HANDLING IDIOMS IN JOB INTERVIEWS

In Romania, soon-to-be-graduates who aim at joining the corporate world are expected to master English for professional communication in order to make an impact on the hiring committee when they enter the increasingly competitive international labour market. Indisputably, communication skills are in high demand nowadays, in addition to some other essential soft skills such as critical thinking, motivation, mindful listening, empathy or flexibility, among others, which can improve job prospects. ESP students, in general can sometimes face difficulties when dealing with idioms as they are sometimes challenging since they have figurative meaning, which is different from the literal meaning of the individual words making them up. However, they play an essential role in language acquisition and their efficient use in communication can be a gateway to success both in face-to-face or online interviews. The present paper aims at providing an overview of idioms in job interviews used as an important communication tool by ESP students in an attempt to improve their ability to communicate effectively. The proper use of idioms may have a great impact on communication as they add humor and convey nuance whether we speak about applicants who cast their net wide in pursuit of their dream job or recruiters who separate the sheep from the goats in an attempt to find talented employees.