15 Reasons Why Your Perfect Resume Was Rejected

15 Reasons Why Your Perfect Resume Was Rejected 15 Reasons Why Your Perfect Resume Was RejectedApril 16, 2015 By Mark Slack, CPRW Ever thought you were the perfect candidate, sent in a perfect job application, and still heard bedrngnishing or got rejected? Find out why inside.Make a Resume in MinutesFirst of all, is there such thing as a perfect resume?Not exactly. Think of itlike trying to makea perfect sandwich for a customer. Youve got to get all the technical sandwich details correct, like including bread, meats, cheeses, vegetables, condiments, etc. If you forget any of unterstellung basic requirements, then youll createa super weak sandwich. And thats the easy part.Whats the the biggest problem? Having all the ingredients your customers want.But, even if you do have all of the required ingredients, every customer will have their ownsubjective taste.You cant please everyone.You send out your perfect resume and cover letter. Then something weird happens No response. Weak intere st. Outright rejection.OK, what about the perfect resume?Well, lets assume your resume writing is flawless (perfectly formatted, no spelling errors, targeted at the business, has the relevant sections, contains excellent bullet points, etc.) Furthermore, youve got all the necessary qualifications and education to do the job well.You send out your perfect resume and cover letter. Then something weird happensNo response. Weak interest. Outright rejection.What happened?To find out what happened, I asked hiring managers, HR professionals, recruiters, and staffing experts to help me create the complete list of reasons why a perfect resume would be rejected. Their responses were both enlightening and disheartening for the out-of-luck job seeker.The good news?You can actively work to mitigate these problems.Heres why your perfect resume welches rejected, and what you can do to solve these problems.1. Discriminatory or weirdly pickyhiring managerI already told the team, no more resumes from people named Jason Theyre all lazyThe herausforderungYour resume may problematik into the hands of someone who dislikes you due to irrational reasons beyond your control. There are two different types of prejudice you may encounterDiscriminatoryRacism, misogyny, and other forms of prejudice are still problems in the 21st century workplace. If you encounter a hiring manager who does not like your race or gender, it will be difficultbreak through that barrier.Picky John Paul Engel of Knowledge Capital Consulting has been in the recruiting game for almost two decades. He related an experience where his client refused to hire anyone who earned an zugreifbar degree, even if they already had a degree from a respected school.How to Overcome Direct CommunicationTo get past a discriminatory hiring manager, you may need to find an ally in the company to help pressure him/her into giving you an vorstellungsgesprch. Easier said than done.Winning over a picky hiring manager could be as easy as simply having a phone or email conversation with them directly. People with quirky prejudices tend to soften up once they get to know the actual person better.2. Overwhelmed hiring managerThe ProblemSome positions receive a huge amount of application spam, leaving some novice hiring managers reeling and disorganized. Your perfect resume simply be getting lost in the shuffle.How to Overcome Persistently Follow UpYou need to persistently follow up. Email or call the hiring manager and ask if they received your application 2-3 days after you send it in. Be prepared to answer questions on the spot about your application if you do manage to get connected to the hiring manager. Be sure to read up on important interview questions and answers beforehand.3. Missing a certain X factorThe ProblemThe mysterious X factor.Youre missing a certain X factor. This X factor can be almost anything. In the case of Larry Stybel, a professional recruiter, he recounts how he welches asked to recruit a fema le VP for a company where all of the vice presidents were male. Although this is technically illegal, all he had to do was ignore resumes from men even the perfect ones.If youre missing that X factor the company wants, your resume will be looked over, no matter how good it is.Here are a couple types of X factor discrimination you that might be working against youAuthenticity DiscriminationAn business such as a Chinese restaurant may want to appear more authentic by hiring waiters that look Chinese over experienced waiters of another race.Positive DiscriminationWhen two perfect candidates apply for the same position, preference can be given to a candidate who belongs to a minority group, explains Chris Delaney from Employment King.How to Overcome Direct CommunicationIts impossible to know youre missing an X factor, but if you suspect thats the problem, you have to sell yourself hard to the people in charge. Youll have to convince them that they can get their X factor in another cand idate, and that youre too strong to reisepass up.4. Company cant wait for you to relocateBe ready to uproot and move on the