There are different schools of thought about using verbal fillers: “ums”; “ahhs”; “like”; “you know”; “whatever” etc. They range from the clicker at Toastmasters, counting and reporting the number used, to a recent commentary on NPR which said that professional storytellers often use these speech disfluencies to add emphasis. When inserted to create directed focus, the listener pays more attention to the word right after it. It also makes the story more immediate and real, and less “memorized”.
Abusing verbal fillers in a job interview impacts their impression of you. Remember, if you are hired, you will now represent them to the outside world, to their customers.
It is unlikely you will get the job if the following happen too often.
1. You are absolutely inarticulate. Huh? You haven’t respected the other person enough to think before you speak. You are assembling your thoughts as you go along and not only that, you demand to hold the floor –saving your place with uhhhhh.
2. You remind them “like” of their “um” possibly “ah” annoying “ahhh” teenage son or daughter or “like” “whatever”.
3. “You know.” I recently shared a chuckle with a fellow audience member when this was said over 26 times (of course I counted) in the first 10 minutes of a “how my career path developed” presentation by a very successful executive whose job involved being persuasive. It finally disappeared when the story got to the present job. Clearly and persusively sharing your stories in a job interview is your opportunity to inform and involve the interviewer. Remember, if they knew, they wouldn’t be asking the question!
To learn more tips and techniques for better communication results, please contact Making Conversation at www.makingconversation.com. Peggy Wallace, Making Conversation LLC. (www.makingconversation.com) can improve your communication skills and enhance your interview preparation.
Present your best self by being authentic and enthusiastically showing your own unique personality; open doors by winning with words.
Contact Peggy for private sessions at Tel # (760) 803-2641 or e-mail Peggy at peggy@makingconversation.com
Be authentically yourself. Establish rapport. Making Conversation can assist you to develop responses which are thought out ahead of time, not the "automatic” or “right" response, but your personal best answer. If you communicate effectively with confidence and ease, your answers will persuade the interviewer to become your advocate.
Author Bio: Peggy Wallace's Making Conversation offers group and private conversational skills sessions as well as private interview preparation, with videotaped interview practice. Interview prep for college, jobs and scholarships assists you in developing clear, concise, persuasive and relevant personal stories which exhibit your individual strengths. Peggy is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania/Wharton School and Boston University School of Law. Peggy was a regional alumna volunteer interviewer for undergraduate admissions to Penn/Wharton for over 25 years. Peggy's business experience includes corporate attorney, fundraiser and financial services sales consultant.
