Silent pauses, on the other hand, are a good way to emphasize thoughts. They provide time for your words to sink in and break information into meaningful segments that are easier for your listener to comprehend. Silent pauses give you a chance to reflect upon your response, but when you fill those positive silent pauses with vocalized sounds it weakens your credibility and lowers the employer s perception of your competence. Avoid poor diction a credibility robber Strive for clear diction and correct pronunciation with every word you utter. That will allow your message to be easily understood by the interviewer, convey your capacity to interact well with others and be perceived as credible and competent.
Diction is the production of sounds.
It may be slovenly and lazy, or crisp and professional. Sloppy diction creates the impression on the part of the interviewer that the applicant is of lower education level and social standing, and hence lowers his credibility and competence level in the eyes of the employer. Pronunciation is how you deliver words where the accent falls as well as the actual pronunciation of sounds. Some elements of pronunciation vary with geographic region and, although they may work to your advantage if you re interviewing within your own region, if you are engaged in a nationwide job search your speech patterns may be distracting to the interviewer. The wrong pronunciation will make you appear less knowledgeable and informed and, at worst, may actually offend your interviewers.