Your choice of words during an interview can make a huge difference in how your recruiters see you. It’s important to prepare well for your interview, which includes appropriately answering all the questions about your education, job experience, and the industry.
However, it is quite another matter to present yourself in a way that commands respect and confidence from your hiring managers. Using the right words will help you come across as someone who is not just seeking a job but a valuable asset to be acquired by the company.
Moreover, how you use those words, speak and your overall body language can greatly impact your professional image. For example, you may use powerful words while speaking. But they will hardly have the desired effect if you slouch while you speak or seem disinterested.
Using the right words is an essential aspect of your communication skills. And using it well will help you stand out from the other applicants. Using specific words can deeply impact the listener, and you can harness this power during your interviews.
How to Choose Powerful Words During Interviews?
The key to choosing powerful words is to make them sound natural. Here are some points to keep in mind while choosing them:
1. Should Not be Staged
One thing you need to remember while using powerful words is that they should look natural. Refrain from using those words just to create an impression.
Your recruiters are experts who will look straight through this. Rather, the words should appear naturally so that your responses create a greater impact.
2. Should Enhance Your Personality
The words that you use should also match your personality or rather enhance it. For example, you may say that you are aware that the industry is going through a difficult phase.
However, instead of “difficult,” using “challenging” will have a greater impact. It will show that the difficulty does not deter you; you aim to take it head-on.
3. Should be Related to The Company And The Job
Research the job and company thoroughly, and use powerful words that match the company’s work ethic. If a company places high value on ethics, use related words.
In addition, talk about growth, value addition, and profit and use related words to show how you can bring that to the table. If your company engages in outreach work, talking about development and community building will help.
Some Powerful Words And Phrases You Can Use in an Interview And How to Use Them?
No one can deny the power of words; the right ones can result in a positive outcome during your interview. Use these words naturally during your interview. Here are some examples, but you can also come up with others.
1. I Will, or I Can
The words I will, or I can show that you are confident about yourself. Speaking in the first person while talking about how you can take on tasks and responsibilities is a great way to show you are not afraid of challenges.
Use them while saying why you think you are good for a job or what you propose to bring to the company. Always speak like you already see yourself taking responsibility and how you plan to accomplish your task.
2. I look Forward to
It’s another powerful phrase you can use during or after the interview. It shows your eagerness to do the job well. It shows the right amount of excitement without sounding too eager or desperate.
Use this phrase when discussing how you look forward to meeting the rest of the team or the projects your employers have for you. Or you can also look forward to solving new challenges or starting over with a new career trajectory. It can be used in various situations and will always work in your favor.
3. Respect
It’s an important word that not many candidates will think of using. Respect for the company because of the kind of work they are doing is a good way of showing that you appreciate their work culture. It will also help you establish why you want to work for the company.
Use the word in terms while saying you respect how the company has a community outreach program or offers paid internships to graduates. Or that you respect their vision of working with or financing start-ups. The recruiters will know that you know the company’s core values, which will work to your advantage.
4. Opportunity
The word “opportunity” can be used in various contexts. It shows that you are looking at the various ways the company can help you improve and the growth you will experience while working for them.
Use this while talking about the opportunities that the company is creating for employees or that you are glad of getting an opportunity to work for the company because you always respected their ethics. You can also talk about the opportunities that the given position will bring you, or the new things you will learn while on the job.
5. Experience
This word is mostly used in terms of job experience, but you can also use it in the context of gaining experience. You can talk about all that you have learned in the past and how you intend to put it to use in the future.
Use this word while talking about the various projects you have been associated with in the past and what you have learned from them. Even if you are a novice and do not have any prior experience, you can use it as an opportunity to look forward to gaining new experiences in the company and learning from them.
6. Skills
This word is bound to come up in your interview because your recruiters will ask you about your skill set. However, instead of answering them with just the skills you have, talk about how these skills have helped you grow and achieve some milestones in your career.
Use these words in a more specific context. So do not just say that you have advanced computer skills. Rather, say that you are skilled in using certain software programs that have helped you work on various projects before, and then go on to name them. You can relate your work experience and skills far better to the job description this way.
7. Goals And Achievements
Your recruiters may ask where you see yourself in the next three to five years. They like to know about your future plans and check whether you intend to stay with them long-term.
You can talk about your own achievements to date and where you see yourself in the future. Setting personal goals is great, but you can also discuss how you intend to contribute to the company’s goals. When they see that a candidate’s personal goals align with the company’s, they know the candidate will stay longer. They are willing to hire and invest in the candidate as well.
8. Leadership
Talking about leadership is a great way to enhance your professional image. Everyone can be a follower, but a company is far more likely to hire someone who they see as a good leader in the future.
Since the company aims to keep innovating, they look for leaders with the vision to make them happen. They should also be able to harness the workforce’s abilities and use them to bring about success for the company. Hence, when talking about your leadership roles, you need to show that you are keen to take on challenges and become a good manager and leader of men.
Other Ways of Enhancing Your Professional Image
Apart from using the choicest words during an interview, there are other ways to enhance your professional image. The entire combination will increase your chances of landing a job. Here are some of them.
- Dress well. Look sharp during the interview with crisply-ironed clothes and formal outfits.
- Practice making eye contact and having a cheerful countenance while answering questions.
- If you make a mistake, avoid fumbling or showing you’re flustered. Instead, please acknowledge that you made a mistake and proceed to answer it again.
- Tell your interviewer that you want to see that both of you are the right fit for each other for long-term success.
- Always end with a firm handshake.
- Do not be afraid to ask questions or keep your doubts to yourself. It will show that you have done your research and isn’t there just to please your interviewer.
Conclusion
Using powerful words will not guarantee a job but will increase your chances of getting selected. Try to choose your words carefully and always use them in context. The best way is to listen carefully to what the recruiter asks you.
Always offer additional insight about how your qualifications and experience can be a good match for the company by relating it to the question. Your brilliant and well-prepared answers and good vocabulary will establish you as a notable candidate when done right.
