Corporate communications...

I've been attending a number of job interviews lately - it's what you do when you're between jobs. While my initial foray into the job market yielded only a few call-backs, things are on the up - and I think I know why.

The corporate world has created a language for itself. The words we speak sound familiar, but they don't mean what you think they mean. Or in some cases they mean the exact opposite of the word, when used in every day speech.

Let me give you some examples of what I mean:

Synergy (Practical application of this word is difficult without sounding like a wanker)

The word 'synergy' in this example is the ability to combine two or more parts to create greater value than the sum of those parts.

Here's an example of how you would use the word in an interview situation - 'I identified synergies within the business'


Leverage (Still an acceptable word to use, but over application will make you appear one dimensional)

The word 'leverage' in this example means to combine two or more parts to create greater value than the sum of those parts.

Here's an example of how you would use this word in an interview situation - 'I leveraged the resources within the business to achieve the set objectives'.


Value-add (Use this phrase carefully - too much power in the hands of the inexperienced can be dangerous)

The phrase ' value-add' in this example means to combine two or more parts to create greater value than the sum of those parts.

Here's an example of how you would use this phrase in an interview situation - 'By utilising the key components of the business I was able to create a value-add scenario'


While all three of these examples can be used in isolation the combination of these words and phrases will enable you to say the same thing with greater conviction (avoid making jerking movements with your fist against your forehead when using these words).

Here's an example of what I mean:

I leveraged the synergies within the business to create value-add

Or in plain English, or for the uninitiated - 'I used my common sense to benefit the business'

In our next lesson we'll look at pompous words used by executives to make themselves appear more important:

Resonate (That concept resonates with me).
Cross-functional (I utilised cross-functional resources to execute my strategy).
Sweat the assets (I leveraged the resources to sweat the assets and create a higher level of effeciency within the business unit).

I hope this helped (or didn't hurt too much).