Interviews are all about conversations. A job offer rests on how well you answer and ask questions, follow-up on comments and get your thoughts across clearly. Your physical appearance matters, of course, as well as body language. You can do well there, but you can blow it all as soon as you open your mouth. Here are five ways your conversation style can knock you out of a job:
- Indecision. You get a tough question and soon you’re doing a quick tap dance, trying to cover both sides of the question. Or worse, you are stumped with no answer at all. When you get a tough question, don’t say, “I’m not sure how to answer that.” Take a moment to think, and then give your best answer. Or, if it’s a situation that would require some investigation, you can say you would have to do some research and then make a decision.
- Putting yourself down. When describing the award your team won for productivity, don’t say your contribution, “… was no big deal.” Or that you were the team leader, “…because I got the short straw.” Don’t say you were “…just the administrative assistant (front desk agent, chief operator…)” Take out the word “just.” If you don’t think much of your position or contributions, why should anyone else?
- Rambling. This is the kiss of death for an interview. People who ramble usually don’t have a clue what they are talking about, are unable to organize their thoughts, or just love to hear themselves talk. Stay on track, and be sure you answer the question. I’ve had applicants ramble on for a few minutes and then ask, “What was the question again?” Duh. If you can’t remember a simple question, you need to look elsewhere.
- Introducing inappropriate topics. They say you should avoid conversations about politics and religion. Add to that your (and others’) personal health problems, finances, jerk of a spouse (or kids), your miserable ex-boss, anything of a sexual nature and physical attributes of others. Some people mistake small talk and building rapport with status updates on their Facebook wall. How many drinks you had last night or your hot date are not topics for a job interview.
- Profanity. Even if the interviewer is swearing like a sailor, keep your conversation clean. It could be a trap, meant to see how you handle a difficult situation. Mirroring the person you talk to is a technique to build rapport and put people at ease, but not in this case. Someone once told me a gentleman (or woman) doesn’t have to use profanity, because they have a better vocabulary. Choose your words well.
What other speech habits have you noticed that make a person a “conversation lightweight?” Share your experiences in the Comments section below.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for communicationsjobs.net. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at communicationsjobsblog.com and view additional job postings on Nexxt.
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