Let’s play a game.
It’s an important game. Especially because the Career Fair is in two weeks, and for many students, it’s prime time for interviews for summer internships, jobs, and medical school.
The game goes like this:
The next time you’re sitting in class and someone answers a question, count the number of times they use the word “like.”
“It’s like, when, um, the shareholders want to create value, they like, are going to sell some of their stocks and like, companies can like, make more money that way.”
Please. Stop.
You are not Cher Horowitz.
People speak like this. (My use of “like” here is necessary!) I understand that sometimes using this word is unavoidable. However, our age group takes using words such as “like” and “um” and “you know” to an extreme. These placeholders are making us sound unintelligent, and this practice needs to stop…especially for women.
Believe me, I do it too. I don’t know how many times I use filler words when I’m excitedly recounting my day or telling a funny story about my time abroad. The thing is though, I’m working on eliminating these words from my everyday vernacular, and ladies—you should too.
It’s going to take practice. It’s going to take discipline. It’s going to take hard work. But at the end of the day, it will be worth it. Who doesn’t want to sound like a confident, well-spoken woman who can command a room? The elimination of these fillers in our speech is what is going to separate the women from the girls and help women become more respected and dominant in their chosen fields.
Countless professors, speech coaches, and employers bemoan the use of words such as “like” when they speak with our generation. It is clear that no matter how intelligent one may be, the use of these words is overshadowing her (or his) intellectual credentials.
Recently, I watched comedienne Lake Bell’s film, “In a World,” which she wrote, directed, and starred in. The movie shed light on Hollywood’s lack of roles for women, as well as Bell’s personal crusade to rid women of what she calls the “sexy-baby vocal virus.” The sexy-baby vocal virus, refers to women’s penchant to mix a high, whiny voice with a Valley-Girl influenced lexicon.
With practice, patience, and awareness, we can stop the spread of this “virus.”
Try it! The next time you are speaking with your friends, concentrate on using words other than “like.” Instead of saying, “and it was, like,” say, “and it was as if.” Or, when you use “like” before you give an example, outright say “for example.” Just these few substitutions should help cut out many of the times you would want to use “like.”
It’s not as simple to replace “like” as we’d like to think.
Unless you practice everyday with friends and family, while in class or at the store, I can assure you that you will not be able to stop using fillers in a professional setting. Once you are in an interview, with sweat dripping down your back as you nervously try to explain your past encounters with “mediating customer interactions,” the last thing you will want to do is mentally check your speech.
Finally, have your friends help you out. Have them hold up fingers each time you use “like” as a way to make yourself more aware of your word usage. It will be annoying at first, but ultimately, you’ll thank yourself when:
1. You’re handed a compliment about how you “interview so well.”
2. When you land that coveted job/internship/medical school spot.
It will feel amazing. Like, trust me.