The big day has finally arrived. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and your stomach is in knots of anticipation and anxiety. The biggest opportunity of your life, an interview at your dream company. You’ve practiced questions and answers. You’ve picked the perfect outfit-hair-nails-shoes to succeed. And you have copies of your resume tucked in your portfolio.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in trying to be who they want you to be. Of course, you want the job, so you want to say things that you think they want to hear! The most important interview skill is being true to who you are. Employers want innovative, unique, and original personalities who will contribute to production.

Should you be yourself in an interview?

Recently, I had a series of interviews for a competitive program at one of the best hospitals in the country. I was nervous, especially because they were the first serious interviews I’ve done. I went into it and allowed myself to be the bashful, confident, funny and hardworking girl I am. Being yourself is hard when you’ve prepped and researched every angle of an interview. But it is important.

According to experience.com: “In a business environment, it is best to be yourself. But remember, sometimes there is a fine line between “being yourself” and being “business appropriate.” So, is it better to stop putting pressure on yourself – do the research but compose yourself as if you were meeting another human being? Or is it better to put on false pretences, pretend your strength is that you’re super organized and that your weakness is that you’re a perfectionist?

Do you need to rehearse your answers?

According to Forbes, “Too many schools are training the students to give the ‘right’ answer, instead of saying what they believe.” It’s so true. CGD has conducted hundreds of interviews and we’ve all heard the same answers over and over again. There is no shortage of perfectionists in the world, and truth be told unless you’re an outstanding candidate – once you give us that line, it’s over.

So should you rehearse? Well, a lot of managers say you can absolutely tell when someone has over-rehearsed answers. Canned answers and a cardboard performance are no-nos. We want to see you. We want to see a glimpse of the person we’ll be working with in the future.

“We amplify the interview experience, creating a mythology around what is, in essence, a conversation. An important conversation, of course. But not a conversation with an alien life-form. Not a meeting that will determine the fate of the planet. Just some people trying to get to know each other a little better.” – Chicago Tribune

We aren’t told enough that originality is important. Make them remember you for good reasons. Talk about your life experiences that are unique. You have been to places and seen things that nobody else has, just make sure you can relate them to skills too.

Why would employers choose you if you recite the hobbies, skills, and facts that all other candidates do? You need to add your own personal spin to answers and skills and show employers that you are ready to tackle any challenge.

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Featured photo:tudoorna