This week’s episode of Big Lies Shattered features Sydney Streets, Manager of Recruiting at McKinsey. Many students, as well as experienced candidates, worry about how they can stand out in the interview process. Sydney shares actionable advice that includes being your authentic self during the interview process.There’s a big lie that to get hired for competitive roles, you need to fit into a particular mold. This week’s podcast shatters this big career lie. I have seen many well-educated people try to fit themselves into a mold to try and land a role. As I share in the opening chapter of Your Fairy Job Mentor’s Secrets for Success, I did that to get hired for my first job on Wall Street and got fired within six months. When you try to be something you’re not (in my case, convincing my interviewers I had the quantitive skills to be a financial analyst) there’s a high probability that the job will not be right for you.
Another major insight Sydney shares is that if you enjoyed the interview process it’s a good sign that you will enjoy working at the company. We see this play out with many of the candidates we represent to firms. For example, some firms have up to five rounds of interviews. Yes, this is time-consuming, but it’s also a chance to meet professionals you will work for and with. If you enjoy these meetings, you will likely enjoy working with these people. There’s a lot you can glean during the interview process about the firm culture and its likelihood of being a fit for you. Asking yourself if you are enjoying the people you are meeting and how the interview process is orchestrated will provide you will valuable information to make the right career decision.