Being an AEM major, I’ve been hammered with various interview tips that are presented as methods to help you “Ace the Interview”.

“Script stories that tell your strengths”, “Always look them in the eye”, “Make your weakness genuine, insightful, and then back it up with how you are working on your weakness”, “Separate yourself”, “Everything in your stories and experiences should connect back to why you want to work here, why you can contribute to the team, and why they should pick you”. These are just some of the various tips that I heard.

While these tips do make sense and are extremely helpful, I can’t keep myself from asking at what point do you stop being your best self and start to be a person you are not to get the job you think you want? At what point does “fake it till you make it” start to hurt you? What percentage of people force themselves into something only to be miserable working day to day? While we focus a lot of attention on performing well on interviews, we hardly ever hear about the fit and happiness of those who receive the jobs after. I am curious if there is a difference in interview experiences between the people who are happy and people who are unsatisfied with their current occupation.

That being said, I am also wondering about the effectiveness of interviews. At some point I feel like it may become similar to that of standardized testing needed to be admitted into college. Ultimately it may depend on whether a person is a good public speaker, well practiced, have the talent at talking to a semi-stranger, and is good at promoting themselves. While some of these qualities are necessary on the job, some may not be. In fact, skills that may be needed are often hard to detect. I wonder if there are certain types of interviews that are more effective compared to others.

I guess ultimately the best thought to keep in mind is something that Sarah brought up – remember to be yourself and that you are interviewing them too. Try to be the best version of you while still being you.