Blog written by recruiter Koreena Geisler-Wagner.

While many of us obsess over the content particulars of our “elevator pitches” and spend valuable time rehearsing the perfect, non-rehearsed-sounding  answers to commonly asked interview questions, few of us will stop and actually listen to the syntax and construction of the phrases flowing from our mouths. Content may vary and expand as one collects new skills and experiences, but the way in which those skills and experiences are described is equally important when selling yourself to potential recruiters and employers.

In his post, “These 3 Speech Patterns Will Immediately Reveal If a Candidate is a Star or a Low Performer,” for LinkedIn’s Talent Blog, Mark Murphy discusses how one’s use of pronouns, verb-tense, and passive/active voice are actually indicative of how that person performs on the job.

Photo: “magnetic fridge poetry” by Steve Johnson, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License.