Tej Kohli tripod blog is a place to get tips on job interviews and personality developmen. Read an interesting article about how sloppy speech habits can ruin your chances of getting a job.
Maybe you've a spotless resume and impeccable looks, but if you really want to crack that big interview, dare to think beyond the looks. How good you sound is at times, all that matters. But unfortunately, many people ruin their chances of getting that handsomely paying job due to their careless speech habits.
Tej Kohli has discussed six common language mistakes and how to keep them from sabotaging your interview:
Nonwords: Avoid using filler words such as 'um', 'ah', 'you know', 'okay' or like. These words leaves a impression that you are not prepared for the interview and make you sound like a Valley Girl or Boy. If we feel at loss of words, think and then speak taking appropriate pauses and breaths. An occasional 'um' is fine, but don't let it become a prefix of every sentence.
Up-Talk: A rising infection or sing song at the end of every sentence inflicts a tentative impression and leaves the interviewer confused whether your are asking a question or making a definite statement. Always speak with conviction as if you are selling yourself in the interview. Try to bring your intonation down when concluding a statement.
Grammatical Errors : Using incorrect grammar or slangs may raise a question on your education. Don't use expressions like 'ain't', 'she don't', 'me and my friend', and 'so I goes to him'. Always speak in complete sentences and make sure the tenses are correct. The interview should be professional and is the not the place for vernacular expressions and casual language.
Sloppy Speech: Slurring words together or dropping their endings diminishes the clarity of what you want to convey. The best strategy to avoid this is to speak slowly during an interview. List down the commonly mispronounced words, and record them on a tape recorder. Some common mispronunciation include aks for ask, ath-a-lete for athlete, wif for with and dree for three.
Speed Talking: Although a little nervousness during the interview is fine, you don't want your message to fly by like a speeding bird. Its difficult to follow the fast speaking rate, and speed talkers often leave a negative impression. To help this, do some breathing exercises before the interview. Don't rush, listen to the question carefully, and then count to two in your mind before answering. A bout of silence never hurts, infact pausing is an effective communication technique.
Weak Speak: Using wimpy words may modify or dilute your conviction and hence your chances of bagging the job. When you use words like hopefully, perhaps, kind of, I feel and sort of in your conversation, you show lack of confidence. Instead use powerful words like, 'I am confident that ', 'my track record shows', 'I take the position that', 'I recommend, or, 'my goal is'. Use positive words always.
Tej Kohli is an expert author and entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience. For more informative articles by Tej Kohli, keep reading this blog.
