Job hunting is like a complex and difficult dance, and it easy to misstep in subtle ways. One of the most difficult things to balance is on one hand is looking like the candidate we think that companies want to hire, while also trying to stay true to ourselves. In most situations, however, we do not need to add anything to ourselves to get hired. In fact when we pretend to be someone that we are not we end up suffering for it. Sometimes we end up working jobs that we don’t actually want to. Sometimes it becomes clear to our prospective employer that we are not the person they thought we were. Sometimes we oversell our humility, and end up in a humbling position. There are a number of ways we can suffer from being inauthentic, so usually it is best not to be.
Inauthenticity usually stems from a shortage in one or both of two areas: (self) knowledge and (self) confidence. Let’s start with knowledge. How well do you know your skill set? How well do you know what types of jobs you excel in? How well do you know your ideal workplace environment? These are questions you should learn the answers to. Often we end up being inauthentic because we don’t know what authenticity looks like. If we don’t know what is true, then we will almost always be false. So taking the time to learn what is true for you will help you apply and get the jobs you actually want.
A confidence shortage is the other major offender when it comes to authenticity. When our resumes are shorter than we’d like, our experience is more limited, we tend not to be brimming with confidence in our desirability. Often this leads to resume padding, and overhyping experiences. It makes sense to do this, but it is usually more trouble than its worth. For starters, HR departments are like trained bloodhounds, they will sniff out any inconsistencies. The worst thing you can do is get caught in a lie, as your employers are unlikely to trust you after that. On top of that, you may find yourself in a position that you are not actually ready for. Let’s say you once were a counselor at a summer camp, so you put down “strong leadership experience,” knowing that this was your only leadership role. This may lead to you being in a middle management position, in a field you know little about, with a bunch of difficult workers underneath you. Point being, if you are putting this in your CV, you want to be sure it is something you are actually prepared to do.
You have a unique and interesting story, a story that is entirely your own. If you tell this story, you will find yourself in a position that makes sense for you. However, if you embellish or change this story, you may find yourself regretting it. Stay true to yourself, and you will find a job that is truly right for you!