eamesBot/Shutterstock
Interviewing for a job can feel like an act. You rehearse lines. You emphasize what you think the audience wants to hear. You wear a costume. But succeeding in work, as in life, is really about finding your voice and stride.
You want to find a job that truly suits you, and that starts with a process that truly serves you. You don’t know which qualities are most important to the interview team or what the other candidates bring to the table. The only thing you can control is your own experience. One of the best ways to distinguish yourself as a candidate is to be your genuine, confident self — that’s something you can offer that no one else can.
Undoubtedly, you want to scour the job description to see how your background matches the role. Definitely, you want to prepare data, examples, and anecdotes about how you enacted your best work and the impact your efforts made on students, colleagues, and others in your university community. Impactfully delivering these details means feeling calm and comfortable so that you can connect with your interviewers.
Doing this demands more than an act. It means showing up authentically so that you can get what you need to out of your meeting. Here’s how to get started.
Recognize Your Value as a Candidate
Because job interviews can feel emotional and urgent, it can be tempting to lose sight of your importance as a candidate. Coming into the interaction wanting and needing something can make you feel like the disadvantaged party, but interviewers want and need something too. You are equals in this conversation.
“The interview process is a two-way street: while employers are assessing candidates, candidates are also evaluating the employer,” Ashley Lomma, recruiting manager at Smith College pointed out. “A good HR professional understands that the interview is not just a chance for a candidate to showcase their skills, but also an opportunity for them to assess your company’s culture,” she explained.
No matter what the outcome of your interview, your candidate experience is important to the institution: “How you treat candidates during this process can say a lot about your organization. Candidate care is about creating a positive experience from the minute a candidate hits ‘submit’ on their application all the way through onboarding,” Lomma said.
As a candidate, you are a vital contributor to this conversation. Derive confidence from that, and bring your true self to this meeting.
Slow Down and Find Your Comfort Zone
Your interview is an important opportunity, which can make the stakes feel high. But it is also just a meeting. You’ve met with professors, colleagues, and other contacts over the course of your academic and professional career.
Take some of the emotional weight off. Slow down. Settle in. “When you’re asked an interview question, don’t be afraid to take a moment to reflect before responding. This gives you the chance to choose the best example that truly highlights your skills,” Lomma said. Give yourself space to breathe and to think. “Remember, an interview is a conversation, not a performance. It’s better to pause and give a thoughtful answer rather than rushing to say the first thing that comes to mind,” Lomma noted.
Muster the clarity you need to discuss your work, experiences, goals, and professional values with the confidence you’ve earned.
Tap Into What Excites You
As you prepare for your job interview, it’s key to learn as much as you can about the institution and the open role and to think through how your background aligns. Remember, though, you’re not being tested on how well you’ve studied the institution’s website. You’ve been invited to discuss the fit that you see. Tap into the enthusiasm you feel when you recognize points of alignment. That’s what the interview team wants to hear.
“When candidates are authentic in their interviews, it drives more meaningful conversations and helps employers assess what the candidate may be able to add to the company’s culture and if their values align with those of the organization,” Lomma explained. “It shows confidence, preparedness, and a clear understanding of the role, rather than relying on a rehearsed answer or answers easily found online.”
Interviewers tend to be excited about the organization they represent and the work in which they engage. If you’re enthusiastic about the prospect of adding to those efforts, that’s one thing you have in common with your interviewers. Use it to drive the discussion. “Authenticity also allows candidates to express their true passion for the job, which can lead to a stronger, more lasting employer-employee relationship,” Lomma pointed out.
Prepare To Foster Meaningful Conversation
A candidate who is genuine and well-prepared tends to engage interviewers, which makes a good impression. “An authentic candidate offers real stories about their experiences, detailing specific situations, the actions they took, and the outcomes,” Lomma explained.
While touting successes in an interview is an important strategy, it can also be persuasive to take a risk and discuss those things that did not go as planned. “I particularly appreciate when candidates share both their successes and their failures,” Lomma said. “Often, I learn more from these examples, as they demonstrate accountability and show how the candidate has learned from challenges and grown professionally as a result.”
Another way Lomma noted that authentic candidates impress is by putting thought into the questions they pose to their interviewers. Thoughtful questions demonstrate that a candidate is truly interested in the role and is using the interview opportunity to foster meaningful discussion.
Interviews Are Beneficial, Regardless of the Outcome
Whether conducted remotely or in person, interviews help you see how business is done at other institutions. These conversations introduce you to leaders at other schools, and they give you a glimpse into the language and processes they use.
These meetings also enhance your conversation and interview skills. “Interviews are an opportunity to help build confidence, as well as communication skills. Even if it does not result in an offer, it allows you the opportunity to go back and refine how you presented yourself. Not to mention it will help you start to get some insight into the types of questions that may be asked of you in future interviews,” Lomma pointed out.
Maybe this meeting will give you a chance to learn to more fully articulate your experience. Perhaps it will teach you to truly listen to your gut, or maybe it will lead to your next great fit. A job interview stands to teach you something important, no matter how it turns out.
Embrace the opportunity and show up as your authentic self; after all, it’s your best asset.
