Say What?

How you say it is almost as important as what you say when looking for a job. Clarity is the key because without excellent communication skills, you might wind up as the squeaky wheel on the team no matter how great you are at your skill set. Practice answers to interview questions aloud and record your responses. If it sounds anything like one of these guys, you might need to make some changes.

1. The Micro Machine Man – While fast talking wheeling and dealing might have moved miniature automobiles by the masses in the 80s, it will move you just as quickly out of consideration for the job. Often times, rapid speech is a sign of being nervous, which is understandable but won’t win you any bonus points especially if you are repeatedly asked to slow down or say it again. Practice pacing yourself and make a mental note to remember it’s not a race.


2. William Shatner (or at least the stereotypical Captain Kirk impression) – Pauses are important in any conversation. A break for a breath can emphasize a point you’re trying to make or allow room for momentary reflection. However haphazard pauses in pointless places make it seem like you have trouble keeping your train of thought on track. Plan stock answers with marks to hit and make sure it flows before someone tells you to quit your day job and pursue a career in comedy.


3. Ben Stein (ala Ferris Bueller) – He might have earned enough money to give away with his trademark monotone monologues, but that was a calculated move that paid off for someone with a spectacular resume. Unless you graduated as valedictorian from Yale and /or wrote for a couple of presidents when working in the White House, you might want to spice up your speech. The worst side effect of lack of inflection is that is often understood as a lack of interest. Most hiring managers are looking for people with a passion for what they do so practice putting a little peep in your talk before your interview.


4. Mickey O’Neil (Brad Pitt’s character in Guy Ritchie’s film Snatch) – Put off as a “Pikey” that no one can understand, it’s a good thing his performance packs a punch. Negotiation with potential promoters is near to impossible because of the quick thick accent laden speech with no rhyme, reason or origin. Colloquialisms are ok in every day conversation but curb the street speak when trying to tell someone what you want or you might miss out. Was that a caravan?

If you are interested in a better career in communications, visit CommunicationsJobs.net.

By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for CommunicationsJobsBlog.net, she is co-founder of design and promotion company, Creative Kazoo with fellow Nexxt blogger, Staci Dennis. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children.