Authenticity
In this lesson, we'll explore the idea that you can be prepared for a behavioral interview without being phony.
We'll cover the following...
Be genuine
Some candidates are concerned that practicing responses for behavioral interview questions will make them sound rehearsed, or that too much preparation will lead to telling the interviewer what they want to hear – but that’s neither true nor the intent of this course. Be genuine, be honest, be authentic. No one wins when you fake who you are; you’ll end up in an organization that is not the right fit, and your employer will end up with an employee who is unhappy and checked-out.
Communicate who you are in the organization’s language
“Why would I need to prepare if it’s important to be authentic? What’s wrong with the “real” me?”
First off, nothing is wrong with you. What often messes people up is a lack of understanding of how to communicate who they are. One of the ways to communicate is to notice the company lingo.
- What are their taglines?
- How do they describe their brand?
- Are the sentences on their website short and concise or verbose and detailed?
- Do they call their employees “employees,” or do they use another noun?
- How do they describe their customers?
You wouldn’t use the same phrases or slang with your grandparents that you use with your friends and expect them to have the same understanding – would you?
For example, imagine that you’re interviewing for a role with GitHub. We know that GitHub is a company committed to community building and opensource sharing. They call their employees “Hubbers.” While responding to questions, you can use words like, “open” and “sharing,” and discuss your experiences building communities.
By using the words that they use, you will increase their understanding of who you are and what your values are. It will be a good test for both you and the interviewer to determine if the organization will be a fit.
Try each company’s lingo on for size, practice being a part of their culture, wear something or carry an accessory that is the color of their brand to the interview; this shows awareness and savvy. Notice how quickly you adopt or resist the language. Make this part of your evaluation of the opportunity; it may just save you from accepting a job you won’t enjoy.
On sounding ‘rehearsed’
If you are worried that practicing might leave you sounding rehearsed, that’s ok. Chances are that what sounds “rehearsed” to you is actually just the sound of you completely owning the interview.
However, you can always say something like, “I just heard my own response, and it sounds a bit rehearsed. I really prepared for this interview because it is important to me. You can count on my answers being genuine, even if they are practiced." This way, you will be able to put your mind at ease while also proving to the interviewer that you are very serious about the role.
It’s authentic for you to present your best self and show enthusiasm for the company. Maybe you aren’t sure that you are interested in the role and are just interviewing to get the practice. Even then, you can still be authentic in wanting to do well and open to discovering your true interests. No matter what, always make room for gratitude and an appreciation for the opportunity to be considered. You never know, you might fall in love with the job along the way.
In the next lesson, we’ll explore how and why everyone you meet during the interview process is an interviewer.