fly.The ProblemIn some cases, your perfect resume might be rejected because youll need to relocate for the role.If the company needs that spot filled immediately, your resume may be ignored, explains Stephanie McDonald from Hire Performance Recruiting Solutions.How to Overcome Be Willing to Move FastIf youre applying for a job thatsfar from your location, you should anticipateneeding to move.Keep the attention of the hiring manager by including your willingness to move very quickly in your cover letter and resume. TipFind out how to write a persuasive relocation cover letter to make sure your application cant be ignored.5. Company aimed to promote internallyThe ProblemThe job opening you applied for isnt really available to the outside public. A company might put up a job posting purely as an exercise in curiosity, but actually be aiming to promote internally. How to Overcome Communication and PersistenceMake a strong argument for yourself as directly as possible to the hiring manager, and continue to inquire about the job posting as long as you see its still up. You never know if circumstances within the company might change they may decide not to hire internally after all, or decide to hire two new peoplebecause theyre expanding rapidly. Aim to keep your name in the game.6. The job was only posted due to company policy, but was actually already filledThe ProblemNathaniel Patterson, a former staffing and hiring manager, gives thisvaluable piece of insight Some companies have policies that any job opening has to be posted publicly, even if the company already hasalready chosen a candidate.Nathaniel describes this policy as an attempt to be more ritterlich and equal. Unfortunately, it is also a serious inconvenience to anyone who spends time on his/her job applicationThis policy is a serious inconvenience to anyone who spends time on his/ her job applicationHow to OvercomeMake a Strong ImpressionIf the candidate has already been chosen, theres nothing you can do to mitigate this problem. However, try to contact the hiring manager as soon as possible to inquire about the role. Patterson suggests asking these questionsWhat prompted the position to be open?What is their ideal candidate profile?Do they already have someone in mind for the role?Patterson explains that these questions will impress a hiring manager because any self-respecting job candidate should know the answers to these questions, and will help you understand the soft requirements the job role requires.7. You arent currently workingNot having a job can negativelyimpact your job search, ironically enough.The ProblemPatterson also explains that some companies wont hire candidates that arent currently employed.Your education, qualifications, and resume may be perfect, but you may be excluded simply because you dont currently have a job.This is because recrui ters and hiring managers are looking for people who can acclimate to the new job quickly and have a shorter learning curve.According to conventional wisdom, candidates who are currently employed tend to fall in this category.How to Overcome Find a Job in the MeantimePatterson says that job seekersshouldfind work while they are looking for that better job.Admittedly, sometimes finding a basic job can be difficult.He suggests looking into working for a temporary staffing agency, andupdating your resume frequently with the names of the companies youre tasked to work for.8. Your application was sent through a staffing firm, which the company is intentionally ignoringThe ProblemIf you applied for the job through a staffing firm, the company may intentionally be ignoring it, according to Patterson.Why?Staffing firms charge a large fee per job role filled, and the company may think its capable of filling the position on its own without spending that cash.Try to apply for job openings throu gh the company directly to avoid this issue. How to Overcome Apply Through the Company DirectlyTry to apply for job openings through the company directly to avoid this issue. However, Patterson also advocates building a strong relationship with a staffing firm. He says that some staffing firms have a strategy of onlyputting one candidate in front of their client and really selling thatperson.If you can make someone else work to help get you a job, thats a big bonus.9. Job description changed over time, hiring process is arbitraryThe ProblemThejob description you applied for is obsolete because the company keeps changing it. Companies may do this for several reasonsThe hiring manager didnt know what they were doingIts a startup companyand the staff generallylacks experienceThe company is in the process of changingTim Ragan from www.careercoachint.com says that the whole sorting and selecting process is highly arbitrary and quite often selection criteria evolve as the recruiter goes t hrough the stack of available resumes.In other words, you may have written a perfect resume for a position thats evolved into something different than what you initially applied for, making your resume less relevant.You may find that the job changes so much that your skills are no longer relevant.How