by Michelle Satter
Your words can frame a person’s perspective of you in just moments. Think about this in the context of your career and job interviewing. The words we choose can give us credibility or make us look vulnerable, make us stand out or blend in, convey confidence or weakness.
I recently listened to Tracy Hooper of The Confidence Project being interviewed by Mac Pritchard (Mac’s List) about this subject. It drives home the point that so often, we say things in a way that unintentionally discount us. Awhile back, I was preparing for a presentation and recorded myself to see how it sounded. I was horrified at the vast number of times I used “um”! I kept practicing and recording until I could get through the entire presentation without the use of the filler. However, Ms. Hooper reminds me that there are many other phrases and fillers I should be on the lookout for as well. I, for one, will be making it a habit to record myself, not just when I am preparing a presentation! A job interview is a presentation of yourself and deserves the same attentiveness.
To watch the interview yourself and learn some invaluable tips, go to https://youtu.be/UGknCPzB5wE.