Are you a quick-learner? Are you excited to share that to potential employers? Turns out this commonly used interview phrase is one of the worst things you could say. 

 I am constantly screening and interviewing candidates for different positions. As I am on the phone, I ask candidates if they have the skill set necessary for the job at hand. 

“Do you have experience in using Pivot Tables in Excel?”  I ask.

”No, but I am a quick-learner!” They will respond proudly. 

I probably do not go a day without hearing this phrase. And why wouldn’t you want to be a quick-learner? It is a great quality to have for any position. If you have said “I am a quick-learner” before, that is totally okay - just stop saying it from here on out.

Here’s 3 reasons WHY:

1. EVERYONE else says they are a “quick-learner”.

The moment someone tells someone they are a quick-learner, it triggers an immediate eye-roll from the person hearing it (for the 1000th time). I have had employers that I recruit for tell me if they hear someone say they are a quick-learner one more time they just want hire them. That employer was obviously joking, but it does not make you look creative and set you apart when you are using the same phrase the last guy used.

2. Companies want people with experience, not quick-learners. 

The reason you find yourself interviewing with a hiring manager is because you have the experience to make it that far. Saying “I am a quick-learner” tells them that you do not have the experience. Companies don’t want quick-learners, they want people who already know what they are doing.

3. You are reminding an employer that you need to be trained.

The company in which you are interview already knows that they need to train you. Saying that you are a quick-learner just reminds them of that. 

So what should you say instead? 

Great question! Turns out employers are looking for people that can learn quickly, they just want you to show them how you did that OR how you have done something similar. Here are 2 fail-safe ways to answer a question about experience that you do not already have: 

1. Tell them something you know that is similar

Did they ask you if you have experience in Salesforce, but you have never used it? Tell them about other softwares and sales CRM you have used before to show that you know something similar. Answer “No, but I have used something similar...” and then go into detail about what you used and how it is similar. This is the BEST way to show that you will be able to learn quickly without just saying it outright.

2. Tell them a story of when you learned something quickly (just don’t say you’re a quick-learner) 

So say you have never heard of the software or skill the interview is talking about, or you just know that you do not have that experience, then tell them a story of how you quickly picked up something in the past at your current job. This will show them that you learned something quickly, without saying what everyone else is saying.

Have you been saying you are a quick-learner? What are other ways to avoid saying this on an interview? Tell us in the comments below!