I admit -- this is a concept I struggle with. Like I’ve said in previous posts, as your recruiter I want you to be set up for success, and I want to help provide the toolbox to get you there. But at the same time, I also want you to do well on your own horsepower as much as possible.

It’s a frustrating conundrum. I want you to succeed, but I want you to interview as you -- perhaps the best representation of you, but still you. Paraphrasing Chris Rock’s joke on dating describes it almost perfectly: When you’re on a first date, you’re not you. You’re the ambassador of you.

This is kind of how it is during a job interview. You’re not quite yourself -- you’re portraying the best version of yourself. Interview tips and advice can serve to improve awareness and help you become a better ambassador -- but it’s a fine line. And at what point does the person following advice no longer become the best version of themselves, but the version of themselves I want to see?

Deep, huh?

This is a conversation I’ve had with many peers and hiring managers. It’s always a fun and interesting exercise to go through. In the end, I think there are two values held in high esteem at Microsoft that help to balance this out: honesty and integrity. In my opinion, this is part of why we have each candidate interview with a minimum of three or four Microsofties. Most recruiters (and trained interviewers) are pretty good at catching inconsistencies. And though most candidates are capable of searching the net for all sorts of advice, it’s tough to fake it if you don’t mean it. Probability dictates that inconsistencies will surface when examined at the macro level. 

So what do you think? Is there a difference between advising a candidate and leading a candidate? Sound back. I’d like to hear your thoughts!!  

In the meantime, stay tuned for my next post where I’ll be putting together a list of my favorite interview advice.

-Kenji