to Overcome Observation and Direct CommunicationYou can overcome this issue by keeping your eye on the job posting and noticing changes. Keeping a line open with the hiring manager will also help clue you in to the evolving nature of the job. You may find that the job changes so much that your skills are no longer relevant.On the other hand, you may need to update the hiring manager and let them know that despite the changes, you still have the relevant qualifications (which you may need to mention in a new cover letter or resume).10. The job opening was placed on holdThe ProblemYou might be waiting a while for this oneThe job you applied for is on hold indefinitely.Executive coach Elva Baxterexplains that some companies may create job advertisements, and then put the positions on hold because circumstances have changed, or the position is eliminated altogether due to restructuring.How to Overcome Observe, and Keep in ContactCircumstances can change rapidly in a company, so its best to keep observing the position or staying in contact with the hiring manager. You wont be able to force your way through this barrier, however.11. Its a pipeline job postingThe ProblemYou applied to a job that doesnt exist yet.Marilyn Santiesteban, assistant director of the career services center at Texas AM University explains that some job postings are advertising for roles that dont yet exist in the company. The hiring manager is simply planning ahead and collecting resumes from people in case the job does open.How to Overcome Observation and Direct CommunicationIts hard to know if the job you applied for doesnt actually exist. The best you can do is try to contact the hiring manger and make sure they rememberyour name for if or when the job role is created.12. Applied too late (even if you sent your application in before the cutoff date)Job searching procrastination A deadly combo.The ProblemYou applied too late. Technically, you applied before the cutoff date, but the hiring manager has already started making a decision.Stephanie McDonald explains thathiring manager often quicklyreceive several excellent resumes, and decided to cut off the selection process earlier than anticipated.How to Overcome Apply as Soon as PossibleIf you notice that the job advertisements cutoff date is still far away,dont procrastinate.You may find yourself wondering if you had a chance if youd simply applied earlier. TipApplying too early can also mean your resume falls under a stack. Still, its better to apply early and follow up, than to apply late and have no chance at all.13. The hiring manager made unfavorable assumptions about your pay gradeThe ProblemYour excellent quali fications make it seem like youre going to ask for too much money.Ms. Baxter makes an excellent point that candidates coming from well known, blue chip companies may experience a problem where their resumes are ignored because hiring managers assume theyll be too expensive.How to Overcome Frame Your ApplicationIf youre coming from a big, well-knowncompany, Baxter suggests framing your cover letter in a way that suggests youre seeking smaller company opportunities and are very flexible with the arrangements.14. Job description didnt tell the whole story, and youre not as perfect as you thinkThe ProblemAlthough youve tried your best, you may still be shooting in the dark with your job application.Michelle Hubble from staffing company Principal Technologies writes that in some cases, hiring managers will shorten their job advertisements to only show absolutely necessaryrequirements. Preferred requirements may not be listed in the job ad, but a candidate with those preferred skills will still have a competitive advantage.In other words, although youve tried your best, you may still be shooting in the dark with your job application.How to Overcome Direct CommunicationThe sooner you can touch base with the hiring manager, the quicker you can come to understand that the job is not what you expected, and move on to more realistic job opportunities.15. You looked schwimmbad on social mediaTry to keep your social media profiles clean.The ProblemYour job application looks great, but the content that shows up on your social media is inappropriate, offensive, or unprofessional.How to Overcome Clean it UpIts irritatingbut you cant expect anything to be truly private anymore. You might consider doing an edit of your social media profiles (all of them) to make sure youre not giving off a bad impression.ConclusionYou may have noticed that the majority of these problems have the same solution getting in touch with thehiring manager. Unsurprisingly, almost all of the hiring man agers and staffing experts I contacted emphasized the importance of networking, because its the only way youre going to mitigate problems like these which are otherwise completely out of your control.You may feel like a pest or annoyance, but actually youll be making a good impression. Establishing direct contact will demonstrate that youre serious about the opportunity, and have drive beyond the average job applicant.Be proactive, and dont let your perfect resume go ignored.

