Jobseekers: Beware Dunning-Kruger

Earlier this week I celebrated my 29th anniversary of working in the asset management industry.

However, I’m currently going through my notice period and need to find a new position for the autumn. Maybe you’re reading this because you’re in the same shoes as I am?

So, let’s get some perspective on my chances…

Not only do I have a huge amount of experience to draw on, I am not yet at the age where my mental faculties have started to fade – so I have lots to offer a potential employer and this will surely come across at interview…

…or will it?

The Dunning-Kruger effect in action

Dunning-Kruger is a type of cognitive bias and the effect is most commonly associated with inexperienced or incompetent people believing their skills and talents are much more superior than they are in reality. We have all met people like this – the know-all that knows virtually nothing!

In the ‘Descent of Man’, first published in 1871 (long before cognitive biases and behavioural economics became important fields of research in their own right), Charles Darwin wrote “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge”. The very last part of that sentence constitutes the lesser-known aspect of Dunning-Kruger and this is what interviewees need to be especially wary of. Not only do incapable people display overconfidence, the competent person typically understates their ability.

Now, I’m not a bad singer but I know I’m not great. However, when karaoke first became popular in the 1990s, I thought I was brilliant because the noise I was making sounded much better to me than it did in reality. But, when you think about it, a fair bit of nerve is required to get up and sing. Had I not had supreme confidence in my own ability I probably wouldn’t have done it. This delusion stayed with me for years until my wife recorded me performing on stage on her mobile phone.

Initially, I was devastated to find out that I wasn’t as good as Tony Hadley (of Spandau Ballet – “Gold” used to be my favourite karaoke song), but I have learnt to accept it. And, since, I really enjoy singing, I don’t mind getting up and delivering less than perfect performances.

However, this experience does make me wonder how many really good singers have never performed karaoke because they lack confidence in their own ability.

“True wisdom is knowing what you don’t know”

The above Confucious saying embodies humility. It’s great to be humble now and then because it ensures we don’t become overly arrogant. Of course, nobody wants to come across as arrogant but behaving humbly in an interview is not likely to be seen as a positive; employers are looking for people who display justifiable confidence in their abilities.

A few tips on taming your Dunning-Kruger:

1.      Never allow yourself to succumb to an “entity mindset”

I am privileged to have co-authored a paper entitled Cultivating skill in a world without genius with one of the true leaders in the field of mitigating human risk within the asset management industry. The entity mindset is a term we used to describe the situation where individuals cease to become interested in personal development.

If you allow yourself to think that, from a professional level, you are beyond improvement, you are well on the road towards being fooled by your own foolishness! I continued my professional studies well into my forties and I subscribe to a large number of ‘infomails’ to ensure I stay up to date with the latest developments.

2.      Remind yourself of how you’ve developed and enhanced your skillset over the years

I’ve performed a number of roles during my career but, for the most part, I have earned my living through writing. When I dig out content that I wrote 20 years ago, I physically cringe. It was fine at the time but I could make a much better job of it now. Experience and anecdotal knowledge are massively important.

If you do not believe this to be true, allow me to throw another quote at you: “Instinct is the gift of experience. If you have no experience, then your instincts aren’t any good" (Malcolm Gladwell, from 'Blink: The power of thinking without thinking' [2007]).

3.      Maintain a strong sense of self-awareness

It is much easier to recognise Dunning-Kruger in others, but everyone is vulnerable to this bias and a balanced perspective is essential. Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses and be prepared to talk openly about them – if you are highly skilled or experienced (or both) NEVER fall into the humility trap of understating the attributes that you would bring to the role.

By way of conclusion, I’m going to paraphrase Darwin. The stupid are supremely confident while the intelligent are full of doubts. Don’t risk being the best candidate for a role which is ultimately offered to a lesser person with more confidence.