The Subject Many Will Complain About But Few Will Bring Up: "Let Me AXE You a Question"
Sooner or later this one needed to be brought up. And it's better brought up here and by me than an employer who won't bother to correct you - who, incidentally also won't bother to be interested in you over something that may seem to you so petty and small but is indeed important. Mind you, I am not here to tell you that you're wrong. I am here to help you communicate better so you can get the job!
Do You "AXE" People Questions?
Basic English language is understood as something so basic it shouldn't even need mention. Employers are so concerned with job skills and experience that they seldom think they even need to think about someone's grasp of basic grammar and language. I mean, this should go without saying, right? That being the case, it can create some upset when an employer even encounters language issues. And it can eliminate you from the running right fromt he start.
Therefore, a lesson in "Phonics" is necessary on this point, especially to blow away any previous criticisms given those who use the dreaded "axe" word. "Phonics" is simply a subject of the sounds different combinations of letters make and how they combine into words. Pronounciation is part of this. If you recall back to your gradeschool days, you may even remember a reading teacher telling you to "sound it out". This is Phonics.
The word "ask" is spelled A-S-K, in that order and the "s" is pronounced before the "k", not after. Pronouncing it after makes it sound like the word "axe". This is a simple Phonics lesson. There should be no more to be said about it. However, some in the past haven't been able to resist being critical and were less than tolerant of those who pronounce it differently.
Have People Constantly Corrected You?
While many people such as recruiters and advisors are there to help you and are completly on your side, there may have been others in the past who may have not had the best intentions in correcting you and made it a more or less painful experience. That considered, it can be very difficult to agree with someone who tends to tell you how wrong you are. One tends to continue in spite of criticism. Did you ever have that experience? It's an impulse that can be hard to resist.
What About This Will Get Me The Job? The Secret Way to Be Right.
It is unimportant what past critics have said to you and correcting yourself does not make them right and you wrong. The important factor overall is communication. You need to use communication to a doctor who will hire you to use communication with his patients. He has to consider you would be representing him and the impression you give. Whatever you communicate is a direct reflection of him. As you can see, the "axe" issue is small in comparison to overall communication. This is just the most popular indicator.
Part of being a professional is knowing how to represent the company you work for. This shows up in a job well done but also in manners, etiquette, etc. All of these things go hand-in-hand with being a pro. So you need to correct any known issues. Pronounciung "axe" for a word clearly spelled A-S-K is, regretably, a rather important communication issue for employers.
How Can You Be Completely Right? Become a True Professional!
Forget about this tiny little issue. For, here is the secret of how you can be totally right! Get a mindset that you are going to do what is necessary to become a true professional in every aspect of your being. The secret to being right about this is to become a professional in the fullest sense of the word, and that includes communication. 'Axe" vs "Ask' is the very least of your worries and becomes a minor point of change - one which could probably be a non-issue by the conclusion of reading this article.
Truthfully, look at yourself, your resume and all you have to offer. You know that what you have can be of great benefit to someone. The better you communicate that, the more chances you have to succeed. So let's sharpen up those communication and speaking skills, shall we? I have every confidence that you can go pro enough to get the job you always wanted and, I'll bet if you looked at it, so do you!
Good luck on the interview!
Frank Sardella
©2011 Screenings Inc. All rights Reserved.
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