BY CLÉMENT, MY JOB GLASSES MENTOR AND CUSTOMER CARE MANAGER @ +SIMPLE
If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you’re about to take a job interview, perhaps the one that will launch your career or allow you to step up! In a society where well-being is a key issue, including in a professional environment, it is important to find the right fit. Spoiler alert: in this article you will not find any absolute truths but tips on how to be yourself in a job interview.
BE YOURSELF DURING JOB INTERVIEWS TO SHOW RECRUITERS YOU ARE NOT AFRAID
The ideas and recommendations we are sharing here with you are based on our experience since we have conducted quite a few interviews in the past. While we do not see ourselves as human ressouces experts, our job has led us to recruit at least twenty people over the past 3-4 years.
How many candidates have come in with sweaty and foreheads? How many were so stressed that they couldn’t find their words? Far too many! Being in the recruiter’s shoes, we realised that this role is occupied by ordinary people. People who want to establish a fluid and relevant conversation with a candidate they expect to be motivated, prepared and just as ‘normal’! We have lost count of the candidates that have pretended being in line with our expectations only to end up being a wrong fit regarding the team, the company, its goals and projects.
While we play the role of recruiters, we are still human beings and, therefore, largely capable of making mistakes. We don’t always see when it’s all smoke and mirrors, and are sometimes seduced by profiles that will not even complete their trial period. Why is this? Either because the job is not suitable for them, or because we are not satisfied with their commitment, the quality of their work, etc. Regardless of the cause, the result is that both parties end up wasting their time!
More and more employers are choosing to break the codes of formal and boring interviews. So take advantage of this and be yourself in job interviews. Don’t be afraid to converse rather than repeating memorised answers that recruiters have heard dozens of times before. An interview is not an oral exam and the employer is not your professor!
THERE’S NO REASON TO AVOID BEING YOURSELF DURING A JOB INTERVIEW!
Not so long ago, we were candidates ourselves. Truth is, we didn’t go through hundreds of interviews, sitting on the other side of the table (or the webcam – context obliges).
Nevertheless, between the two of us, we have enough experience to give you this piece of advice: don’t lie about who you are.
No scoop here, we’ve already played a role during a job interview, pretending to be the person the interviewer wanted us to be. And almost every time, it was a total disaster! Why did this happen? Because even the best con artist will at some point be betrayed by his/her true nature once hired, most times by a passive attitude arising from the fact that he/she will not be happy at work.
Is being yourself during a job interview a risk? Sure! But you’d better be liked for who you are, that for something you are not. It’s easier to be true to yourself since you will feel more comfortable and, on the long run, honesty always pays off. As a certain rapper reminds sings: “to please everyone is to please anyone!”. Therefore, if you are keen on finding the job of your dreams, be sure that most of the time it is not the one you idealise, but rather the one where you feel fulfilled in and ready to give the best of yourself!
We are not telling you to “come as you are” (first the rapper and then Nirvana). Make the effort to prepare yourself to show your motivation to the company you are applying at. If you realise you are lacking the motivation to put in a little bit of effort during the recruitment process, ask yourself if that job opportunity is really made for you.
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF TO SEDUCE THE RECRUITER
If we had to add one last piece of advice to this article, it would be this one: believe in yourself! Marianne Williamson reminds us: “Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.” Fans of Coach Carter, the cinematic masterpiece of the 2000’s, will recognize this excerpt from Timo Cruz’s tirade in the gym. It couldn’t be more true!
Don’t get the impostor syndrome get to you. This treacherous syndrome tends to lead the best of us to believe we are not good enough, that we do not deserve our jobs. If you fear that you are not up to the job, make sure to learn and improve to get where you want to be. Remember that if the recruiter was able to see your potential, you should too! Believe in your abilities and stay motivated, your employer will appreciate your investment.
BE YOURSELF TO BE HAPPY!
As mentioned above, we are in a society that cares about well-being in the workplace. But having good working conditions is not enough to find happiness. You must as well enjoy your job and the tasks it involves. We spend most of our days working, so it might as well not be a burden! The first step to find a job that really suits you ? Be yourself during the interviews!
