When It Comes to Our Job Search, We’re All Just Faking It
By: Michelle Fevola
Tags: Values, Job Hunting, Authenticity, Mba, Job Search

Here’s Why We Should Stop and Put the Authenticity Back into the Process

Me IRL vs me applying to jobs

Let’s be real, most companies we apply to do not inspire us. They are just providing compensation and an environment for our labor. And that’s just fine. Being able to do the job you’re hired to do without believing in the company’s work or some higher purpose is perfectly okay in what is at its core a very transactional relationship between an employee and an employer.

It’s equally important for companies to acknowledge this fact as well. Of course employers want candidates who deeply believe in their mission, culture and the way they do business, but they also should realize that this is not the case for some (most?) of their candidates. Sometimes candidates who match the role really well are just looking for a stepping stone, more value for their labor, a location change or something superficial in their careers that the company is providing with that job opportunity. And this is also fine. But companies also have to realize that with the passion missing, once the employee gets what he or she wants, they are out the door and onto the next. (That’s why screening for passion along with the qualifications of the job is so important — and may even compensate for a deficiency in skills or experience.)

But there are some times (albeit rare) when you encounter a company, a role or even a person who ignites the spark within you where you are willing to go outside your comfort zone, put yourself out there and express your “love.” Maybe you proactively look for and reach out to the people in the company who are doing the work you want to do because you are truly excited to learn from them. Maybe you lose the fear of professing your desire to work for the company in an informational interview. Or maybe you go above and beyond what is required in the application to showcase more of who you are than you normally would. It’s these moments that really set you apart from the pack and also allow you to be true to yourself at the same time.

My values-based and proactive job search approach is the right strategy for me because I’m no longer “faking it.” The passion I have for the companies I’m investing my time in is real because I’ve taken the time to explore what really matters to me in my career. Networking is much more effective when you’re finding and speaking with the people who have the careers in the companies you actually want to work for rather than just trying to get your foot in the door with random people who just happen to work for “sexy” companies. Your interview stories are way more inspiring when you have a compelling story about what really attracted you to the company rather than just trying to connect the dispersed dots in your background to fit a specific type of company culture.

When you fake it (and we all do), you can maybe convince a hiring manager to select you, but you’ll have an even harder time trying to convince yourself that this is really the right place for you. So many times in my professional career I’ve had to tell myself that I actually wanted to work for a certain organization or that maybe if I just put in X years, I can gain the experience to move on to something else. I have even interviewed for companies knowing I would not be happy working there. But I don’t want to do that anymore. I just turned 33 and I’m tired of faking it. I’m looking for the real deal (a “marriage” if you will, between me and my next employer) where the passion is genuine, mutual and long-lasting.