How to Get the Most From Your Resume-Writing Service

How to Get the Most From Your Resume-Writing tafelgeschirr How to Get the Most From Your Resume-Writing ServiceGet the most out of your professional resume-writing service with these helpful tips.So you know your resume needs some professional help, but you dont know where to start. If youre willing to invest in your career with a professionally written resume, you want to make sure you get most out of the experience, right?Below are four tips to help you make the most of your professional resume-writing service and ensure you end up with a greatresume that makes it past the applicant tracking systems (ATS) and catches an employers eye.Define your job goalsThe bestresumes are those that are written with a specific job goal in mind. This job target becomes the foundation for your resume, as it helps your professionalresume writer identify which of your qualifications are most relevant to your job search and should receive the most attention on your document. Check out some of my favor iteexercises to help you explore other career paths and clarify your job goals for the resume-writing process. Once your job goals are clear, be sure to provide your writer with a few sample job descriptions that represent the type of role youd like to pursue.Gather as much information as you canYourresume will only be as good as the information your writer has to work with. In addition to providing a copy of your current resume, pull together as many details as possible about your work history, education, volunteer experience, and professional development activities. This will help your professionalresume writer craft a powerful document that effectively tells your story and markets your qualifications. Click on the following link for a list of whatinformation you should collect for the resume-writing process.Be open to feedbackYou may be very proud of the role you held 20 years ago, but theres a good reason why your professionalresume writer wants to take it off your new resume. R emember, you hired an expert for a reason. While its natural to question some of the choices your writer makes, trust that your writer is using all of their knowledge of the current job market and recruitment practices to create a polished-looking, professionalresume that will help youavoid the resume black hole andpass the six-second resume test with flying colors.Get an idea of what expert feedback is like and submit your resume for a free critique.Have a planSet up a job-search plan you intend to follow once you have the final version of your resume. This may include weekly goals for the number of job applications youll submit, networking activities in which youll participate, and recruiters with whom youll connect.Studies have shown youre 10 times more likely to land a job when your job application is accompanied by a referral, so be sure to invest in your network while you search for work.Also, make sure youre applying to positions that youre truly interested in and qualified f or. Click on the following link for a list of questions you should ask yourself before applying for a job.Remember, finding the perfect job wont happen overnight however, with some patience, persistence, and a well-thought-out plan, your job-search efforts are sure to pay offClick on the following link for more resume advice.Need help writing your resume? TopResume can help.Recommended ReadingHow to Choose the Right Resume-Writing Service for YouHow to Prepare for Your Resume RewriteHow to Customize Your Resume for Each Job ApplicationRelated Articles

