{"id":275615,"date":"2018-10-06T15:05:52","date_gmt":"2018-10-06T13:05:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=275615"},"modified":"2018-10-05T17:35:13","modified_gmt":"2018-10-05T15:35:13","slug":"12-buzzwords-to-use-in-your-next-job-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/275615\/12-buzzwords-to-use-in-your-next-job-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"12 buzzwords to use in your next job interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

A job interview shouldn\u2019t come down to the words you use – you think. But slipping in a buzzword or 10 during the interview process can be key, says recruitment specialist, Glassdoor.<\/p>\n

As career coach Hallie Crawford explains, \u201cin a job interview, hiring managers are alert to certain words and phrases that convey knowledge of the position, confidence, and that a person would be a good fit for the company.\u201d<\/p>\n

And without them, you could be looked over.<\/p>\n

So what are those words you should always use? Here, Glassdoor<\/a> says, are 12.<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #1. We<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u201d isn\u2019t a buzzword per se, but it\u2019s imperative to drop once\u2014if not a dozen times\u2014during an interview. Why? \u201cUsing the word \u2018we\u2019 shows that you are already thinking you are part of the team and explaining how you will collectively gain more sales, reach more clients, and more,\u201d explains millennial career expert Jill Jacinto.<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #2. Flexible<\/strong><\/p>\n

As in, you are flexible\u2014and not in a yoga junkie kind of way. Crawford says that being flexible\u2014whether with your time or your responsibilities\u2014will show a hiring manager that you\u2019d be easy to work with.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you don\u2019t want to lie if there are some issues you wouldn\u2019t negotiate on,\u201d Crawford said, \u201cbut stressing your flexibility shows the hiring manager that you\u2019d [be a fit in the team].\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #3 Leader<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can and should be a leader\u2014even if you\u2019re not applying for a boss\u2019 position. \u201cEvery interviewer wants to hear about a time a candidate took charge and owned a project or led a team,\u201d Jacinto said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter what job you are applying for, this skill\u2014and this buzzword\u2014need to be expressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to fit it in, you ask, without sounding like bragging? Something like, \u201cI\u2019ve enjoyed leading a team of \u2026\u201d will do the trick, or try out, \u201cI\u2019ve been a leader in many ways. For example \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #4. Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t want to have so much figured out you can\u2019t hear what the hiring manager has to say. But you\u2019ll become a much more attractive candidate if you are able to say that you have a basic plan prepared for the position.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter researching the company and position, prepare a basic 30, 60, and 90-day plan for if you were to be hired,\u201d said Crawford, with actionable steps you could take in those time frames.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will show the employer what you are made of and how you would operate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #5. Initiative<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Jacinto, \u201cEvery single hiring manager is looking for a self-starter\u2014no matter what a job description might say.\u201d Why is that? Because, Jacinto explains, \u201cthis is the strongest skill anyone can bring to the table.\u201d So here\u2019s how to show off this skill in an interview: \u201cExplain how you took the initiative on certain projects,\u201d Jacinto advised.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s essential to winning this crowd of people over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #6. Opportunity<\/strong><\/p>\n

As in, you would love the opportunity to work for this company. \u201cIf you really want the position, let the hiring manager know,\u201d instructed Crawford. Of course, you can show you\u2019re excited about the job opening in other ways\u2014through gestures, body language, and facial expressions\u2014but at the end of the interview, you should actually say how you\u2019re feeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait until toward the end\u2014once you have all the details about the job and you are really sure you want the position,\u201d Crawford said. And, \u201cmake sure that you can elaborate on details as to why you want the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #7. Measurable results<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s all well and good to say that you were, for example, a successful salesperson. But you should be able to prove your superstar skills with numbers or other measurable results. \u201cThe hiring manager wants to hear what you accomplished, and numbers certainly help tell that story,\u201d said Jacinto.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not enough to say you accomplished a lot. \u201cMake sure to describe your responsibilities but always include how you measured the results and what they were,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #8. Success<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, you should talk about your own successes. But you should also ask what kind of employee will enjoy success in the role for which you\u2019re applying, said Crawford.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreparing a few well-thought-out questions for the manager shows him or her that you also want to make sure that the job would be a good fit for you,\u201d Crawford said, \u201cand you\u2019re interested in the company and engaged in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #9. Mission statement<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most companies have a mission statement. So read up on the company\u2019s mission statement before your interview and pay attention to what you see, said Jacinto. You can bring up the mission statement directly, showing that you have done your research, or pull key words from the description to drop into the interview conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll start to see words and phrases like \u2018team\u2019 or \u2018innovate\u2019 that you should make a note to include,\u201d Jacinto said, adding that \u201ccompanies spend hours designing these statements and frequently refer to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #10. Like<\/strong><\/p>\n

You want this position\u2014and to work for this company\u2014because you like it. So don\u2019t be afraid to admit you have a crush, said Crawford. For example, you might want to gush that you \u201creally like XYZ\u201d about the company, she said. And if you need some inspiration to get the gush-fest started, \u201cread about the company online in articles,\u201d Crawford said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearn about their values, mission, and any recent big news, so you know not just about the position but about the company as well. Bring these items up during the interview to show you\u2019re knowledgeable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #11. Story<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everyone likes a good story, including your prospective employer. So wow him or her by saying, \u201clet me highlight this strength with a story,\u201d Crawford advised. \u201cMake sure you can explain your strengths clearly and have several stories with a good outcome that illustrates your strength,\u201d Crawford said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrepare stories about challenges you have faced and overcome, problems you\u2019ve solved, and clients you have made happy with your work.\u201d And keep \u2019em quick. \u201cShort stories highlight why you can do their job and go further than just telling them,\u201d Crawford said.<\/p>\n

\n

Buzzword #12. Thank you<\/strong><\/p>\n

The essential words you have to say in any interview? Thank you. \u201cYou always want to leave the interview on a positive note,\u201d explained Crawford, \u201cand showing your appreciation is a great way to do so.\u201d So say thank you, and \u201ctry to articulate a couple things you appreciated about the manager during the interview.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Read: 8 secrets job recruiters won\u2019t tell you that you need to know<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A job interview shouldn\u2019t come down to the words you use – you think. But slipping in a buzzword or 10 during the interview process can be key, says recruitment specialist, Glassdoor. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":267145,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[7186,26],"class_list":["post-275615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-glassdoor","tag-headline"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=275615"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275615\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":275617,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275615\/revisions\/275617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=275615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=275615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=275615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}