7 Words that you should not use during an interview

Receiving an invitation for a job interview can be an exciting time – especially after you’ve been job-searching for a while.

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to kill off all your chances of getting a job by saying just a few wrong words during your job interview.

To make sure your job interview leads to the next round or a job offer, here’s a list of words that you should aim to avoid.

Any filler word:

Filler words demonstrate a lack of consideration, and can also make you appear less confident. Whether you mean to or not, injecting an um, uh, or er can damage your credibility and make you appear less capable than you actually are.

Hate:

The word hate implies a few things about your character. First, that you carry strong negative feelings with you. Employers want employees who try to find the positive side of things, so even if you do hate something, you can always find a better way to position that sentiment. Second, it shows that you have little tact; an interview is hardly the place to complain about something you don’t like.

No:

Throughout your career, you’re going to have to say no. In fact, saying no can actually work in your favor when it’s used in the right context and protects your interests. But in the context of a job interview, there’s never a good reason to say no.

“Money,” “salary,” “pay,” compensation,” etc

The interview isn’t the time and place to discuss or negotiate your salary. In fact, if you’ve done your homework by either reading the job description or knowing the average salary of employees within your industry, you should have at least a ballpark figure on how much you’re to make.

Hard-working:

Nobody is going to come to an interview and claim to be lazy. People who want a job are going to describe themselves as “hard-working.” Not everyone is going to be able to prove that. Rather than telling your interviewer that you’re a hard-working individual, show off how and in what context you work hard. For example, you can tell the story about how you worked through a weekend to create a perfect report or mention how you haven’t taken a sick day in two years.

Buzzwords:

Buzzwords, like passionate, leadership, specialized, dedicated, focused, team player, and experienced, are overused resume jargon. Instead of relying on buzzwords, use specific and direct words or phrases that highlight your skills, knowledge, and experience. And, don’t forget to provide examples of your previous work experience.

Whatever

Whatever is usually used to communicate that you’ve given up. It shows that you lost power and withdrew from the issue, instead of achieving an outcome that you found satisfactory. It also makes you sound immature and dismissive – using it will communicate to the interviewer that you’re trouble.

Sure:

It’s tempting to use this word to communicate “it’s almost a yes.” However, doing this also chips away at your ability to appear confident. Use a firm “yes” or “no” instead, expanding on your position if necessary by providing reasons and examples.

So now when you think you are interview ready, there are ample numbers of jobs awaiting you at TeamLease.com, so register and start applying for the jobs. We would like to hear your feedback on the content that we upload. Also you can write to us about the topics you would like us to discuss about.

We wish you all the best for your Job Searching process!