#68 Casual Conversations at Work｜French Business Conversation
Izumi French Garden
#83 Expressing Career Goals in a Performance Review｜French Business Conversation
Izumi
During company performance reviews, you may be asked to discuss your work achievements and future career goals.
Being able to express your ambitions clearly and politely in French leaves a positive impression on your manager.
In this lesson, I will introduce useful French expressions and grammatical points for communicating your career aspirations during a professional interview.
Contents
Dialogue
Comment se passe votre travail en ce moment ?
(How is your work going at the moment?)
Tout se passe bien, merci. J’aimerais toutefois évoluer dans mon poste.
(Everything is going well, thank you. However, I would like to grow further in my current position.)
Très bien. Vous avez des objectifs particuliers pour l’année prochaine ?
(Very good. Do you have any specific goals for the coming year?)
Oui, j’aimerais prendre plus de responsabilités et développer mes compétences en management.
(Yes, I would like to take on more responsibilities and develop my management skills.)
C’est une très bonne initiative. Nous verrons ensemble comment vous accompagner.
(That’s an excellent initiative. We’ll discuss together how we can support your goals.)
1. Expressing “I would like to…”
The most natural and polite way to express a desire or goal is to use the conditional form of aimer (“to like, to wish”): “J’aimerais + infinitive”
- J’aimerais évoluer dans mon poste.
（I would like to grow further in my current position.） - J’aimerais acquérir de nouvelles compétences.
（I would like to gain new skills.）
“J’aime évoluer…” means “I like to grow,” which expresses general preference.
In contrast, “J’aimerais…” conveys a polite and thoughtful intention, similar to “I would like to…” or “I hope to…” in English.
2. Using souhaiter for a More Formal Tone
The verb souhaiter (“to wish, to hope for”) sounds more formal and professional. It is well-suited for business settings such as performance reviews or career planning discussions.
- Je souhaite développer mes compétences en management.
（I wish to strengthen my management skills.） - Je souhaite évoluer vers un poste de responsabilité.
（I hope to move toward a position with greater responsibility.）
Souhaiter expresses a rational, well-considered goal rather than an emotional desire. It is particularly appropriate when discussing medium- to long-term objectives.
3. Key Phrases for Discussing Career Goals
When talking about your career aspirations, use expressions that specify the direction or focus of your growth.
| French Expression | English Translation | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| évoluer dans son poste | to grow in one’s current role | Suggests expanding scope or taking the next step within the same position |
| prendre des responsabilités | to take on more responsibilities | Often used when aiming for promotion or leadership |
| développer ses compétences | to develop one’s skills | General and versatile expression for self-development |
| changer de poste | to change positions | Can refer to an internal transfer or career change |
| avoir des objectifs professionnels | to have professional goals | Useful when explaining objectives in an interview |
4. Polite Ways to Express Opinions and Intentions
When sharing your thoughts about your career, it’s best to use soft and respectful phrasing rather than direct statements.
- Je pense pouvoir apporter davantage à l’équipe.
（I believe I can contribute more to the team.） - J’aimerais continuer à progresser dans ce domaine.
（I would like to continue progressing in this field.） - Je serais ravi(e) de participer à de nouveaux projets.
（I would be delighted to take part in new projects.）
Phrases with “Je pense…” (I think…) help avoid sounding overly assertive and make your statements sound more diplomatic.
Summary
- J’aimerais + infinitive
→ Polite and natural way to express “I would like to…” - Souhaiter
→ Formal verb for expressing professional aspirations. - Évoluer / développer / prendre des responsabilités
→ Core verbs for describing career growth. - Use the conditional mood and soft phrasing to convey motivation while maintaining professionalism.
