3 days ago
Expert reveals the phrases that make employers cringe in job interviews - and how to answer common question that trips most people up
Rehearsing answers to expected questions ahead of an interview is, of course, recommended - but it's just as important to know what not to say.
While a candidate might have crafted a perfect response, if it's peppered with certain 'cringeworthy' words they could be seriously harming their chances, according to a UK recruitment expert.
Adrien Kallel, from Remote People, argues that even the 'throwaway' words and phrases that people use without thinking can negatively influence hiring managers.
By now, most jobseekers know to avoid highlighting their perfectionism as their biggest weakness - and they're aware that it's not enough to answer 'hardworking' when asked for their greatest strength.
But, there are a number of other words and expressions which can make a candidate come across as lazy, presumptuous or even unprepared.
Among the words that recruiter Adrien recommends avoiding are 'obviously' and 'workaholic', while clichés like 'motivated by change' and 'I love a challenge' can be just as harmful.
To help candidates put their best foot forward in their next job interview, the expert suggests alternatives to the overused, overfamiliar or vague words that can easily creep into even the most considered responses.
'OBVIOUSLY'
According to Adrien, starting an interview answer with the word 'obviously' is a definite red flag.
'Starting a sentence with "obviously" assumes the interviewer already knows your background or skills, which is rarely the case,' he says.
'Interviewers are seeking to understand your experience and how you would fit within their organisation. Avoid assuming they're already aware of your qualifications.'
'Instead, aim for more precise language that shows you're thoughtful about your qualifications.
'For example, instead of "Obviously, I have experience with this," try, "I have worked extensively on projects where this was a key focus, including…",' recommends the expert.
'WE' INSTEAD OF 'I'
In many cases, it feels natural to say 'we'. And, while a candidate might assume it's a useful way to show that they're a team player, interviewers are usually keen to understand someone's individual contributions.
'Employers want to know what part you played in your previous roles, not just what the team achieved,' Adrien points out.
'Avoid talking about what your team or department did. Focus on your personal input.' When asked about past accomplishments, use specific examples that showcase your efforts.
He adds: 'Replace "We completed the project on time' with something like "I led the project and ensured we met deadlines despite tight constraints."'
'WORKAHOLIC'
It's not difficult to understand why a candidate would claim they're a workaholic in an interview, especially if it's for a role in an industry known for long hours or tight deadlines.
A jobseeker might reasonably assume that the word 'workaholic' - proxy for 'I'll be at my desk every hour of the day' - would impress their future employer.
Yet, according to recruitment expert Adrien, the opposite is true - but not because interviewers don't want committed candidates.
Adrien says: 'Using the term "workaholic" can sound like a cop-out, a phrase with little substance. Hiring managers often see it as a catch-all term that doesn't actually highlight any specific strengths or skills.'
He advises interviewees to instead 'focus on specific areas of improvement' or the skills they're working to develop.
The recruitment expert offers the following alternative: 'I'm committed to learning how to better manage my time and delegate tasks.'
Another approach is to say: 'I'm keen to work on my work-life balance while ensuring I meet deadlines.'
'MOTIVATED BY CHANGE'
While hiring managers undoubtedly want employees who can cope with the dynamism of a growing business, using the phrase 'motivated by change' in an interview is unadvisable.
According to Adrian, the cliché is much too vague and difficult to back up with concrete examples. 'Change is something we all experience, but it's not always something people thrive on,' he says.
'In many cases, people become jobseekers because they've had to deal with change, and many of us prefer the comfort of routine.'
Instead of falling back on overused expressions like 'motivated by change', interviewees should be ready to show how they've adapted to challenges and how they maintain a flexible approach.
A good alternative, Adrien adds, is to say: 'I embrace new challenges because they allow me to grow and develop professionally, such as when I had to quickly learn a new software system to meet a project deadline.'
By offering a specific example, a candidate will appear much more credible to a hiring manager.
'I LOVE A CHALLENGE'
In a similar way to 'motivated by change', the seemingly innocuous phrase 'I love a challenge' could actually put an interviewer off.
Candidates might assume that the expression conveys both confidence and the kind of enthusiasm that companies crave, particularly when they're going through periods of profound change.
Yet, according to recruiter Adrien, simply stating 'I love a challenge' will almost always fail to impress - it is hollow and unhelpful.
'Challenges are part of every job, but candidates rarely follow up with a meaningful example of how they've tackled them,' he says.
Interviewees should instead provide solid examples of times when they've come up against obstacles and successfully overcome them.
Instead, jobseekers should say: 'One challenge I faced in my last role was managing a project with tight deadlines. I prioritised tasks and communicated effectively with my team to ensure we delivered on time.'
In addition to knowing which words and expressions to avoid, candidates must also master a particular framework for answering an extremely common interview question, according to career expert with a huge following on TikTok.
Jobseekers can often end up waffling when a hiring manager opens the interview with the 'Tell me about yourself' question - but there's a simple way to avoid this pitfall.
With almost 47,000 followers on TikTok, career influencer Lara, who goes by @laratechsales on the platform, tells candidates to use the 'triple P framework' to approach the question.
The framework, she explains, enables interviewees to talk succinctly about their past work or study and their present job or educational course.
The third 'P' stands for 'personality' and is an opportunity for the candidate to share their most important or relevant extra-curricular activities and hobbies.
In a clip that's been viewed thousands of times, Lara, who studied law but later decided to pursue tech sales, offers an example of how she would respond to the prompt 'Tell me about yourself' using the special framework.
Having introduced herself, Lara says, 'I'm a recent law graduate', before outlining the reasons why she decided to study law at university.
Elaborating on her past, the influencer cites the 'intellectually stimulating' nature of a career in law as a motivating factor along with the belief that 'every day would be different.'
Yet, conscious that she needs to provide a convincing reason for leaving law behind and instead pursuing tech sales, Lara refers to her 'work experience' and 'vacation schemes'.
She says these proved to her that life as a lawyer may in fact be repetitive since 'you specialise in one specific area'.
In addition, she cites the 'limited' earning potential of lawyers outside of London as an important factor in swapping the law for a career in tech sales.
Focusing on her past, Lara adds: 'I came across tech sales because one of my friends, who was actually president of the tech society at university. And she invited me along to one of the events.'
By referencing her interest in the tech society, Lara presents herself as curious and pro-active.
Similarly, by evoking her attendance at one of the society's events, she shows herself to be confident and genuinely interested in tech.
The career influencer explains that she had thought it was necessary to have a 'technical background to work in tech' but, having done some research of her own, she soon discovered that 'there are so many different avenues within the industry'.
Rounding off her answer, she adds: 'And that's how I stumbled into tech sales.'
Lara then moves on to her present, explaining that she works part time as customer service advisor because she wants to dedicate the rest of her time to 'learning a bit more about tech sales'.
She reaffirms her enthusiasm for tech sales by telling the interviewer that she is 'doing a couple of courses online' that are helping her develop the necessary 'soft skills'.
The career expert then moves on to the final 'P' - personality - and offers an insight into her hobbies.
She says: 'I love to travel. I've actually travelled across 25 countries in Europe over the last few years.'
Even here, she is careful to give a concrete example to illustrate her passion for travel, giving herself the best chance of impressing the interviewer.
