Seven Ways to Stop "Um-ing" and "Ah-ing" Through Your Job Interview

Lizandra Vega, author of 'The Image of Success: Make a Great Impression and Land The Job You Want'

After months of seeking out jobs, hundreds of revisions to your resume, and going to every networking event you can, you've finally landed an interview. After brief small talk about how bad the traffic was or how slow the elevators are, the interviewer switches gears and begins her formal line of questioning.

"I see you currently work for our main competitor. What makes our company a more appealing choice for you?"

It's not a difficult question to answer. But suddenly you're tongue-tied and your answer comes out as: "Well, actually, it's like, um, you know."

What happened? This scenario is all too familiar to many job seekers. In stressful situations such as speaking in front of a group or interviewing for a job, people often revert to filler words such as "like," "you know," "basically" or "actually," and even sounds such as whistling, snorting, or giggling to patch over pauses before collecting their train of thought.

We're all guilty of throwing in one or two of these utterances during normal conversation, but the danger lies in how often they are repeated throughout your entire discourse. Sadly, it's when you rely on these interruptions as substitutions for actual words in order to express your thoughts that you diminish your image as an intelligent professional and viable job candidate. Subsequently, you may be perceived as an individual who has trouble focusing, or as someone who has difficulty organizing his or her ideas -- deficiencies that potential employers interpret as hindering your work performance.

Self-awareness is a fundamental step toward correcting such habitual speech patterns which disrupt the flow of conversation, so here are seven ways to pick up on when you're about to trip up.

Here are seven ways to eliminate common speech hurdles and increase your verbal fluency:

1. Evaluate your verbal communication skills by audio-and/or videotape yourself as part of a mock interview, suggests Leah Ross-Kugler, MS, CCC-SLP, a certified speech-language pathologist. This way you can go back and listen for where you stumble.

2. Prepare talking points about yourself and keep them tucked inside your writing portfolio. Discreetly refer to your points in order to keep the flow of conversation moving seamlessly.

3. Focus on your breathing by taking replenishing breaths between phrases so you can use complete words instead of sounds. Ross-Kugler explains this helps slow down your speech and allows you concentrate on what you're going to say next.

4. Modify a distracting behavior such as giggling by smiling. By using an action considered to be positive and engaging, you not only patch over a potential gaffes but also improve your connection with the hiring manager.

5. Designate a ring or a watch to a hand that is not routinely assigned to such accessories. They serve as reminders for avoiding nervous laughter during an interview, proposes Ross-Kugler.

6. Join a speaker's group such as the National Speaker's Association or Toastmasters International to practice and improve your verbal communication skills.

7. Keep an empty "filler sound jar" along with lots of pennies handy. Monitor your own number of filler sounds or enlist a friend or family member to do so. Similar to keeping a "swear jar," throw a penny inside the jar each time you use a word filler, snort, giggle or do anything that interrupts your flow of speech.

When you want to get the right message across, it's best to let the words flow. While you may not catch every "um" or "ah" at the next interview, you'll certainly reduce the number you say and come off as the clear, intelligent candidate you are.

By Lizandra Vega

How You Make Your First Impressions Very Good :: Best Tips For Job Seekers

Life is all about making good first impressions with the people we meet. This article provides tips for making good first impressions in business and networking situations; with business cards, cover letters, and resumes; in job interviews; and when you are starting a new job.

In Business and Networking Situations
When meeting people for the first time, whether for career networking or client meetings, it's essential that you look the part. In other words, you must dress for the specific occasion. Conduct a little research or contact the organization responsible for the event to uncover the proper attire. In a pinch, it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed. And it's not just what you are wearing but how you're wearing it, so make sure your clothing is clean and well-pressed.

Grooming is also an important part of first impressions. Hair should be neat and certainly not the wind-tunnel look. For men, facial hair should be either non-existent or well-maintained. For women, less make-up is always better than too much. A light perfume or cologne is acceptable, but be careful of overwhelming the people in the room. Finally, a minimal amount of tasteful jewelry is best.

A small, but relatively unknown fact about name tags they should be worn on the person's right shoulder area so that when someone approaches to greet and shake his/her hand, the person's eyes follow the arm right up to the name tag, making it much easier to greet the person rather than looking all the way over to the other side of the person or worse, toward the cleavage for a woman.

