Want to Move Up? 12 Phrases to Kick
Saying the right things matters, especially when it comes to your career. No matter if you’re a business founder or an entry-level employee, there are probably words and phrases you’ve been using that are hindering you at work.
As the founder and CEO of Open Me, an online greeting card company, I understand the importance of being more thoughtful in both your professional and personal lives. Honing in on what you’re saying in professional conversations, jotting down on your resume, and sharing in interviews may turn your career in a new direction.
Remove these phrases from your everyday professional conversations:
1. “That’s not my job.” This type of self-serving phrase won’t just anger your coworkers or manager, it could also cost your your job. While a task may not fit directly within your original job description, it’s for the greater good of the company that you lend a hand wherever and whenever possible.
2. “I’ll try.” If you want to inspire doubt in whomever you’re speaking to, try this phrase out. Not only will you eliminate the trust of coworkers, you’ll also place doubt in the minds of your customers and clients. Replace “try” with “will” for better results.
3. “I dislike...” If you’re constantly sharing your distaste for things, your coworkers are quickly going to tune you out. Avoid constant negativity and filter in more positivity. For instance, instead of saying you dislike meetings because they run too long, figure out a way to energize them or keep them short.
4. “I’m too busy.” It’s time to face the music: Everyone’s really busy. Replace this phrase with something like, “Once I tackle this task, I’ll be happy to take a look at that.”
Avoid these phrases during an interview:
1. “I think...” This statement only shows self-doubt -- something you can’t risk in an interview. Drop this phrase and replace it with something more confident like “In my experience..”
2. “To be honest...” Stating this before you answer a question may lead the interviewer to believe you weren’t being honest during the rest of your interview. Avoid this phrase altogether and never lie during an interview.
3. “Me, me, me.” If your entire thought process during your interview is in regard to yourself, it’s going to come through in how you answer questions. The company wants to know what you’re going to bring to the position. Don’t ask if you can work from home or what the compensation package looks like unless they bring it up.
4. “My previous employer was awful...” Badmouthing is never a good idea -- it shows you’re untrustworthy or disloyal. If you don’t have something nice to say about your current or previous employer, then it’s best not to say it at all. Any kind of negativity toward a company or manager might label you as a bad hire.
Remove these words from your resume:
1. “Highly qualified.” Show, don’t tell. Simply writing this, rather than listing the experiences that make you highly qualified, may peg you as lazy or dishonest.
2. “Familiar with...” Once again, it’s essential to show an employer exactly how you’ve used technical programs or specific skills. Simply listing your familiarity isn’t going to do you any favors.
3. “Team player.” How were you a team player? Avoid lip service and share concrete experiences and accomplishments you achieved through teamwork instead.
4. “Problem solver.” Break down your resume to represent your abilities as a problem solver. For instance, share a problem-solving achievement that benefited your previous employer or client.
Don’t let what you say hold your career back! Evaluate your vernacular to ensure you exude positivity and confidence.
How are you being more thoughtful when it comes to your conversations at work?
Image Courtesy of Omar Gurnah; Flickr
About Ilya Pozin:
Founder of Ciplex. Columnist for Inc, Forbes & LinkedIn. Gadget lover, investor, mentor, husband, father, and '30 Under 30' entrepreneur. Follow Ilya below to stay up-to-date with his articles and updates!
Full Time Student at College of Coastal Georgia
9yI'm not sure that I agree with all of these. If you have to pick and choose everything that you say I don't think that you will sound very authentic, or sound like yourself. Most of the time if someone is honest and genuine about what they are saying, the person that is listening can actually get to know something about them. Where as if they are stumbling for words or nervous about saying the wrong things it becomes very easy to make a much worse impression than if you say, "I'm familiar with. . ."
I agree with this, if one is making a job resume. However, if there is a conversation taking place in-person, I believe some of these terms are okay to use. For instance, I use the term "to be honest" when I am trying to invoke a personal opinion suggestion that may contradict the subject matter, or other opinions. It let's your employer know that you are not just agreeing with their every word. Not saying "too be honest" is entirely too technical. Also I do not agree with the resume part; perhaps you are young, and not as established in the career world. Adding in these words at least offers that one is conscious/considering those moral or work ethic(s) in the first place.
I help ordinary people become famous
10yEu sou da mesma opinião que você. Às vezes, é difícil de escrever certas coisas. Na realidade, só existe a verdade dói, sem derramamento de sangue, mas nos faz sentir bem e isso faz-nos humildes. Obrigado pelas dicas que você nos deu. Por que é o verdadeiro amor procuram fazer o bem ao próximo. A exaltação de si mesmo é dos piores inimigos dos homens.
I help ordinary people become famous
10yI am of the same opinion as you. It is sometimes difficult to write certain things. In reality, there is only the truth hurts without bloodshed, but it makes us feel good and it makes us humble. Thanks for the tips you have given us. For that is the true love seek to do good to our neighbor. the exaltation of self is the worst enemie of men
Machine operator. A plastic injection molding company.
10yI'm actually surprised at the number of people who were willing to "like" and agree with me on this. So many people are scared to be up front about this stuff. To be fair to this guy I do understand where he is coming from. Some of his points are valid and I have seen them before in other articles. I can imagine it gets pretty tiresome reading resume after resume. My problem comes when it just starts sounding like a hiring manager is complaining about having to do their job. (Can you imagine what he would have to say if his employees started doing that in blogs?) Most of this is him complaining about the way people talk. If I were in his position I would see it as my duty to the company and the applicants to slug through all the words and phrases that I'm tired of. If your throwing out resumes just because you didn't like the format or the applicant used a phrase that annoyed you, you may very well have rejected the best candidate for a really bad reason. Not everyone is a professional job seeker. I just want to know where all the blogs are on how to write better job postings and why it's important to not make them vague and not to insert lies like stating that they would be willing to train the right person when really they are only looking for someone who has already been doing the exact same job for their entire adult life.