“Research the position.” “Practice your responses.” “Focus on developing a strong elevator pitch that captures your expertise – first impressions count the most!” That’s our typical guidance on how to prepare for interviewing. That’s all great and without a doubt important to successfully navigating an interview for a new position, but oftentimes we forget to do what makes us shine – be our authentic selves. There is such great power in having an authentic interview. So, how do we move toward more authentic interviewing?
What is authentic interviewing?
It’s important that we first define authentic interviewing. In this context, authentic interviewing means being able to bring one’s entire self to a job interview. Our professional experiences are critical, but so are our personal experiences. It’s important to capture our whole selves within these professional contexts, which comprises elements of both personal and professional life. The best employers value people and their lived experiences, and even if they seem to be all about the bottom line, learning how to integrate all the parts of yourself in an interview may be an important learning experience for both the employer and (potential) employee.
The power of storytelling
So, how do we operationalize authentic interviewing? It’s through authentic communication, more commonly known as storytelling! Storytelling is a powerful tool in contemporary practice, so much so that it’s now even used as an official methodological tool for research in professional spaces.
There is a method in learning how to integrate storytelling into interviewing to make the interview a more authentic experience. It’s best to incorporate this storytelling within the elevator pitch and truly show your communication skills. Most organizations prioritize effective communicators who have leadership skills.
For example, I speak about my lived experiences of intersectionality in my “tell us about you” response to interview questions, and then tie that into my expertise around issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). Through this method, I establish the importance and intrinsic value of my identity, experiences of privileges and oppressions, and how those inform the work I have done and continue to do. This allows me to strategically combine both my personal and professional experiences toward establishing the space to create an authentic interview experience.
There are also great opportunities to exercise storytelling when you’re asked to expand upon a certain credential or skillset. Don’t be afraid to add a personal layer about what you learned and how you approach work through your personal identity and authenticity. When you do so, you’re practicing self-advocacy – an admirable quality in a candidate because it shows your advocacy skills and potential for commitment to the organization you wish to work for.
Authenticity as advocacy and empowerment
Another critical consideration in performing interviews authentically is how this serves as a medium of advocacy and empowerment for self. Advocacy and empowerment are more necessary in some contexts than others, depending on several factors, including the position and the nature of the organizational values and cultural norms. Nonetheless, it’s important to ensure that we are advocating for ourselves in whatever ways that may be in our context.
For some, that may mean explicitly recounting lived experiences that denotes us speaking up for ourselves as part of the interview, and for others, this may be more of an implicit angle during the interview discussion. After all, interviews are opportunities to share who you are and find the right employer who will appreciate your professional and personal experiences. All parts of you make you who you are.
Preparing for your authentic interview
So, we’ve captured the groundwork that demonstrates the overall scope of authenticity in our interviews. We’ve defined what we mean by authentic interviewing, covered storytelling as an art within the practice of interviewing, and portrayed authentic interviewing as a medium of advocacy and empowerment of oneself within the professional context. How then do we prepare to operationalize these principles to be best prepared to interview authentically? I’ve compiled a few interview tips to help you feel more comfortable with exercising authenticity in interviews.
Step 1: Research the organization and position.
First, it’s important to thoroughly research the organization and the position you will be interviewing for. This is very typical guidance in preparing for an interview. However, with the goal of authenticity in mind, research not just to learn about the organization and role so that you can intelligently carry a conversation about it. Research to understand your position within the organizational context and how you can communicate yourself in the most authentic way possible.
The organizational culture and nature of the position will allow you to be strategic in how you navigate that process. For example, interviewing with a company that already has a strong foundational knowledge in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging allows for a relatively easy integration of the self. In contrast, imagine an organization that is less versed in DEIB. In this context, the strategy for integrating the self in this interview will require some more thought, perhaps even using this conversation as an opportunity to educate the potential employer.
Step 2: Don’t overthink it.
Don’t overthink it, please. I do believe that there is such a thing as over-preparing for an interview. Over-preparedness usually results when you’ve practiced way too much to the point where your responses have become a memorized script that you pitch. That dynamic in the interview really undermines authenticity, as interviewing authentically requires a great deal of being and existing within the moment. It can even show in your body language and tone of voice. You come across much more naturally when you aren’t rehearsed.
This is not to say that you need to take a lackadaisical approach to your interview preparation – quite the opposite! However, it’s important to strike a balance between knowledge accumulation and using that knowledge to channel and generate authentic discourse during the interview.
Step 3: Converse authentically.
Finally, be yourself! Yes, that’s really cliché, but seriously, be yourself! It’s important that you maintain what makes you, you. Continue reflecting on that. What makes you really unique? What lived experiences do you bring to this space that allows you to perform in this position like no one else can? Make gentle eye contact and speak with power, speak with confidence and speak with all that makes you, you!
Authenticity in your interviews provides the space to bring your whole self to the experience. We are not partly personal beings and partly professional beings. We are whole people. Advocating for ourselves in an interview allows us to uncover the power of authenticity in landing the role of our dreams.
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