Next up for first impressions are the handshake and greeting. Handshakes should be simple extend right hand and grasp gently but firmly. No bone-crushers and no four-handed, one-hand over the other shakes. And no sweaty, clammy, or wimpy handshakes. If your nerves cause you to get wet palms, carry a handkerchief in your pocket and wipe your hand before you do the meet and greet. The greeting should be short and simple, making certain you listen for the other person's name. For example, I might greet someone in a business setting as, "Hi. I'm Dr. Randall Hansen, founder of Quintessential Careers." Be certain to speak clearly and enunciate.

To nail the good impression you're trying to make, the last tip when you're in this setting is not to make the conversation all about you. You want to engage the other person in conversation, making certain to use his/her name for emphasis. You can, of course, talk about yourself, but don't make the whole conversation about you and keep stories short. Look for common ground with the person you're talking to, and share stories about that common interest. And, of course, avoid talking about controversial subjects, such as religion, politics, and sex. If you're naturally funny, use humor, but nothing off-color, and show your serious side also.

Learn more about the power of networking, how to develop and grow your network, and much more in the Career and Job-Search Networking section.

With Business Cards, Cover Letters, and Resumes
For first impressions, the most important element here is the design and format. Except in very creative professions, colors of the paper and the text should be conservative. The same holds true with the typeface, use normal, readable fonts.

Business or networking cards should be simple and tastefully designed, and include key contact information. For some professions, such as sales, you can use a picture, but make certain it is a good photo.

Keep cover letters to no more than five short paragraphs, though four is better. The letterhead should match your resume, as should the paper and font(s). The way to make the strongest first impression is to address the letter to the recipient by name. The worst thing you can do is misspell the person's name. The second best way to make a good impression is to have a dynamic and powerful first paragraph that explains why you are writing. (Many job-seekers waste the first paragraph by writing a dull first paragraph.)

Your resume format should be original and inviting to the reader. Don't cram every single detail into a resume with no margins and tiny type. Use white space and go to additional pages or cut material. I have a true "rule of thumb." If my thumbs cover parts of your resume when I am holding it, then the margins are too narrow and I immediately have a negative impression of the resume. You should also know what is trendy in resumes and include those things in yours. For example, an accomplishments summary that highlights your 3 to 4 best attributes specific to the job at hand.

In Job Interviews
Because the job interview is usually your first face-to-face with the employers, first impressions are especially crucial. Arrive about 15 minutes early so you have time to find the exact office, perhaps with a stop at a restroom to conduct a final grooming check as well as possibly complete some paperwork before the interview starts. Always be polite to the support staff, as the impression you make with them will often be factored into the hiring decision. Of course, dressing for success and proper grooming are essential. Never arrive with any kind of food in your mouth or on your teeth, and try not to smoke right before the interview. Turn off your cell phone on the way to the interview. In the interview, smiling and making strong eye contact are important elements to establishing a good impression. Answering interview questions with ease (showcasing your interview preparation) and asking questions of the interviewer are vital to making a good impression. A great way to cement a strong first impression is writing a thank-you note after the interview. Visit our 200 Interviewing Questions.

When Starting a New Job
The first impressions you make with your co-workers and supervisor will go a long way to building a solid reputation for yourself. In those first days and weeks, you'll want to arrive a bit early, take no more than your allotted breaks during the day, leave no earlier than when the majority of the others in your area leave, and avoid calling in sick or taking personal days. In terms of actual work, you'll want to show your team spirit by supporting the team, perhaps even offering to take on a bit more than usual if the team needs it. Listen more than talk in those early days, and certainly do not showboat until you have firmly established your reputation as a solid worker and team player. And it should go without saying, but stay clear of all office politics and gossip. Finally, remember to keep your personal communications email, IM, and phone to a minimal while at work.

Final Thoughts
You might think that making a good first impression is really about using common sense and you would be correct. At the same time, we constantly hear horror stories from recruiters and employers about the unfortunate things job-seekers do, resulting in extremely poor first (and often last) impressions. Use your common sense and follow the tips in this article and you will go far in making a good first impression.

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.