Summer Reading List for Your Employees - Spark Hire

Summer Reading List for Your Employees - Spark HireEveryone seems to be compiling their summer reading lists during this time of year (why do we just have a summer reading list? Do we all hate reading during the other 3 seasons?). In addition to your personal ones, consider putting together a set of books to motivate your employees through the summer months.Further, instead of just leaving this stack of books to gather dust in the break room, motivate employees to read their motivational books. Consider giving your employees a designated 10-15 minutes per day to read ansicht books, and arrange a meeting at the end of each month to discuss what everyone learned from the team building stories.Many great books are full of entertaining and inspiring team-building stories. They might teach different skills like leadership, communication, and self-motivation. Here are a few books to get you started on your list. Be sure to add your own suggestions in the comments below. QBQ The Question Be hind the QuestionThe QBQ, by John G. Miller, is a book that every employee should read. First, it will take you about 45 minutes to finish. Second, it provides important insight into how we can re-think our reactions to problems and conflicts in the workplace. FishThis is a parable of teamwork told through the eyes of fictional manager Mary Jane Ramirez. Ramirez struggles to transform her rag-tag group of fishmongers into an effective team. This book teaches team-building exercises, leadership skills, and the ability to laugh at yourself.Also check out The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and Ubuntu for stories similar to this. In fact, it could be fun to have different employees read these books. Then, have a meeting to talk about the similarities and differences between the team-building messages of the stories.The Travelers GiftThe themes of the above books have a lot to do with taking responsibility for your own actions Sorry, the motivational books and their exclamation marks are co ntagious. Andy Andrews The Travelers Gift is a longer book, and more motivational on the team level. If you are looking to motivate your employees to reach greater personal success, this would be a great choice. It would be a great one to have on your office bookshelf for loan, if nothing else.Rhinoceros SuccessScott Alexanders book has been around since 1980, but it still maintains its ability to get people fired up about success. Like The Travelers Gift, Rhinoceros Success teaches employees about personal success. Alexander advocates a style of leadership that upholds assertiveness he encourages readers to be like the aggressive rhinoceros, rather than the passive cow.Is this at odds with the team-building exercises of the other books? I think there is room for both on your shelf, and that it is important to sample different kinds of leadership and career advice. However, feel free to discuss the differences in these books with your staff and employees. Its okay to feel differentl y about team-building and leadershipas long as you talk about itOkay, ceasing and desisting with the exclamation points.Now, talk to us below and tell us which book youre going to pick up first.ansehen Courtesy of Flickr byRenato Ganoza

How to Easily Earn More Respect at Work - The Muse

How to Easily Earn More Respect at Work - The MuseHow to Easily Earn More Respect at Work Sure, we may not love our co-workers, and sure, they may not love us- but that doesnt mean that we dont want to earn their respect. Having it not only helps us get ahead in our careers (a.k.a., people think of you when opportunities pop up), but also helps us be more productive every day. Because truth talk When no one respects you, its hard to convince people to back your idea, or pitch in on a project, or even listen to you in meetings.So, how do you command respect in the office? Its actually easy to do if you practice these five key habits.1. Validate Others OpinionsIn the same way you want someone to back you up when youre proud of an idea, people will respect you if you stand up for them when they share their own thoughts- especially when no one else speaks up. In fact, this is exactly how women in the White House prevented each other from being interrupted during President Obamas presiden cy. If someones point went ignored, they repeated it and credited it to the original thinker.You can easily copy this trick- its as simple as saying I actually like Jerrys idea, and its pretty feasible- all wed have to do is XYZ.2. Help Out When You CanOK, a little obvious, but being a kollektiv player is an instant hit with most people. So, if you see someone struggling, offer to help them out. If you notice an assignment lagging behind its deadline (even if its on a different team), ask if theres anything you can do. If others are staying late while youre heading out right at 6 PM, stick around for a bit and ask if anyone needs assistance. Even if you get turned down, youll still be remembered as someone your co-workers can count on. 3. Speak With Confidence, Not CockinessPeople who command respect stand by their beliefs- not because theyre always right, but because they believe in doing the best for the company. They dont dismiss other peoples opinions (in fact, they welcome oppo sing views), but when they know the best solution for everyone, theyre not afraid to state it- and state it with confidence.But that doesnt mean they brag when everything goes well. Rather than boast about their success and shine the spotlight back on themselves, they use what they learned to further improve their teams efforts.4. Avoid ComplainingNobody likes a whiner, especially in a professional setting. Dont protest when things dont go your way, or your boss is demanding a lot from you, or youre assigned an especially difficult project. Perservering shows that youre up for challenges and wont give up when when things get hard.Thats not to say you cant voice feedback or offer up honesty when the situation merits it, but rather that you should understand when youre bringing up a valid concern or just venting. 5. Do Your Job (Well)Finally, the easiest trick in the book- do your job, and do it well. Work hard, meet deadlines, be an open communicator, go beyond your job description e very once in a while, and theres no reason people wont admire you and what you do for the company.If youre already doing all of these and still cant get people to respect you. Well, you just may be guilty of these seven common mistakes. But assuming thats not the case, you can abflug putting these into practice right away and changing everyones image of you for the better.

