Um, Like, Whatever... So yeah.

Okay so, you know, we are all guilty of, like, using filler words. If only, we could, like, train ourselves, you know? Um, we would get to the point faster, and, oh, sound a bit more confident.

Everyday we get questions about what one should do to prepare for an interview. Usually, we will help students with their resumes/cover letters and go over a few practice questions. Also, we recommend that students take advantage of our services and sign up for a mock interview!

I am adding something to the list, here... *drum roll* … a filler counter. “Filler” being words we often use to stuff our sentences, words that don’t hold any real meaning in the context of your sentence [i.e. like, whatever, you know, um...etc.].
    Often we want to appear as if we are not struggling with a question by answering as quickly as possible. Often, the first words to jumble out of one’s mouth are filler words.

EXAMPLE:
Employer: So, what brings you here today?
Student: Oh! Um, well, I have always, um, wanted to work with a company in this, uh, industry.

The use of filler words not only makes the student look unprepared, but it also makes him or her sound like they don’t  believe their own answer either.

Quick Tips to AVOID speaking in FILLER:
*Observe others around you. Count how many times someone in your class or work will say a filler word (i.e. "like").
*Pay attention to what you are saying. It’s OKAY to take a second to think about a question. No need to let filler words make an impression for you.
*Record yourself. You might be shocked to find out just how many times you can say “you know?” in 3 minutes.
*Schedule a Mock Interview! Practice, Practice, Practice!

Don’t let your words lose meaning!

--Victoria
University of San Francisco
Career Services UC 5th floor
FB: USF Career Services
Twitter: @USFcareer