You might be the perfect candidate for a job but you need to show it at an interview.
And recruiters have revealed that there are certain words which might put interviewers off.
Australian careers site Seek says there are five things you should stop saying when meeting with the person who might employ you.
Their blog post says: ‘The trouble is that overused buzzwords start to lose their meaning because applicant after applicant trots them out. Understand this and you boost your chances of coming out on top.’
Speaking to recruitment experts Jason Walker from Hays and Ian Scott, manager at Randstad Technologies, the blog lists his pet hates and what you can say instead.
Of course, some interviewers might not mind as much but it’s good to try to make what you’re saying a little different from everyone else.
Obviously
Just because what you are talking about is familiar to you, it doesn’t mean everyone in the room will understand.
Jason explains: ‘Interviews are usually the first time we meet a candidate so you should not assume that anything is obvious.
‘We are trying to get an understanding of experience and how good a fit you would be for an organisation so steer clear of implying we already know the answer.’
We
You’re the one applying for the job – not your team. Although it might have been a joint effort, the interviewer wants to hear specifically about you.
Jason adds: ‘The word “I” is always better. The interviewer doesn’t want to hear “we did XYZ in our department”. The interviewer wants to know what part you played in the success and how you took ownership.’
Workaholic
It might be tempting to say you work too hard when asked about your weaknesses, but employers have heard that too many times.
Jason says: ‘ Instead cite a nice to have skill you could develop such as public speaking or not delegating enough.’
Challenge
Using a buzzword like ‘challenge’ without really backing it up will simply annoy interviwers.
Ian Scott says: ‘Rarely do people follow this up with a good explanation of what challenges them or even examples of challenges they have met, their reaction to the challenge at hand and the result of their response.’
Motivated by change
Ian explains: ‘In my experience, many people become active job-seekers because they have experienced change.
‘As human beings, many of us struggle with change, and prefer the comfort of normality, systems, routine.” If you love change, be sure your story is consistent throughout the interview. ‘
Instead of relying on buzzwords, the experts recommend using the STAR technique for interviews – Situation, Task, Action, Result.
Start by outlining the situation, discussing the task you had, what you did and then what happened. It helps to ensure you’re giving real life examples that fit the key things needed for the job.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch at metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/23/recruiters-reveal-buzzwords-interviewers-hate-what-can-say-instead-13166556/
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