time we were completely disconnected from one
another. This seemed to work because my four coun-
terparts and I managed to pull the project together on
time.”- Using company-specific words
Each company has certain terms that are indigenous only to
that company. Outsiders will not know what you are talking
about if you use these terms. This is especially true if you have
worked for a public organization or the military. You should use
as many specific words as possible in your interview so that the
hiring manager knows you are familiar with your industry.
Poor Phrase:“While I was working on the 767 project,
I discovered an error in the “Whichamaculit” used to
produce our 656 product line.This was a really costly
mistake.”Perfect Phrase:“At my last company there was a par-
ticular marketing project that involved a software con-
version. Because of my strong attention to detail, I was
able to catch an error that would have cost the com-
pany millions of dollars.”- Assuming everyone knows the acronym you are
using
Acronyms are used at every company—shortcuts used inter-
nally to eliminate a lot of words. Avoid using these in an inter-
Perfect Phrases for the Perfect Interview