Stop saying these words in your interview

When you are getting ready for an interview in Hong Kong, planning your answers is crucial. The city’s employers value clear, confident communication, and certain words can unintentionally weaken your message, even if they sound polite or humble on the surface. Some phrases are overused; others make your contribution sound smaller than it really is – something hiring managers in Hong Kong’s competitive market notice quickly. 

Here's a look at which words and phrases to avoid, and what to say instead, so you can present yourself as confident, grounded, and ready to add value to a Hong Kong workplace. 

Don’t downplay your abilities 

If you find it uncomfortable to talk about your skills, you’re not alone. Jobseekers at every level, even senior leaders, can feel uneasy “selling themselves” in an interview, especially in Hong Kong where modesty and not “showing off” are often seen as virtues, according to Nick Chow of Macleans Group.  

As a result, many candidates fall into the habit of using language that plays down their achievements for fear of sounding arrogant in front of the panel. 

An interview, however, is not the time to downplay your accomplishments. Chow says, “It is the time to use positive, specific language that highlights your strengths, backed up by real examples from your work experience and measurable outcomes. The goal is not to boast, but to communicate your professional value with confidence and composure. 

Words that weaken your impact 

Certain words can signal that you’re not comfortable owning your achievements. In a Hong Kong context – where hiring managers need to see both team spirit and personal accountability – these words can blur your contribution and make it harder for the panel to recognise your strengths. Here are three key ones to watch out for, and how to adjust. 

• “We”  
  ⁠Hong Kong workplaces are highly team‑oriented, so we can feel like the natural choice when describing a project. If you’re explaining how a problem was solved at work, you might automatically say we instead of I. However, during an interview, the panel is primarily interested in understanding what you personally did and how you personally contributed to the team’s success. 
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  ⁠“It is important to get comfortable switching to I when you talk about your role, so interviewers can clearly assess your individual impact on the outcome,” Chow says. Practising with a friend or in mock interviews can help you strike the right balance: still recognising the team, but being precise about your own decisions, actions, and results. 

• “Just”  
  ⁠Just is a word many candidates in Hong Kong use to sound modest, but it often has the opposite effect. It can make your responsibilities and achievements sound smaller than they really are, for example: “I just assisted with the project” or “I just have intermediate Excel skills”. While honesty about your skill level is essential, using just draws attention to what you lack rather than what you bring. 
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  ⁠Instead, practise describing your skills and contributions without just. Focus on your current capability – what you can already do – and share how you are planning to deepen or broaden that skill, such as through further training, on‑the‑job exposure, or upskilling opportunities common in Hong Kong companies. 

• “Only”  
  ⁠“Only” is another word that subtly undercuts your profile. Phrases like “I only worked there for one year” can sound apologetic, reinforcing the idea that your experience is limited or less valuable. “In a fast‑moving market like Hong Kong, one year in a high‑intensity role can represent significant learning and impact, but “only” hides that,” Chow says. 

If you feel your experience or skills are still developing, be direct but constructive. Be upfront about what you have done so far and then explain how you plan to gain further exposure, deepen your expertise, or upskill in specific areas. This positions you as self‑aware, proactive and growth‑oriented – qualities that align well with the expectations of employers in Hong Kong. 

A word on sentence fillers (um, literally, like, well) 

When feeling nervous, it’s very easy to fall back on phrases like um, ah, like, actually, or well, especially in a high‑pressure Hong Kong interview setting. An occasional filler is fine, but using them repeatedly in every answer can make you sound less confident, less prepared and less structured than you really are. 

Because it is hard to notice your own habits, try recording some practice answers on your phone or rehearsing with a friend to spot patterns. A simple way to cut this habit is to replace fillers with a clean pause: take a breath, think, and then answer – this creates space for you to organise your thoughts and builds a sense of poise while the interviewer waits for your response. It is completely normal, and often powerful, to pause for a few seconds before you speak. 

Avoid these overused words 

Some words show up so often in interviews that they can feel empty or even irritating to the panel, especially in a city where employers hear hundreds of candidates a year, Chow says Choosing fresher, more specific language helps you stand out as thoughtful and self‑aware. 

• “Workaholic” 
  ⁠Describing yourself as a workaholic used to sound committed; today, it can suggest poor boundaries and low efficiency. “Many Hong Kong employers now emphasise sustainable performance – they want people who can manage demanding workloads while still maintaining a healthy balance between professional and personal life,” Chow explains. 
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  ⁠If you want to show you are willing to put in extra effort when necessary, describe how you are hardworking, disciplined, and focused on delivering strong results, rather than labelling yourself a workaholic. For example, highlight how you prioritise well, meet tight deadlines and support your team during peak periods without burning out the rest of the time. 

