My unpopular opinion as an interview coach

Hey job seeker,

How’s September treating you so far? I’ve been having a ROUGH time getting up in the morning now that the sun is rising later. It’s hard to adjust to these shorter days!

Anyway, today I wanted to share an unpopular opinion I have as an interview coach.

Most people worry too much about sounding “professional” in their job interviews.

Let me explain.

So many job seekers want to make sure they’re taken seriously, so they adopt a rigid, overly formal tone, are carefully choose every word, and think they have to use a bunch of jargon.

The problem is they end up coming across as stiff, overly serious, and ultimately disinterested.

You have to remember: most employers aren’t just looking to hire the first person off the street who can do the job. They’re looking for someone they can easily imagine working with for 40 hours a week for the next 5 years.

Which means in addition to demonstrating your value and proven results, you also need to come across as likable and engaging.

In other words, it’s important to be authentic.

Now, I’m not saying that you should show up to your interview in a tattered sweatshirt, unprepared, and swearing like a pirate.

But you DO need to show a bit of your personality. Employers need to know what it’s like to work with you day-to-day.

Plus, when you’re constantly in your head and trying to find the perfect words, it’s boring! Our interviewers are human, so they’re going to mentally check out if you’re delivering some monotone script.

So this is your reminder for the week:

You don’t have to sound like a robot (or like that one career coach you heard on the internet). You don’t need to act super buttoned up and “professional.” You don’t have to be formal, stiff, or use a ton of jargon.

Prepare your talking points (in bullets). Know your stories (and the impact they’ve had) inside out. Create a solid narrative about your career.

But show up as yourself. After all, it got you this far in your career.

Best,

Tali

PS: If if you’re ever ready to take your interviews to the next level, book a free 15-minute consultation to learn how you and I can work together to build this skill (you can also check out my pricing and services ahead of time )