Five Interview Phrases to Avoid

There have been a lot of changes since the recession hit. Even though companies are sitting on piles of cash and could hire more employees, they are holding back. When they do hire, one of the things they are looking is a combination of skills and confidence. Not many companies are willing to spend the time and money taking on an employee that needs a lot of hand-holding and a few expensive training courses to get up to speed.

Today’s work environment is set up for confident employees who don’t need a lot of supervision and can manage all the new technologies to stay connected and solve problems. The boss is too busy, and may be located in another building or part of the world, to check in to make sure your work is being done correctly. Chances are you’ll get an employee handbook and links to websites for instructions on just about everything you need to know and the systems you need to master to get the job done.

This job market is not for the faint-hearted. While it may be true for some industries, where you got your degree doesn’t matter that much anymore. But when you can pair your education and skills with a heavy dose of confidence, you may just stand out.

Not arrogance. Your mom and dad (or grandmother or aunt) may have thought you were the world’s axis, but trying to upstage your interviewer in the smarts department isn’t a good move. Using the following phrases make an interviewer wonder if you still need to hold mom and dad’s hand awhile longer:

1. “I’ll try…” When Star Wars' Luke Skywalker was attempting to raise his ship from the marsh, he got frustrated. When Yoda asked him why the ship was still buried, Luke told him he was trying. Yoda then responded. “Do or do not; there is no try.” The word try leaves the door open for the possibility of failure. Question: “We run on very tight deadlines at ABC Company. Can you work continuously until the job is done?” “I’ll try my best,” is a soft answer on the wrong side of “Yes!”

2. Making excuses. It’s the old, “my dog ate my homework” kind of stuff that just kills any professional image you might have had. “Kinko’s was closed, so I couldn’t get copies of my resume,” or “I was late for the interview because my kids used the car last night and didn’t fill up the gas tank.” It’s not Kinko’s fault or your kids’.

3. “I’m not sure…” OK, you can’t know everything. But if you tend to start off every response this way, the interviewer will wonder if you know anything at all. When faced with a tough question, say so. “That’s an interesting question,” is a legitimate response. Take a minute and then give an answer that you’re sure of.

4. Saying “yes” when it should be “no.” Again, you can’t know everything. When you pair a yes with “always” or “never,” the interviewer will know something’s not right. Be honest. You may get the job and then stress out waiting for them to find out you really can’t do the job.

5. “I was just…” I can’t tell you how many times I heard, “I was just an admin assistant,” or “I was just an entry level programmer.” So what! You held a position and did a great job, so be confident. “Just” leave it out!

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.