7 Negative Interview Words That Make You Look Bad
I believe that in certain stressful situations, our language reverts to a set of stock phrases that have carried us through life. If these language patterns tend towards pessimism and self-deprecation, they can cause issues. Particularly when you use negative interview words when you meet a potential future boss.
We know that we should choose our words carefully during an interview. However, there are other distractions. We are so hyper-aware of our body language and facial expressions that we risk losing focus on what comes out of our mouths. Often we are so intent on listening to the question that we don’t always take the time to formulate the answer correctly.
If we have a habit of slipping negative interview words into the conversation, it can have a detrimental effect on how others perceive us.
I would like to share seven words, which (while you don’t want to sound hopelessly positive) should be carefully rationed during an interview.
7 negative words
Sorry. When you need to shine, why would you choose a word that diminishes your thoughts and actions? If you want to come across as deliberate in how you go about things, sorry should not be in your vocabulary. I know that we Brits love to use it as a tool to ingratiate ourselves to others, but this pseudo politeness is often misplaced. Be more straightforward.
Never. Showcasing yourself as a balanced and rounded professional is more challenging if you are interspersing your thoughts with extreme language, positive or negative. Using the word never in a professional context is relevant in certain situations, but it is safest to avoid it if at all possible. It conjures up the image of an inflexible approach and a closed mind.
Hate. Negative language is one thing, but negative emotional language is even worse. While emotions play a part in an interview, any negative emotional language should be used very sparingly. It can easily stick in an interviewer’s mind when it is out of context. You may have hated the commute, but what else might you also hate or despise?
Sh*t. Don’t swear. It is the ultimate indication of disrespect to your listener. Sh*t, you can’t be bothered to find appropriate words to express your emotions, so you resort to lazy (and often offensive) swear words. They will think that you can’t communicate, that you are unprofessional, and that they want you to leave the interview room right now.
Honestly. Why would you ever need to say that? Is much of what you say so dishonest that you need to preface specific sentences with the word? Together with actually and genuinely, these “framing” words only make the listener think about what lies behind your other words. It is a word a politician might hide behind and not a good one.
Interview errors
Mistake. Interviews should not be centred around your errors or your weaknesses. No one is perfect. Your future employer will hire you based on what you are good at and what you can contribute, rather than what you can’t. You might want to discuss a mistake in the context of what you learned from it but try to avoid the word itself.
Nervous. This type of language is interesting. It is tempting to describe your feelings to an interviewer as they have never met you before. You want to give them a window into your world. Still, when you talk about nervousness, you automatically make them feel uncomfortable. No one wants to make someone else feel nervous.
Artificially changing how we speak for an interview is a tall order, so maybe we could all try to say these negative interview words less frequently in everyday life? What do they really add to conversations, in any case? What do other people think of us if we say these words a lot? Do they reflect our inner world, or are we diminishing ourselves to make others feel better?
Avoid these words. Talk yourself up at the interview. You know that you are worth it, and your interviewer will know it too.
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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists.
Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).