creative resumes, and how long employers take to respond

creative resumes, and how long employers take to respond creative resumes, and how long employers take to respond A reader writesI would like to inquire on how long an employer will usually take to reply to an expression of interest in a job. I am a 16 year old student that has emailed several different employers with my resume and cover letter and have only received an instant reply from one. A few were advertised positions and the rest were general inquiries on my part. I admit it has been less than a week since I have sent them but considering I received a reply from one within a few hours, I am rather anxious and frustrated to hear from the rest too (I have refreshed my email around 20 times today, I kid you not).I understand that the job market at the moment isnt particularly keen on employing less experienced teenagers but surely the lower pay rate attracts them? Im also unsure whether my resume is a turn-off because I made a much more creative one that mucksmuschenstill clearl y delivers the facts and figures, but is presented with color and more flair. Also the jobs I am applying for are cafes, juice bars and fashion stores. And no doubt my lack of real retail experience (I only have volunteer work) disadvantages me. Any words of wisdom you may offer?Okay, clearly I have to drop my preconceived notions about teenagers not reading career blogs, because you are the second 16-year-old in three weeks to write to me. It still surprises and impresses me though.It can take some employers quite a long time to respond to applications. A week is definitely nothing some take a month or even more. I tend to be pretty fast and often respond within a few days, but even I wouldnt feel ashamed of myself if it took me, say, two weeks. And lots of employers really do take a lot longer. In some cases, this may be because theyre disorganized, but generally its just because they have lots of other stuff going on that they have to deal with first. So stop obsessively checkin g your email.As for creative resumes, in certain fields if theyre well-done, they can be a plus. Im sure there are some HR people or hiring managers out there who consider them a deal-breaker because they want you to do things the traditional way, but in general I suspect most people feel like I do, which is this The most important thing about your resume design is that I need to be able to read it clearly, without straining, and I want to be able to quickly scan it and get the highlights. Creativity, while a nice trait, doesnt trump those requirements, so make sure whatever format you use works in those ways.As for more general teenager job-searching advice, Im going to refer you to the comments section of the belastung post from a teenager people offered up really helpful advice, so read through that and see if its useful.

