Never Use These 10 Words to Describe Yourself

When someone calls you strong and confident - that's great and you should feel flattered. On the contrary, when someone calls himself strong and confident - it sounds weird. That's why we've gathered some words that are great when other people use them to describe you--but you should never use them to describe yourself.

Humble

It is strange to hear someone's bragging about how humble they are. It just doesn’t work. Don’t walk into this unfortunate contradiction and try to talk your way out of it. The more you try to explain this, the more you wear down your interviewer’s trust. Just by saying it, you prove that you are not.

Generous

Being described as generous is similar to respect, in that it is something you earn, rather than something you can claim for yourself. You may be, but if you are prepared to say it in public then you are not humble (see above). And we value ‘humble’. And we want our ‘generosity’ without thought for personal gain and acknowledgement. So don’t say it. Live it.

Self-Disciplined

Any disciplined person we have ever met willingly admits they find it difficult to stay focused at times. Saying you’re self-disciplined is either redundant or not true. Redundant because congratulations you were focused enough to finish the task today, but what about tomorrow or the next day, it’s an ongoing process, one that will require you to work hard to maintain your discipline. Or, the less favourable scenario, the employer might suspect this statement to be untrue; if you feel you need to say how disciplined you are, chances are, you’re not.

Passionate

You may be passionate enough, but you are adviced to show your passion through work, not through your words. Anyone can show the passion through high motivating words, but a person is tight lipped when it came to displaying the passion through the work already done.

Talented

Don’t say that you are talented,many are there. It is just that talent is acknowledged when hard work is the driving force behind it. If the qualities like hard work, dedication, concentration are not a driving force behind your talent, then your talent is of no use. Every person is born with some or the other talent. So, push your talent with some good deal of work, not just with the mere words.

Empathetic

What is empathy? It’s the ability to step into the shoes of another person, aiming to understand their feelings and perspectives, and to use that understanding to guide our actions. Empathy is a great quality, but saying that you're empathetic actually sounds like you are not at all.

Fearless

Every single individual has some or the other sort of fear at some or the other point of time. Be it a fear of passing off the cockroach, or a fear of giving a presentation to the staff. Everyone possesses it somewhere in the corner of the heart. During an interview,never say that you are fearless. You may use the word brave to take up all kinds of challenges, but do not mention the word fearless as it may put a negative impact and you will be depicted as an over confident person.

Straightforward

There's a very thin line between being straightforward and being plain rude. Straightforward is usually a code word for rude, abrasive, disrespectful, or impolite. You are allowed to be straightforward, but don't call yourself like that.

Adaptable

You will yourself invite fears and problems for yourself by making use of this word. Adaptable, yes, you may be but adjustment is the right word. Say you are flexible enough to adapt to any new environment. This word is something positive and gives a sense of positivism to the people taking your interview. You may adjust in any kind of situation be it good or bad, as sometimes worse conditions may also arise, you never know, no matter how big or renowned the company is, so just say that you are always happy in adjusting to the new safe environment.

Independent

The ability to be independent is something that not everyone possesses. Learning to support yourself is fundamental for any success you ever hope to achieve. Being independent is actually very good, but now a lot of people use it to cover that they suck at being a team player, or being a bad leader. Do not confuse independence with apathy.