Page 13 - Megan Reichman

Good judgment…or judgmental? You decide

By Rob Weinberg

Businesses needing help sometimes bring in college interns way.
for extra hands. The student gets solid experience, employ- Said Professor
ers keep wages low, and schools can offer something extra Henry Higgins,
of value. “The majesty
Being inexperienced, students can be forgiven for not recog- and grandeur
nizing they’re interviewing for a job, have competition, and of the English
must present their best face. language is
Though I’ve been a marketing professional for 30 years, I the greatest
still understand the youthful drive for individuality and the possession
need to express oneself. At the same time I recognize the we have.” He
importance of being able to communicate with your audi- referred to its
ence. “extraordinary,
Let’s put it this way; were you buying a jar of spaghetti imaginative,
sauce you’d look for a nice package and an attractive label and musical
with a brief, effective message. Yet when it comes to job mixtures of
searches, many people forget that the same kinds of criteria sounds.”
– nice package, attractive label, brief and effective message I agree.
– still apply. While poten-
Ignoring this is a big mistake! tially entering
Business owners regularly interview girls with bare midriffs old-fogeydom
and pierced navels and guys with huge holes in their ear by making this
lobes for publicly visible positions. Except in an environment statement, I
where customers are similarly attired, few of these kids are admit being
typically hired. depressed that so many people have either ignored or
But what of someone who dresses the part and packages forgotten the joys of using language well. And while San Diego
himself nicely, but doesn’t speak well and can’t communi- I appreciate the word “like”, too much of anything is unpleas- Woman
cate the message effectively? ant.
ESL classes can help the individual whose primary language Remember this - the boss isn’t the only one whom people
isn’t English. But someone who just doesn’t care about consider when thinking of where they will buy something. 13
speaking well…that’s another story. Every employee of a company represents that organization
Consider a teenager whom I recently considered for an to the public.
internship. He appeared right for the job, but his every third Which means dressing poorly, sloppy hair, questionable
word was “like.” I found myself unable to listen to him, and judgment or bad linguistic skills will reflect negatively on
ended the discussion quickly. No matter how talented he everyone who works there, up and down the line.
may have been, the very idea of listening to him all day long This should explain why business owners concerned with
made my skin crawl. their public image will think hard before hiring someone who
I’m increasingly surrounded by people saying “like”. It’s a doesn’t represent them well in every way.
verbal tic, replacing “um” and “er” in the vernacular. I find it After all, jobs are scarce these days, and an inability to com-
annoying, and may ask them to say the exact same sen- municate well makes selling yourself to potential employers
tence without using the word “like”. If they can’t, I quickly unnecessarily challenging.
excuse myself. Employment specialists will advise job seekers to dress
My friend Alan - an English professor - likens these verbal nicely, have a resume, and be prompt for their interviews.
tics to a hamster momentarily resting on the wheel. Based For me, add speaking well to the list.
on his theory, the person repeatedly saying “like” is catching
his breath to find the next word. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Given my druthers, I’d prefer the conversation stopped as Rob Weinberg is a Madison Avenue veteran and principal of The
he searched for a word. That moment of silence tells me MarketBuilding Team – a strategic marketing firm based in Rancho
“You’re thinking”. Bernardo, CA. You can get his advice through a free newsletter, a
weekly marketing advice column, or by hiring him as a part-time
The impression I get is that I’m in the minority on this topic. marketing executive. You’ll find him online at www.marketbuilding.
My (teenage) daughter says I’m too judgmental. Maybe com.
she’s right.
Yet as a communications professional I work hard to say the
same thing in different ways. This young man I had contem-
plated hiring only seemed to say different things the same
September/October 2010