Be you…the dilemma of authenticity in acing a job interview

‘Be you, everyone else is already taken’, the well know quote by Oscar Wilde must be one of the most cliché ways of starting a blog on authenticity. Nevertheless, when it comes down to interviewing for a job, it is the only advice I give to candidates.

Being authentic during a job interview however comes with challenges. It’s about finding the balance between showing the real you and being naïve. It is not the idea that you put yourself on display. It is about being genuine and trustworthy, not about being careless.

So how can you display authenticity without killing your chances of getting a job?

·       People hire people so it is ok to divulge some details of your life and personality. It will give an insight in how you perceive yourself and how you communicate things you feel naturally passionate about.  However, there is no need to show all your flaws up front as you try to give an (otherwise) honest account of who you are.

·       Adjust your behavior to the context. Being authentic does not mean saying whatever comes to mind. Show your natural ability to adapt to the demands of a situation without feeling fake.

·       When you tell the truth of who you are, even if you edit it a little, you stand up for who you are and what you want in life, and you create a two-way conversation.  You are not only being interviewed to see if you’re the right fit for the company, you’re also examining if they are the right fit for you. And if it isn’t a match, you’re saving everyone time, money, and anguish. After all being stuck in a job or relationship where you can’t be at least a version of your real self is painful and disappointing.  And you can't very well expect your job to meet your needs and expectations if haven’t been up front about what it is that you are looking for.

·       Tell a story. Stay away from the generic responses such as ‘I am a great team player’. Determine prior to an interview the key attributes that make you a perfect fit. Prepare stories you want to share to give a true sense of yourself to another person and then translate them into what you bring to the table in relation to a job. At the same time, determine what aspects of yourself you want to keep private. 

In the end, authenticity is a crucial, defining element in the interview process. The challenge is to decide what to share and when. Assess the situation, look at your options, and decide what level of authenticity is right for you and right for the situation. 

Then stand in the power of your choice. It can make the difference between landing a job and landing the right one for you.

I look forward to hearing from you

Isabel

Through a personalized and tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company

Check out our website http://www.ingenium-search.be

Follow me on Twitter @IngeniumSearch

Hard times arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity…

These last few months, a lot of my clients refer to authenticity as one of the main traits they are looking for in their leadership.

It is remarkable that in current times, where change is on the every day agenda and uncertainty is part of life, the desire for authentic leadership becomes so explicit. People look for leaders who are genuine, honest, courageous, resilient but most of all real.

That is quite a change from leadership in the 20th century where the leader was the one who commanded the troops to follow him over the hill to build his glory. But why has the leadership-style preached by Jack Welsh become outdated?

The nature of people in organisations has dramatically changed in the 21st century. People today are more knowledgeable about their jobs than their bosses are.  They look for meaning and significance in their work and they are not willing to toil away just for someone else’s benefit. 

Consequently, a 21st century leader needs to empower and inspire others to lead.

The only way you can truly inspire people is by being your own self. When people can relate to you as a fellow human being—rather than as someone with the power to cut your budget or outsource your job—you can build engagement and lift performance beyond anything ‘unreal’ leaders ever can. People will trust you and that will give them the courage to give it their all.

To be an authentic leader, you need to be aware of your strengths, your limitations and your emotions. The cliché image of the leader as some sort of superhero with no flaws has clearly changed and transferred into the leader as a true person who does not hide his or her mistakes or weaknesses out of fear looking weak.

Becoming an authentic leader takes guts and courage. We all have been thought to play though and to look strong at any given point in time. Sharing our limitations goes against our instinct of self-preservation.

So next time, when I ask you to share with me your true self, your strengths but also the mistakes that you have made in your career, remember this blog. I am not looking for criteria to rule you out, I am just checking whether you have what it takes to be a true authentic leader.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Isabel

Through a personalised and tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company

Check out our website http://www.ingenium-search.be

Follow me on Twitter @IngeniumSearch