What, DON’T be yourself? But that runs counter to all the interview ^[2] advice I’ve ever heard! Am I supposed to pretend to be someone else???

No, that’s not what I meant. The inspiration for this blog post came to me while talking to a friend today about a potential promotion. My advice to him was, “Don’t be yourself, be your professional self.” The puzzled look on his face told me I needed to explain what I meant.

We all have different selves. There’s your job self, your driving in traffic self, your party self, your church self, your school self, your family self, your weekend self, and the self you are when you’re home alone and no one is looking. We all like to think we’re the same person no matter who we’re around. It just isn’t true. Everyone responds and acts differently depending on who is around.

Have you ever known someone who was much more aware of their language when around children? Have you ever seen a child act differently when around certain friends ^[3]? Have you ever acted more at ease with a co-worker than with your boss?

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That’s what I’m talking about. When you go to a job interview ^[2], insure you change into your professional self. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to develop one.

For men, shave, trim your hair, clean your fingernails, and don’t wear a ball cap. For women, style your hair for a professional look, go easy on the makeup, no bare midriffs, no short skirts, and nothing skin tight. For everyone, dress professionally, watch your language, and come prepared to explain how the position you’re interested in fits into the organization’s goals and objectives.

No matter what your qualifications may be, if you come to the interview ^[2] looking like a hobo, chances are you will not get the job. If you come to the interview ^[2] looking professional and appropriate for the position, have a knowledge of the position and the organization, you’ll have a much better chance of landing the position.

I told my friend to think about how people in the organization behave, dress, speak to one another, and carry themselves. “Do you have that picture in your mind?” I asked. He responded that he did. “Can you adapt yourself to that framework?” Again he responded positively. “Okay, because if you can’t, you might as well cancel the interview ^[2] appointment because you’ll never fit in and you’ll be miserable.” I think he understood, at least I hope he did. Life is too short to try to be a “self” that isn’t in your repertoire.
[tags]life, interview, job, jobs, professional, position[/tags]

About the author

Ron has written 1082 articles on The Wisdom Journal.

The founder and editor of The Wisdom Journal ^[5] in 2007, Ron has worked in banking, distribution, retail, and upper management for companies ranging in size from small startups to multi-billion dollar corporations. He graduated Suma Cum Laude from a top MBA program and currently is a partner in a national building materials company.

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