22 Dec 08 You won’t get that job without this

You probably won’t get that job (or keep it) without this…

I’ve interviewed several people so far for How I Got My Job, the job-hunting success stories podcast you need to check out and tell your friends about.  One common theme in every interview so far is this advice when approaching a job interview situation: be honest.  It doesn’t do anyone well for you to present yourself as anything other than who you are.

Be authentic.  Tell authentic stories about yourself and what you ‘ve done that fit what the hiring manager – or in many cases now – hiring managers are looking for.  That is the best way to set yourself up not only for job-hunting success but also for career management success in general.

Some specific interviews where this hits home:

• Trish Forant told the hiring manager that yes, she could probably sell ice to an eskimo, but also said that selling probably wasn’t the best opportunity for her, of the two they had open:  How I Got My Job as an IT Instructor – Trish Forant
• Suki Fuller told a panel of executives that were interviewing her that she was nervous. After all it was intimidating to be surrounded by a group of folks who were going to grill you on your abilities as a research analyst in competitive intelligence: How I Got My Job in Competitive Intelligence – Suki Fuller
• John Buehler said that hiring managers are going to look to put you into specific hypothetical situations in the interview to see who you really are: How I Got My Job as a Chief Technical Officer – John Buehler

Naturally, there is a point where you can be too honest, and these folks who’ve shared their stories talk about that, as well. What about you? What do you think? In what ways has being authentic helped you in your job search and career? How honest is too honest? Are honesty and authenticity the same?

• For more job-hunting success stories, head over to How I Got My Job
• For more other job-hunting and career development advice, be sure to check out more stuff here at Get That Job!

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Tags: authenticity, honesty, interviewing, job hunt