5 ways to be a good manager of your former coworkers

5 ways to be a good manager of your former coworkers5 ways to be a good manager of your former coworkersOut of all your coworkers who applied to a highly-coveted management position, you were chosen. So where does that leave your relationships with them now that you oversee the entire team?Heres what to keep in mind when managing former coworkersDont act like nothing happenedWhether your former peers (or you) like it or not, your dynamic is about to change - you owe it to your team to show them that you understand that.Levo says you that should be the one to tell them the news, before any company-wide email or announcement is released because feeling like the last one to know the news could strengthen potential resentment.Obviously, youll need company approval to make any kind of announcement, but if possible,you should tell your new employees privately, and you should keep the katechese clear, direct, simple, and relatable Youve been promoted, youre excited about this opportunity, and you know that this might create some awkward situations based on your current relationships. Dont overwhelm them with too much detail. Let it all sink in.Dont move too fast in the beginningMichael Watkins, the chairman of Genesis Advisers and author of The First 90 Days and Your Next Move,tells theHarvard Business Review that new managers should proceed with caution, but make it clear that youre going to act according to your new supervisory role.You are walking a bit of an edge. You dont want to come in as Alexander Haig and you dont want to act as a super-peer either, Watkins says, referring to Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Regans notoriously ambitious cabinet member.Come up with small decisions you can decide on pretty fast, and save the larger ones for when you have more experience and can get more perspective.Watkins reportedly cites creating a new team schedule, putting one-on-ones on the calendar and letting your new direct reports know how you envision future team communication as examples.Show your team some respect by hearing them outListening is a big part of good management. Sustain your teams trust by giving them the face time they deserve, and making koranvers that everyone has the resources necessary to succeed.Also be sure to answer new questions they have, and give them the names of people in HR who can answer questions you dont know the answer to, should they come up.Back up - give them spaceMonsters career expert, Vicki Salemi, writes on the site about how she distanced herself from her former coworkers during casual discussions once she became their manager.When there was leftover food in the conference rooms I joined in and we chatted, but I only went for a few minutes and then made a quick escape, Salemi wrote. I understood that everybody needs time to vent about the boss or work, so I tried to let my employees have some privacy in their social lives. Also, I knew that being too friendly would make my job harder later.Salemi sa id she also changed the amount of information she shared with her former coworkers once she became privy to the new management-level info.Its extremely important to create boundaries, she explains.Develop a strategyJeff babo, who spent 13 years as a Navy SEAL and went on to write Navigating Chaos How To Find Certainty in Uncertain Situations and hostThe Chaos Cast Podcast Leadership Lessons from Chaos, says setting yourself achievable benchmarks is an important first step as a new manager.Take a moment (or two) to consider two things 1) what you need to do and 2) who you need to be in the next 30, 60 or 90 days to be successful. What will be considered a win for your role?Boss writes in Forbes.Note that this isnt necessarily a win for you, personally (i.e. feeding the ego), but rather a win for the role and responsibilities youre expected to fulfill as a professional, he writes.However, dont succumb to the trap of making changes for changes sake, just because you feel like you need to shake things up to prove your worth, Boss says.Consider your relationship with your own manager at the organization, and how youd like to draw from what works - and avoid what doesnt work as well.Move forward with confidence, but dont overdo it.

4 Ways to Overcome the Ums, Likes, and Aahs in Your Job Interview

4 Ways to Overcome the Ums, Likes, and Aahs in Your Job Interview4 Ways to Overcome the Ums, Likes, and Aahs in Your Job InterviewAre your interview spiels full of ums, likes, and aahs? Then this blog post is for you.We encounter a lot of professionals who unconsciously use these filler words. When they use um, ahh, you know, and likeonce or twice, there really isnt an issue. In some ways, it makes peoplesound like theystudied their words carefully before speaking.Its when they keep repeating them thats when the problem arises. Why? It kills their credibility, making them soundlike teenagers insteadof professionals.So how do you overcome the ums, likes, and aahs? Here are 4 ways Speech RhythmWhen you dont plan and organize what you want to say in an interview, you ramble or use unstudied speech. If your thoughts are organized before going on your interview, you will speak better. Ritchelle Blanco Dejolde, a presentation and speech improvement trainers suggest that you chunk your sen tences before you speak and then pause for a second or two. This will help you create a rhythm when you talk. For example spoken words / break / spoken words / break. If you can maintain this rhythm throughout the interview, the ums and aahs will fade away. Make a recordingHave you ever recorded yourself delivering a speech? It can be brutally painful to do this but it is absolutely necessary. Listening to your own voice and hearing your mistakes is an eye opener. If you listen well, and study yourself, and all the little fillers you use, you will be astonished at how often you use them. These are called speech crutches and once you learn what yours are, you will be more careful not to use them the next time you sit down for a job interview. Use pre-planned transitional fillersWhen you say the filler um, youre telling the interviewer that you are still gathering your thoughts and that your train of thought is incomplete. Use transitional phrases instead. Instead of um, use moving on , or lets talk about, or another valid point is In the beginning it will sound a little fake, but if you practice these phrases, you will abflug sounding more natural. Use tip number two here as well. Make eye contactWhen you apply making sincere eye contact throughout a job interview, you are less likely to use these filler words because its really awkward to say um when youve locked eyes with the interviewer. Try it on a friend or a spouse before your interview. Position your body and gaze directly into their eyes with engaging attention and have them ask you interview questions. It may feel a little silly but you will also find that you use your filler crutches a lot less.With consistent practice of these effective strategies, you will lessen the need to use these credibility stealing fillers in no time.