I know its anecdotal, but I’ve interviewed for dozens of jobs and ended up getting an offer every single time. And it’s not because I lie.
The most important thing in an interview is confidence. I don’t show up begging for a job. I ask them questions and essentially get them to explain why I should work there.
And the confidence starts before the interview. I work in municipal government right now, and my cover letter wasn’t some flowery bullshit about how I was excited for the opportunity blah blah. I included specific process improvements I wanted to bring to that specific city. I was able to do that because instrad of shotgunning my resume, I tailor it to the jobs I want.
I asked for the top number in the salary range because I’m very good at what I do. Some people ask for something in the middle because they think if you ask for the top number you’re immediately dismissed. I’ve never seen that happen. If the salary range has a top number, that number’s already been budgeted, so they’re willing to pay it. Strategically asking for less hoping you’ll get the offer tells the employer that you’re not sure you’re as qualified as the other candidates and are pitching yourself as the budget option.
If the number is a problem but they still want you, they’ll offer a lower number.
I’m learning not to be honest in interviews by being rejected after interviews where I’m honest.
You’re an objectively better candidate than I am. Not only do I lack recent experience, I’m also have gaps and some very unrelated low-level jobs. I’m applying for close-to-entry level work in a field I’m actually highly critical of in ways employers definitely don’t want to hear. With all my “red flags”, it’s best to be as normal and not threatening as possible.
Which does shake my confidence, a bit, going in feeling like I have to misrepresent myself, but it’s something I need to work on as a cynical manipulation of the process.
I know its anecdotal, but I’ve interviewed for dozens of jobs and ended up getting an offer every single time. And it’s not because I lie.
The most important thing in an interview is confidence. I don’t show up begging for a job. I ask them questions and essentially get them to explain why I should work there.
And the confidence starts before the interview. I work in municipal government right now, and my cover letter wasn’t some flowery bullshit about how I was excited for the opportunity blah blah. I included specific process improvements I wanted to bring to that specific city. I was able to do that because instrad of shotgunning my resume, I tailor it to the jobs I want.
I asked for the top number in the salary range because I’m very good at what I do. Some people ask for something in the middle because they think if you ask for the top number you’re immediately dismissed. I’ve never seen that happen. If the salary range has a top number, that number’s already been budgeted, so they’re willing to pay it. Strategically asking for less hoping you’ll get the offer tells the employer that you’re not sure you’re as qualified as the other candidates and are pitching yourself as the budget option.
If the number is a problem but they still want you, they’ll offer a lower number.
I’m learning not to be honest in interviews by being rejected after interviews where I’m honest.
You’re an objectively better candidate than I am. Not only do I lack recent experience, I’m also have gaps and some very unrelated low-level jobs. I’m applying for close-to-entry level work in a field I’m actually highly critical of in ways employers definitely don’t want to hear. With all my “red flags”, it’s best to be as normal and not threatening as possible.
Which does shake my confidence, a bit, going in feeling like I have to misrepresent myself, but it’s something I need to work on as a cynical manipulation of the process.