Have you ever said the wrong thing during a job interview? An interview can be seen as the grand finale of your hard work and planning. All your job-search activities, networking and researching lead to the interview, the first time you have the chance to meet the employer face to face. It’s an exciting and nerve-wracking time, and the words you use are key to making a good impression. With the pressure on, it pays to be mindful of the words and phrases you use during the interview.
Job candidates often try to “wing” interview questions rather than compose their thoughts and speak with confidence. Buying a few seconds to think is better than launching into a response immediately and rambling in hopes of coming up with a good answer.
Worse yet is looking at the interview as true-confessions time. For example, instead of focusing on giving the best answer to the question, “What interests you about this position?” you might be tempted to talk about how long you have been out of the job market and how interested you are in just getting back to work. While that is true, it’s not helpful to the interviewer who is trying to identify her top candidate.
Interviews are structured conversations and the employer’s goal is to find the candidate with the technical skills to do the job and the people skills to fit the organizational culture. The biggest fear an employer has is hiring the wrong person. With that in mind, be aware of the phrases or words you choose to use when building rapport.
Here are some common phrases you need to avoid during an interview:
I think I can do this job — Saying “I think” instead of “I know” or “I believe” subtly communicates a lack of confidence. So many job candidates are uncomfortable talking about themselves. Most people are afraid of being seen as bragging, and that can keep them from sounding confident when they may be a perfect fit for the job.
We words — Working well on a team is a huge plus and the skills to work together to accomplish projects would make any employer happy. You can, however, rely too heavily in using the word “we” to describe your accomplishments. When this happens, you are not talking about your skills, you’re talking about the team’s efforts. The interviewer is not hiring the team, he is focused on hiring you.
I will try — The word “try” really doesn’t convey meaning, especially when a potential employer inquires about your ability to do something, such as “Can you implement a new tracking system for the department?” If your answer is, “I will try,” you don’t sound confident. More important, the word “try” sounds like you are setting yourself up to fail. Answer yes or no.
To be honest with you — When job candidates use this phrase, it sends a mixed message. It can sound like you are just now being honest — whereas before you were not. It’s a good idea to leave this phrase out.
Being invited for an interview is a compliment, and you wouldn’t be there if the employer was not interested in you. An interview is the golden opportunity to discuss your skills and link them to the employer’s needs. It’s the most important meeting you will have during your job search.
The use of certain words or phrases can be habits but when you are in a discussion that could determine the next steps in your career path, it’s important to pay attention to what you say as well as how you say it. When practicing your interviewing skills, make sure you leave these four phrases out of your answers.
Are there other phrases you think should be avoided?
