Employers Love It When You Speak Their Language

Business

Employers Love It When You Speak Their Language

Published

1 week ago

September 14, 2023

When interviewing candidates or meeting someone at a professional event, I can tell how involved they are in managing call centres. How? By the words they use.

Specifically, I am referring to terminology call center professionals use, such as AHT (Average Handle Time), ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition), CTI (Computer Telephony Integration), and SLA (Service Level Agreement).

Code-like acronyms, technical terminologies, jargon, and business buzzwords… all industries and professions have a language.

Speaking the language of the industry and profession of the job you are interviewing for demonstrates your knowledge and experience of the employer’s industry and your profession, making you credible and conveying that you are one of them. Since language is shared, it is a bonding agent. The words you use with your interviewer will be used to decide whether you are “a member of their club” and help create rapport.

Using industry language is akin to a secret handshake. There is no need to learn a new language, like Kingon. You only need to know terms specific to your industry and profession and when to use them.

What terms and jargon are most commonly used in your profession and industry?

Finance: Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), Aggressive Growth Fund, Beta, Expense Ratio
Marketing:A/B Testing, Bounce Rate, List Hygiene, Responsive Design
Social Media Management:Clickbait, Clickthrough Rate (CTR), Native Advertising, User Generated Content (UGC)
Film: Crafy, C-Stand, C-47, Snot Tape

When it comes to the hiring process, speaking the industry language is a game-changer; if not for nothing else, it shows you understand the ins and outs of your profession, which sets you apart from those candidates who, during their interview, do not speak “the language.”

Furthermore, incorporating jargon into your communication showcases your ability to adapt quickly within the workplace. Demonstrating “jargon fluency” shows you can seamlessly integrate into any team or project without excessive handholding or explanation.

Now that you are aware of why speaking the language of the employer’s industry and your profession will give you a competitive edge, here are some tips on how to competently speak jargon.

Research the company.

In addition to each industry and profession having its own language, companies often have their own as well. Before an interview, research in-depth the company and familiarize yourself with its jargon.

Imagine interviewing for a position at Apple and the positive impression you would make with your interviewer if you used Apple lingo such as AirDrop, A-Series Bionic, Deep Fusion and LiDAR Camera throughout the interview.

Use jargon sparingly.

It is important not to overuse jargon to the point where it seems contrived. Only use relevant terms when appropriate.

Be confident.

Whenever you use jargon, do so confidently. Practice incorporating industry and profession-specific terms into your professional conversations, so they become second nature.

Customize your language.

There is a time and place for everything, including jargon. Consider your audience when choosing your language.

This is important. More than once, I made the mistake of using call centre jargon with a recruiter or HR unfamiliar with it. Only use industry-specific jargon if you are speaking with the person you will be reporting to or someone in a leadership role; you want to avoid coming across as being pretentious. However, using company-specific jargon (e.g., Google: GBike, Noogler, GUTS (Google Universal Ticketing Systems, Plex), regardless of your interviewer’s position, will earn you points.

In addition to speaking the language of the employer’s industry and your profession, it is important to speak the language that is universal across all workplaces. Using common business jargon shows you are not a newcomer to the workforce.

I frequently use the following business jargon:

Bandwidth: Capacity to handle more work. Those with bandwidth can take on more work; those without bandwidth cannot.

“If need be, I have the bandwidth to work evenings and weekends.”

Core competencies: Strengths or skill set, ideally proven with past measurable results, you, a company or individual, possess.

“Among my core competencies, I am fluent in French, have above average Excel skills, can comfortably work under pressure, and have outstanding leadership skills, having led a 50-person call center for the past six years.”

Holistically (aka “big picture”): Taking into consideration the entire organization, department, or individual.

“To consider everyone who may be affected by a decision I am making, I tend to think holistically.”

Leverage: Using data, research, knowledge, or someone’s skills to decide, take action or get something done.

“A few years back, I leveraged the Spanish-speaking skills of two of my team members to call into the South American market, resulting in $3.5 million in sales.”

Low-hanging fruit: A goal that is easy to reach (achieve) or reliably productive.

“When I began the Clearwater Resort outbound campaign, I focused on what I believe would be low-hanging fruits. I started the campaign by having my agents call Ontario-based doctors and dentists since they typically have disposable income.”

Next time you prepare for an interview or are at an industry networking event, do not hesitate to incorporate relevant jargon into your conversations, showing you take your career seriously.

_________________________________________________________

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

Business

India-Canada row: Visa suspension will not affect OCI services, says official – Hindustan Times

Published

2 hours ago

September 25, 2023

Harry Miller

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Business

Wonderland roller coaster stuck upside down for 25 minutes – SooToday

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3 hours ago

September 25, 2023

Harry Miller

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Business

Will Canadian Banks Cut Dividends? The Pending Recession + Good Reads From The PF Community

Published

12 hours ago

September 24, 2023

Harry Miller

Hi everyone, I just realized that it’s been a while since I put together a good read from the personal finance community post, probably because it takes me a while to put together such articles. Anyway, it’s time to resurrect the good reads articles again.

People have been talking about the pending recession for over a year now. Some people believe that high inflation and high interest rates will trigger the global economy to slow down. Somehow, both the US and Canadian economy remain resilient so far in 2023.

