ELIMINATING ANNOYING MANNERISMS AT JOB INTERVIEWS

Don't leave it to chance. Is it possible that you have an annoying mannerism that could hurt you at an interview? Possibly. Most of us do things that are annoying to friends, acquaintances, family members and co-workers. One of our members had coffee with me last week and suggested that we take a look at potential annoying mannerisms. There is no doubt that an interviewer could be bothered by one and could rule you out -- in particular if you might be working with or for this person.

Following are some that I thought of that we could look at and I am sure this group will have others that I have not considered.

Talking too much.

You can talk yourself out of a job at an interview. Interviews are the time to be a good listener and not to pontificate when answering a question or in general conversation with the interviewer.

Gesturing excessively when speaking?

Saying OKAY at the end of each statement. Or saying Yah, Yah, Yah in responding to a person. Some people just shake their heads or nod approvingly instead of: Yah, Yah, Yah. This may be a better way to show affirmation in my opinion.

UHUH is also another common but possibly annoying word for affirmation or using YOU KNOW at the beginning or end of a sentence.

Starting a sentence with LISTEN. Or using HEY as in: “Hey did you know …?”

Interrupting another person when they are talking.

How do you really know if you are guilty of any of the above? Asking frank spouses, friends, neighbors and acquaintances is a way to uncover poor speech.

HOW DO YOU CURE YOURSELF OF ANNOYING MANNERISMS? My suggestions are:

1. You must want to change

2. You can ask a close friend, family member or spouse to monitor you, and tell you of a mannerism you are trying to correct.

3. Think about it and make a conscious effort each day not to use the mannerism

4. Tape record conversations at home and play them back to see if you really need to change.

OTHER WAYS?