Remember “like, wow, man” in the 1950s?
That beatnik phrase ended many opportunities in commerce before they started.
American society now doesn’t, like, like “like.”
Businesses are telling adolescent job-seekers that “like,” “um,” “so,” “oh my gosh” and other repetitive speech fillers are immature, lazy and unclear.
Valley Girl argot may play well in the hallways of high schools, but it doesn’t translate into success in the real world.
Career advisers suggest using silent pauses before and after speaking, rather than employing verbal clutter and other distracting language.
You gotta like that. (6 NOVEMBER 2005)
