You’ve prepped your CV, got through the screening process and are sitting in front of your potential employer.
While it’s natural to feel nervous, you could also be feeling trapped in your ‘safe replies’ you’ve been practising when the nerves kick in.
While this might sound obvious, career expert Jill Jacinto told Glamour magazine that filler words such as “like,” “so,” “actually,” and “just” could be your biggest barrier to landing that dream job.
Explaining a need for confidence, Jacinto argues that the filler words can detract from your appearance of confidence, your communication skills and even your suitability for the job.
She explains:
“A hiring manager needs to make sure you’re confident and able to be articulate —especially if you are looking for a job that needs communication skills.”
If you’re feeling particularly determined to overcome this bad habit, Jill advises asking a friend or family member to play the role of an intimidating potential employer while you record your responses.
You can then play back your recordings to see how you perform:
“You might cringe when you play back the video, but seeing how often you use this type of language will help you consciously remove it from your vocabulary.”