As a reminder, some factors that can trigger a recession include:

high inflation
increasing interest rates
reduced consumer confidence
higher unemployment rate
reduced spending and investment activities

The biggest question is if the economy can continue to grow at a modest rate, instead of shrinking.

Despite the US and Canadian economies remaining quite resilient, we’re seeing some signs that a recession may be coming…

Companies are trimming forces – my company included
Overall economic outlook softness
A slowdown in consumer spending… many retailers have reported this in their earnings
A higher percentage of household income is going toward paying off debt

For people that are still in the accumulation phase, a recession may not necessarily be a bad thing – it will create buying opportunities; for people that are retired or close to retirement, a recession can be more problematic. This is why increasing your cash reserve, reducing equities exposure, and increasing bond exposure are recommended if you are retired or close to retirement.

Many dividend investors are curious whether or not Canadian banks will cut dividends. The Canadian banks have not been performing all that well the past year due to concerns over the Canadian real estate market and mortgages.

In preparation for a potential economic slowdown, Canadian banks have been boosting provisions for bad loans. This is exactly what the Canadian banks did during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If a recession does happen and people default on their mortgages, will the Canadian banks cut dividends?

Difficult to say.

My view? Canadian Big Five banks didn’t cut dividends during the financial crisis, they also didn’t cut dividends during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chances are, they will hold off on any dividend increases until the dust settles.

I believe the Canadian banks won’t cut dividends. Instead, I believe they’ll simply hold the payout steady.

But my prediction can only be 50% correct at best. I can be completely wrong!

So, what can dividend investors do? First, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Make sure you are not over-exposed to Canadian banks. Diversification is important.

Since the Canadian economy is heavily tied to the financial and oil & gas sectors, it’s important to invest in other sectors like consumer staples, high tech, and consumer discretionary. Investing outside of Canada, therefore, is extremely important.

Good reads from the PF community

Here are some fantastic personal finance/investing related articles that I came across recently.

Mark at My Own Advisor wondered, Should you have 100% of your portfolio in stocks? – “DIY investors, readers and passionate investors know from my site that there is no universal answer for every investor, so it’s important to think through both the upsides and downsides when it comes to your investing plan… While a 100% equity investment portfolio could make sense for younger investors, decades away from retirement, keeping 100% of your portfolio in stocks as you enter retirement or remain in retirement could introduce unnecessary risk.”

Joseph Carlson discussed things that you need to do before you sell a stock

GYM recently turned 40 and shared 40 Financial Lessons She has learned in 40 years – “Time IN the market is better than timing the markets. Stay invested, stick to your plan. This Visual Capitalist chart illustrates the pitfalls of timing the market. If your money wasn’t invested in the 10 best days of the market, you could lose more than half of your overall return on investment. From 2003 to 2022, $10,000 invested in the S&P500 would yield almost $65,000 but if you missed the 10 best days (which were mostly in 2008 and 2009), you would miss out on more than half of your investment returns than if you kept your money invested.” Congrats GYM on turning 40, you certainly shared similar 40 lessons that I’ve learned.

Mike at The Dividend Guy Blog came up with an interesting Retirement Withdrawal Strategy to avoid panic and enjoy life – “It’s no secret that utilities, REITs, and communications companies, especially telcos, are generous dividend providers. Utilities and telcos are usually mature businesses with stable streams of income, making wealth distribution logical. REITs are obligated to distribute most of their income. Add a few Canadian banks in the mix, you’d already have enough sectors to invest easily 60% of your portfolio, while complying with the “don’t exceed 20% in one sector” rule.“

I really like the 17 Questions That Changed My Life from Tim Ferris – “The question I found most helpful was, “If I could only work two hours per week on my business, what would I do?” Honestly speaking, it was more like, “Yes, I know it’s impossible, but if I had a gun to my head or contracted some horrible disease, and I had to limit work to two hours per week, what would I do to keep things afloat?”

I thoroughly enjoyed The paradox of the “perfect life” from Rad Reads – “Consider this thought experiment. You and I both aspire to lead rich and fulfilling lives. Good lives. Some might even say perfect lives. Let’s imagine that you worked assiduously to get that perfect life. You have the perfect job. Impactful, high-paying and the ability to be hybrid. You had the perfect home. Massive square footage, impeccably furnished and immaculately clean. You had the perfect spouse. Smart, sexy and a wonderful co-parent. You had the perfect body. Low BMI, 6-pack abs and a full head of hair. Things are perfect. Or are they? Just like the guy with $70 million who’s scared that he’ll have to fend off gold diggers – have you created a new set of worries?“

With GIC rate at 5% or higher, is it a good idea to “invest” in GICs? Ben Felix explained why cash is a terrible long-term investment

Katie at Money With Katie explained How to avoid lifestyle creep, don’t live beyond your assets – “It wasn’t until I found myself in a peculiar economic position that a more helpful version of this rule emerged for me: Don’t live beyond your assets.Once I found myself graduating from a median income to a higher one, I straddled the line between two worlds: Do I maintain my exact same lifestyle and invest everything extra, or do I recognize that I can afford a little lifestyle creep?The hard part? There’s no rule of thumb for how to handle such a situation. I felt silly skimping on brand name orange juice, but I was also terrified of backsliding into the old, spend-y habits that used to drain my checking account every month.Just because I was making more money didn’t mean I was wealthy, and I struggled to find balance.”

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