Interviews and OCIs | Manage Your Imposter

Photo by Daniel McCullough on Unsplash

Imposter syndrome affects all of us.

This is even more apparent during interviews and OCIs. We’ve seen students absolutely stress about the “type of image” that they want to portray or memorize the right words, the right questions, the right delivery during their responses.

The risk is that you start pretending to be someone who you really aren’t or your responses seem to be canned and fake.

Of course, there is a degree of practice needed to refine your story and your CV. At Beyond the A, we advocate practicing as much as possible and spending the same time on interview practice as you did on your resume. Getting a private coach is even better so that you have someone who actually knows what they’re doing to help you along.

For example, if you are not a very active person and you are feigning interest in rugby and hockey (because you heard that this firm hires active associates), you are just shooting yourself in the foot.

Spend some alone time reflecting on who you are, honestly.

Approach your interviews with a level of intentionality, authenticity and curiosity to learn about the firm and your interviewers.

Because when you are pretending to be someone who you aren’t or you try to “modify” the facts in order to fit the firm’s narrative, your interviewers can see right this.

Like we’ve said in a previous post, this is yours to lose.

At Beyond the A, we understand that anxiety and mental health is a serious issue. While we do not purport to be experts, our mission is to open up the conversation and provide you with the tools and resources to excel in your career and beyond. If you are seeking immediate help, please contact a healthcare professional or access our resources page.  

Given the sensitivity of the topic, we are always open to further conversation about it.  Email us at info@beyondthea.co and someone from our team will get back to you.