5/3/2015

5WordstoAvoidUsingtoDescribeYourselfinanInterview|TIME

B U SIN ESS C A R EER S& WO R K PL A C E

5WordstoAvoidUsingtoDescribe
YourselfinanInterview
The Muse

April 17, 2015

Goforwordsthatsoundmorelikefacts
andlesslikejudgments

Hiringmanagersallhavetheirfavorite
Getty Images
interviewquestions,buttheyretypically
somevariationofthecommonones.For
example,youmightget,Howwouldyour
colleaguesdescribeyou?orUsethree
wordstodescribeyourself.Eitherway,youroverallapproachwouldlikelybethesame.
Thethingyouneedtobemindfulof,then,iswhatwordsyouactuallyuse.
Or,toputitinanotherway,therearewordsthatyoushouldnever,everuse.

1. Intelligent
Youknowyoureintelligent,andyouknowthehiringmanagerislookingforsomeone
whoisintelligent,butpleasedontdescribeyourselfassuch.Thisisoneofthosewords
thatyouwantpeopletosayaboutyou,butthatyoudontwanttosayaboutyourself.
Whetherornotsomeoneisintelligentisajudgmentcall,andyouwanttoshyawayfrom
wordslikethat.

What to Do Instead
Talkaboutthewayyouthink,andusewordslike,logical,quantitative,fastlearner,
orbigpicturethinker.Youregoingforwordsthatsoundmorelikefactsandlesslike
judgments.

2. Likable
Forthesamereasonyoudontwanttodescribeyourselfasintelligent,youwanttoavoid
wordslikelikable.That,plusitstrickytofindsupportingexamplesofwhyyoure
likablewithoutsoundingweirdlydesperate.(Everyonesayshitome,laughsatmyjokes,
andmissesmewhenImoutsick?Um,no.)

What to Do Instead
Usewordsthatyoucanbackup,liketeamplayer,outgoing,enthusiastic,or
caring,andbackthemupwithexamplesofhowyoupitchedin,spokeupinmeetings,or
threwanofficeholidayparty.Itsmuchmorepalatablewhentheevidenceyougive
involvesactionsyoutookratherthantheactionsorreactionsofothers.

3. Successful
Youcansuccessfullydosomething,butyoucantjustcallyourselfsuccessful.Itslike

http://time.com/3825835/5wordsavoiddescribeyourself/

1/3

5/3/2015

5WordstoAvoidUsingtoDescribeYourselfinanInterview|TIME
sayinginaninterviewthatyourerichandgoodlooking.Doyoureallythinkthatsagood
idea?

What to Do Instead
Narrowthefocusdownfromsuccessonaglobalscaletosuccessonamorespecificskill.
Youcanabsolutelysaythatyouregoodatwhatyoudo.Infact,youshould.The
differenceissayingthatyouresuccessfulinallrealmsofyourlifeandpointingoutyour
relevantskillsandexperiencesforthejob.Thefirstisannoyingthelatterisnecessary.

4. Obsessive
Evenifyoureimmenselypassionateaboutyourwork,youstillwanttoavoiddescribing
thistraitoranytraitwithwordsthathaveanegativeconnotation.Havingtoexplain
yourselfmeansthatyouandtheinterviewerarenotonthesamepage,andideally,you
couldavoidallthat.

What to Do Instead
Thereareplentyofwordsyoucanusetogetacrosshowinvestedyouareinyourwork
thatprobablyaremorespecificanddontrequiresomeawkwardexplanation.Wordslike
focused,detailoriented,hardworking,ordedicatedallworkwell.

5. Humble
Itsweirdtobragabouthowhumbleyouare.Itjustdoesntwork.Dontwalkintothis
unfortunatecontradictionandtrytotalkyourwayoutofit.Themoreyoutrytoexplain
this,themoreyouweardownyourinterviewerstrust.

What to Do Instead
Ifthisisreallysomethingyouwanttogetacrossinaninterview,gowiththeshowdont
tellstrategy.Eachtimeyouneedtobragaboutyourselfduringtheinterview(whichwill
beoften,sinceitsaninterview),onlystatethefacts.Talkaboutwhatyoudid,whatthe
resultwas,andwhatothersthought,andleavethejudgingtoyourinterviewer.
Ofcourse,therearealwaysexceptionstotherule,andperhapsyoucanpulloffdescribing
yourselfasintelligent,likable,successful,obsessive,andhumblewithoutcuttingyour
interviewshort.Butknowthatthereareotherwaystogetyourpointacrosswithout
causingyourinterviewertospendtoomuchenergytryingnottorollhisorhereyes.
ThispostisinpartnershipwithTheMuse.Thearticleabovewasoriginallypublished
onTheMuse.
MorefromTheMuse:
9WaystoBeMoreMemorableinAnyConversation
ToChangeYourLife,StopSayingBut
8QuestionsYoudBetterAskYourselfBeforeTakingaJob

5 HORRIBLE HABITS YOU NEED TO STOP RIGHT NOW

http://time.com/3825835/5wordsavoiddescribeyourself/

2/3

5/3/2015

5WordstoAvoidUsingtoDescribeYourselfinanInterview|TIME

Chris PecoraroGetty Images

Do Not Email First Thing in the Morning or Last Thing at Night The former scrambles
your priorities and all your plans for the day and the latter just gives you insomnia, says
Ferriss, who insists email can wait until 10am or after you check off at least one
substantive to-do list item.
1 of 5

2015TimeInc.Allrightsreserved.

http://time.com/3825835/5wordsavoiddescribeyourself/

3/3