / Você fala português?
- What are your skills? / Quais são as suas competências?
- What would you say is your best quality for this job? / Qual é a sua melhor qualidade para este trabalho?
- Tell me about yourself. / Fale-me sobre você.
- What are your goals? / Quais são os seus objectivos?
- Tell me a bad experience you had at work and how you dealt with it. / Fale-me de uma má experiência que tenha tido no trabalho e de como lidou com ela.
- Tell me two of your weaknesses. / Diga-me duas das suas fraquezas.
- Do you have any questions? / Tem alguma pergunta?
Tips to Succeed in Your Portuguese Job Interview
Research the country you’re applying to work in
Your interview in Portuguese might be in the country you already live in. Maybe the job doesn’t ask for you to move out, maybe they just need someone that knows Portuguese. But chances are that if you’re applying for a Portuguese job, you’re going to move to a Portuguese-speaking country.
In that case, you should research how people manage themselves in the business world of said country. That way, you know what to expect during the interview.
For example: If in a certain place they’re super formal when doing business, you know that you have to be that way during the interview. Maybe don’t make a joke and have a strong, firm handshake. And maybe don’t say “hello”, but a more proper “good evening”.
Though in general remember to be formal but kind.
Research the company
You want to work somewhere you like and in a company you admire. To achieve that you must know the business you’re applying for.
Besides that, researching the company your interview will be for, will make you look like you’re committed to them. This will also help you ask specific questions about them and discuss topics important for them as a company.
They’ll be questions and topics more focused towards what they do, their mission and goals. This will make for quite an interesting interview for them, so you’ll shine.
Ask questions
Of course, never interrupt your interviewer. But once they finish asking you everything they need to know, make sure you ask questions as well. Sometimes they’ll even ask you if you have any doubts or if you want to know anything about them. Don’t lose the opportunity; we’re sure you also have things to ask.
This will not only resolve your doubts about the company and your role in it but will also make you look interested. And at the end of the day, they want someone that truly wants the job and seems interested in it. You’ll show that you really care about the company.
On top of that, by asking questions you’ll show that you’re confident in your abilities. Therefore, you have your own expectations of a company, because you want to work somewhere that’s good and successful.
Speak properly
Remember that in general, job interviews are formal. Even if you’re in a country where they’re more easy-going, don’t start speaking like you would to a friend. Maybe you can be more relaxed, but not too much.
Use proper greetings and vocabulary. Formality can also be found in the words we use.
Manage the tone of your voice. Don’t be too loud, but also don’t speak too low. If you do this, the interviewer might not even hear you and will have to ask you many times what you’re saying. Plus, it can be a sign of low confidence.
It’s also normal to have an accent when we’re non-native Portuguese-speaking people. But try to practice your accent before the interview in case some words are difficult for you to pronounce. Otherwise, people might not understand you fully or there’ll be confusion.
Write a follow-up email
If you really, truly want to work there, an email after the interview can be a good idea. Just to thank them for the opportunity. Don’t write something that can seem like you’re forcing them to choose you.
Simply write a more personalized greeting towards the person that interviewed you. Remember them about the fact that you really like the company.
Thank them for the interview and tell them you’re excited to work with them.
Make it short. It’s just a small gratitude email, so they don’t forget you and see your true interest.
Fluency Corp is Your Best Ally to Succeed in the Business World
So far, we’ve prepared as best as we could to succeed at that crucial job interview in Portuguese. We’re sure you’re capable of getting your dream job! But wait! There’s more! You can continue your Portuguese training here at Fluency Corp.
We offer corporate Portuguese language classes with native teachers! That you’ll get to learn useful things for a real-life conversation in Portuguese. Because our teachers know all the idioms and expressions that are actually used in Portuguese-speaking countries. You’ll also train your ear for a real Portuguese accent, which will help your pronunciation and speaking.
Now, for the corporate part: That means our lessons are completely customized to your job and needs. So, if you tell us that you need to practice your vocabulary and speaking for a job interview, we’ll help you! We’ll make a plan according to your goals, so you can achieve everything.
Even if you’ve already conquered the interview and you were hired, we can still help. Maybe you need to learn more vocabulary for your specific role at the company. Or maybe you need to learn how to write a business email in Portuguese, because nobody ever taught you that! That’s okay. Whatever it is you need, we got you covered.
Oh, and our lessons aren’t just for you. They’re also for your work team. So, if you’re a boss and you notice some of your employees need to improve their Portuguese skills. Invest in classes for them. We’ll truly polish up their Portuguese.
Pick between our online or onsite classes. Then, if you have any questions, contact us for a free consultation.
