Undergraduate Blog / Career Development

Your Authentic Self

This blog was written by Peer Career Ambassador Stela Maksutaj ‘17.

Employers are intimidating during the job application process, whether it be for an internship or a full time job. The degree of technical skills they are searching for vary, however all employers are searching for a wholesome individual that is at the end of the day- genuine. Most skills can be taught in the work place, yet leadership skills and teamwork orientation are one of the most important aspects of yourself to highlight during your interview. Take a few steps towards knowing yourself so you can bring your best foot forward when it counts.

Before the Interview:

Make yourself a pro con’s list. Be honest with yourself and how you deal with team settings. Question your leadership skills and note what you are working on. By writing down and acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses, you can start to progress what you need to work on beforehand.

Honest but Positive:

One of the most common questions in an interview is getting asked what your weaknesses are. Although this should be a reflection of what your true weaknesses are, this should be taken with a grain of salt to a degree. Articulating a weakness should always end with how you are improving or working on it- nobody is perfect so do not try to sound it.

Do not Script Yourself:

Although it is important to be prepared for an interview and have a strong idea of who you are as a prospective intern/employee, you should never script yourself. Holding yourself to a strict script of what you want to say can set you up for a disaster in a few ways. First, employers can tell if a conversation is authentic or not, so spitting out a standard script will make everyone involved uncomfortable. Second, it is hard to adapt when there is a script in place, which will make it that much easier to freeze at a question you didn’t prepare for.

Know yourself and your faults. Interviewers appreciate authenticity, and it can bring you one step closer to being a part of a culture that truly fits YOU.