Keeping It Real

​You’ve prepped. You’ve analyzed the job description and researched the company. You understand what competencies and experience they want you to have. You’ve prepped your stories to share as evidence of those competencies and experiences. But, you may still be missing something. A key ingredient. The real you.

Are you so nervous, you can’t some the interviewer the real you?

Did you script out your stories in too much detail and your delivery is stiff and formal?

Are you trying so hard to give the right answer that you forget eye contact?

When interviewing, employers are confirming skills and experience, understanding your motivation, and assessing your fit. They want to know you are a fit with the job, the team, and their values. But if they don’t see the real you, if they don’t connect with you, can they make an accurate assessment of your fit.

Practice can help. Answering questions in a mock interview or out loud to yourself will make you more comfortable in the actual interview. Articulating your stories out loud will help you evaluate how they sound. How words sound, and how they flow when you say them verbally will be different than how they read.

But, don’t script your stories as sentences, draft as outlines. Remember the words or phrases you wish to express. You will then be able to rearrange the words and phrases. This flexibility allows you to sound more like yourself and tailor the stories to new questions.

For introverts who process information internally before processing information externally, practicing out loud gets you out of your own head. Introverts have to work harder on expressing their thoughts out loud and connecting in person.

Ask good questions to learn more about the job, the company, and the people you are meeting. Balancing out the interview with good questions brings it closer to a conversation and helps you connect with the interviews.

For additional topics on interviewing, check out the “Demonstrating Value: Interviewing” resource page and previous blog posts on interviewing.

​#Interviewing