• “Perfect” and “perfectionist” 
  ⁠Calling yourself a “perfectionist” is a classic way candidates try to turn a weakness into a strength, but most hiring managers have heard it countless times. The word can imply that you spend too long on tasks in environments where efficiency and speed are critical, or that you might be difficult to manage and slow down the team. 
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  ⁠Consider other ways to talk honestly about this tendency or avoid the label altogether. For instance, you might say that you set very high standards for yourself and that you have learned to recognise when a task is already done to a solid standard so you can move on. Chow suggests when you mention any weakness, follow it immediately with what you have learned and how you have adjusted your behaviour – this shows humility, reflection and growth, which are highly valued in Hong Kong workplaces. 

Use strong claims carefully 

To present yourself confidently, you do need to talk about your strengths – but “in Hong Kong’s results‑driven culture, you must be ready to back up every bold word with a concrete example,” Chow says. It should not be the interviewer’s job to dig those examples out of you; prepare them in advance so your answers sound natural and credible. 

Words or phrases that need good examples to back them up include: 

Resilient/motivated by a challenge 
What are some examples of challenges you have overcome in the past? “Describe what the challenge was and why it was difficult, and then describe in detail what you did to overcome this hurdle,” Chow says. “Make sure the challenge is valuable to you as a lesson learnt afterwards. So when the interviewer makesasks follow-up questions, you have enough to pour.” 
 
How did you prepare? Did you need to develop new skills? Who did you ask for help? How did you stay positive and focused on the end goal? It’s important to “unpack” any claims that you’re resilient so it’s meaningful in an interview setting. 

Detail-oriented 
 If you describe yourself as detail-oriented, make sure there are no typos or spelling mistakes in your application or resume, and that you haven’t missed any important details in the job ad. 
 
Have some specific examples of when you used your high attention to detail to pick up an error or oversight that could have been costly for the business, Chow suggests. 

Team player 
⁠Almost everyone claims to be a “team player” on their resume, but when an interviewer heard of this characteristic from you, they look for life examples of when you have made a positive contribution to a team. For example, when did you share information with the team, ask for feedback, or support and motivate colleagues? How did you do it, and what was the outcome? 

What you should say in your interview 

In a Hong Kong interview, strong, positive language helps you stand out in a competitive, fast‑paced market. “Using clear action statements signals that you know how to take ownership, move things forward and deliver results in a local workplace culture that values both initiative and accountability,” Chow says.  
 
The following action verbs are especially effective for interviews in Hong Kong: 

• “I identified” 
• “I developed” 
• “I proposed” 
• “I implemented” 

These phrases are ideal when you answer common competency questions such as “Tell me about a time when you helped a colleague” or “Describe a situation when you resolved a conflict”, because they guide the interviewer straight to what you did and how you created impact. 

To keep your answers structured and concise, it helps to use the STAR method: Situation, Task, Actions, Result. With STAR, you answer directly and professionally by briefly explaining the Situation, clarifying the Task you aimed to achieve, describing your Actions, and then highlighting the Result, which is particularly appreciated in Hong Kong’s results‑driven corporate culture. 

For example, if you are asked, “Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills,” a STAR answer might look like this: 

Situation (S): “My team recently had to adapt to working with a new system. It was a big shift, especially for people who had been with the business for a long time.” 

Task (T): “I needed to get everyone familiar with the new system quickly, because we had a very busy sales period coming up and could not risk slowing down delivery to customers.” 

Actions (A): “The company provided video tutorials, but I went further and organised live training sessions so my team could be walked through the system and ask questions in real time. I set up a buddy system so more confident colleagues could support others, and I also developed quick‑reference troubleshooting sheets.” 

Result (R): “As a result, we entered the busy sales period with the whole team feeling confident using the system and knowing exactly where to go for further support.” 

This way of answering shows the interview panel exactly how you demonstrated leadership through specific actions and behaviours, not just labels. It also reassures them that “in future challenges, you are likely to respond in a way that aligns with the company’s culture, expectations and values,” says Chow. 

If STAR is new to you, “add a few STAR‑based stories to your interview practice sessions, especially for the types of scenarios common in Hong Kong roles, such as managing tight timelines, dealing with demanding stakeholders, or leading cross‑functional projects,” Chow suggests. Rehearsing them helps you sound both natural and polished in Cantonese‑English or fully English interviews. 

Reaching the interview stage is already an exciting milestone in your job search. Being intentional about the words you use to describe yourself and your skills will boost your confidence and presence in front of Hong Kong hiring managers. When you talk about your strengths, always anchor them in concrete examples of how you benefited the business, the team or the client. With thoughtful preparation and regular practice, you can walk into the interview ready to present the most capable, authentic version of yourself.