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6 Sloppy Speech Habits to Avoid
Diane Diresta | Monster

Filler words such as “um,” “ah,” “you know,” “OK” or “like” tell the interviewer you’re not prepared and make you sound like a Valley Girl (or Boy). A better strategy is to think before you speak, taking pauses and breaths when you lose your train of thought. Everybody utters an occasional “um,” but don’t let it start every sentence.


kmarey
24 days ago
2 comments
This is great advice. I tend to talk a lot...I especially appreciate the idea of waiting 2 seconds at the beginning of a sentence and also after.
dbrct
26 days ago
12 comments
This is great advice. I used to say "uh...um..." a lot. I started going to Toastmasters regularly as they are excellent at helping people get over these little distracting habits.
D. Robinson
www.careercougar.com
changinglifestyles
27 days ago
2474 comments
What a great and beneficial article!
emfarleigh
about 1 month ago
6 comments
The hardest thing about these is trying to catch yourself before to do those no-no's.
mollymc
about 1 month ago
4 comments
I'm guilty of the last one. I'm constantly modifying everything I say. I guess that's a confidence issue. I'm just afraid of using absolutes, just in case I'm wrong.
DemonicButterfly
about 1 month ago
320 comments
Oh my, so many speech errors. To be honest this goes for all aspects of life, not just interviews. Everything mentioned in the article tend to bug me no end. I work with a fellow nurse that speaks faster than a speeding bullet, and writes the same way. No one can read her writing, including the doctors, and when asked she explains so fast that we cannot catch but about half. Luckily she has a lovely sense of humor and it doesn't bother her when we ask her to slow down and take a breath. My other pettest peeve of all is the "kids" at work, that speak "computer/text" speak. I know that young people have their own language, I can actually remember that stage in myself. However it is soooooo annoying in the workplace, especially when the clients that they deal with are for the most part older adults.
happytrees
about 1 month ago
8 comments
I find that many people, myself included, initially feel uncomfortable listening to recordings of their own voice. If this is the case with you, don't let it stop you from practicing your speaking skills. After awhile, you'll become more accustomed to hearing your voice played back to you, and you'll be able to reap the benefits of improving your speaking skills. Also, voice recorders can be very useful in aiding memory and organization.
mpav
about 1 month ago
2 comments
...and please remember that IR-REGARDLESS is NOT a word!
songwriter
about 1 month ago
40 comments
Slowing down is a key point. Actually, I talk fast when I am more prepared and talk slower when I am less prepared, but I learned that slowing it down seems to get the interviewer's attention hanging on every word you say, and by talking slower, you don't have to say as much. Small pauses are much better than saying "um." Also, I agree with avoiding the use of slang and the overuse of non-words-- they can be quite annoying to listen to. You don't want to distract the interviewer with annoying speech habits.... It seems that the presentation of what you are saying (how you say it) is far more important than what you saying. Unfortunately, people judge you the most harshly when they first meet you, so you don't want to create the wrong image of yourself to a person when you first meet them.
kbtordai
about 1 month ago
708 comments
Great tips - Thanks! I tend to talk really fast and ramble because I am nervous. I need to slow down!
nyloe
about 1 month ago
112 comments
Excellent article. Another sloppy speech habit to avoid is using baby talk in your conversations. If you are talking to another adult (whether it’s a job interview, date, phone conversation, business meeting, or anywhere else), then you need to sound like an adult. Save the baby talk for your babies, please!
kjw
about 1 month ago
14 comments
all good advice!
rayoola80
about 1 month ago
12 comments
this is good ,as insignificant as this is ,it has been the cause of many loosing great oppurtunity.it is really helpful.
Heb111
about 1 month ago
10 comments
This article is "on point", I mean "like literally"!......... it's amazing how we forget that business environments require a different and more careful way of expression. Thanks for the advice!
Shnnrnn
about 1 month ago
14 comments
I completely agree with this article. The constant and consistent use of "like is annoying and makes the speaker appear juvenile.