‘Like’ has become the chief filler word for people of our generation and the use of it is not accurate by any means. I do not mean to say that I don’t use ‘like’ on a regular basis because it’s basically every other word for me. I noticed that the use of this prominent filler word is specific to a certain generation, starting with us.
It is incredibly hard to formulate sentences without ‘like,’ even in a professional setting. If a speech is not written down and memorized, there will be nothing to prevent a person from using the dreaded filler word. In interviews and internships when talking to other professionals, a conversation with other professionals obviously will not be scripted, so the use of ‘like’ can be almost free flowing. Considering that no professional uses ‘like’ to articulate his or her thoughts, the use of the word could definitely be seen as unprofessional.
This fact is worrisome, but the more dangerous thing about these filler words is that they are almost impossible to get out of your speech. When talking to a professor or talking in class, the word ‘like’ ruins credibility because the person sounds as if he or she is talking to a friend instead of talking about an assignment or giving a presentation. That lack of separation could be the death of a professional appearance nowadays.
This brings us to the real problem with the word. Most people in our generation cannot finish a sentence without using the word ‘like.’ To investigate this a bit more, I attempted to eradicate the word ‘like’ from my speech for an entire day. If I said it, I put a small tally mark on my wrist. I can safely say that I did not make it through any class without saying ‘like’.
My advice to studnets is to try my experiment. See if you can go a day, or a class, without saying ‘like’ to complete a sentence. The old adage is true in this situation, practice does make perfect.
