Are you using dirty words in interviews?

We’ve all been there before. You’re in a job interview and the hiring manager asks you about something that you have limited experience with. How you answer that question can make the difference between reporting to dream job next Monday or spending the afternoon watching The People’s Court.

Obviously, honesty is the best policy. Lying about your experience is unethical and will ultimately lead to embarrassment or worse. Trust me, you don’t want to attempt to fake your way through a government audit. Be honest but don’t be reckless. Choose your words wisely. You wouldn’t drop a F bomb while meeting with a HR Director, right? Well guess what, there are a couple words that sound just as bad and should be removed from your interview vocabulary immediately Here they are…

just, only, a bit, some/sometimes and a little.

Believe it or not folks use these words all the time and it’s not helping their cause. Removing them from a statement doesn’t change anything. 

I just used Excel for making lists and tracking inventory.

I only supported one executive in my last role.

I utilized PowerPoint a bit for sales presentations.

Sometimes I assisted with making international travel arrangements.

I had a little litigation exposure at my last job.

If you did something, own it! There are plenty of naysayers out there. Don’t be one of them.

Good luck!