It’s important that you’re prepared to speak about yourself with confidence for an interview. After all, if you’re not confident in your abilities, why should a prospective employer be confident in hiring you? However, there’s a very fine line between confidence and arrogance during the interview process. The difference comes down to how you communicate—and the words you choose to describe yourself. Below are some of the most commonly overused words candidates use to describe themselves during the interview process—and what you can say instead to communicate your value and win over your interviewers.HARDWORKINGWhile possessing this quality is certainly appealing to employers, simply making this statement won’t prove that it’s true. Instead of telling your interviewers that you’re a hard worker, convince them of your work ethic by showing them your capabilities.TEAM PLAYERA true team player is able to compromise when necessary, show respect for others, listen to the needs of their team members, and work together to come up with solutions or meet goals. If you’re describing an accomplishment that was a group effort, don’t take full credit for the win. For example, if you came up with a great idea to solve a company issue, be sure to mention how you worked with the team to implement your recommendation or how you sought feedback from other colleagues before moving forward with your idea. Just by remembering to use the pronoun “we” instead of “I,” where appropriate. DYNAMIC AND PASSIONATEIf you want to describe yourself as being dynamic or passionate in an interview, follow the golden rule: Show, don’t tell. If you show up to an interview full of positive energy and excited to share your ideas, there will be no need to tell the interviewer that you’re passionate about your work—your attitude and behavior will speak for themselves.To ensure you’re able to express both your dynamic personality and passion for the job opportunity during the interview, focus on your interview preparation. ADAPTABLE AND FLEXIBLEIt’s true that employers, now more than ever before, are interested in hiring professionals who are willing and able to adapt to new challenges in the workplace. In fact, when asked hiring professionals to identify which skills have taken on greater importance since the pandemic, “adaptability and flexibility” surfaced as the most-prized trait.For example, perhaps you had to figure out a way to virtually onboard new employees, scramble to modify your company’s services in a virtual environment, or pivot your team goals mid-quarter while still meeting them.CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVEWhile describing yourself as “creative” or “innovative”, the fact of the matter is that these skills are important requirements for certain roles. In order to express your creativity and innovative spirit in terms an employer will value, consider how your creativity or innovation has factored into your previous roles. If you’re pursuing a creative role—e.g., artist, designer, product manager, writer, advertiser, etc.—make sure your online portfolio or blog is updated with your latest projects and that its link is listed at the top of your resume and on your LinkedIn profile. Be ready to talk about what you enjoy about the creative process, how you’ve leveraged your creativity in your latest projects, and what was the outcome of those projects. While stuffing your resume and LinkedIn profile with generic buzzwords can be off-putting to potential employers, it’s far worse when you recite them during an interview. Instead, practice describing your skills with terms a potential hiring manager can appreciate with anecdotes that demonstrate your qualifications and value.