This Career Coach Says You Should Lie About A Few Things In An Interview
Honesty might be the best policy when it comes to most things in life, but this career coach says that in the job-search process, that might not always be the case.
Career coach and Shift Profile founder Anna Papalia (@anna..papalia) says that while she would never advise anyone to go overboard, there are a few things that you can fib about in an interview and get away with it.
5. Your plans for the future.
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This is especially true, she says, if you don’t see yourself with the company long term.
“Lie about where you see yourself in five years. Nobody wants to hear you say that you see yourself in grad school or getting married and having babies. What we want to hear you say is ‘I see myself here at this organization.'”
4. Your hobbies.
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Please, make yourself sound interesting.
“Lie about your hobbies. Please pick hobbies that sound professional and interesting. Don’t tell me that all you do outside of work is watch Netflix.”
3. Why you’re looking for a new job.
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Unless the reason is objectively vanilla, it’s best to avoid it.
“Lie about why you’re looking. We don’t want to hear that you’re looking because you hate the culture of your current company. No, no, no. Say something like, ‘I’ve outgrown my position, and I’m looking for a new challenge.'”
2. Your current duties.
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Don’t invent your entire job description, but if you’ve been doing more or have trained for something extra, please include it.
“You can lie about your job description and your title. You can embellish it a bit, especially if you have been working above and beyond your job description and you haven’t been getting paid for it.”
1. Your feelings for your current/old boss.
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This probably goes without saying, but seriously, mum’s the word.
“Lie about how you feel about your current boss and current coworkers.
I don’t care if you work for the worst, most micromanaging boss in the world.
We don’t want to hear you talk about that in an interview, especially if you’re being interviewed by someone who might be your prospective boss.”
These all seem fair. I was prepared for something more outlandish.
Dare I say that potential employers even expect a few of these?
Either way, I think you’re going to be ok if you want to fib. Good luck!
