Helen Czerski
Very much a fan of this piece on the dying virtue of modesty, by David Mitchell: "I’m not saying that you shouldn’t give a good account of yourself in a job interview. There’s a time and a place. Job interviews are atypical human interactions, awkward but necessary, where the usual conventions about how to behave are suspended. Like rectal examinations. But we need to be sparing with such exceptions or you end up with the Oscars." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/feb/05/lets-hear-it-for-the-dying-virtue-of-modesty #boasting #PutASockInThatTrumpet
Let’s hear it for the dying virtue of modesty

From self-help books to Oscar campaigns, lots of people are telling us that self-promotion is good. Resist the boasters!

The Guardian
Feb 6, 2023 at 8:52amWeb
Show threadJonathan WrightFeb 6, 2023

@helenczerski

I'm hopeless in interviews.

I never brag or give ficticious information. I tell the truth.

Q: Why do you want this job?
A: Erm, the money. Duh.

Q: Where will you be in 5 years time?
A: I don't #### know.

No matter how much I try to prepare beforehand, I panic when asked a question, and blurt out the first thing I can think of that to me seems a reasonable reply.

Being #ActuallyAutistic, I need hours not seconds to come up with the answer I believe they want.

#TheBestWins

Show threadStephen CzettyFeb 6, 2023
@Jon6705 @helenczerski Thinking about this, I am realizing that at least a portion of my anxiety before any important interaction (interview, big meeting, etc.) is my mentally preparing for those questions, coming up with pre-scripted answers. The rest is anxiety about what questions I haven't thought about and how the F am I going to answer *those*?
Show threadJonathan WrightFeb 7, 2023

@stephenczetty @helenczerski

This is very true.

I'm a #Perfectionist and I like to be able to do everything perfectly, which of course simply isn't possible as a human being.

As a result I like to think through all eventualities, and have a course of action that has been thought of.

Some can just #GoWithTheFlow, and hope for the best, but certainly not me.

Being #ActuallyAutistic doesn't exactly help matters either.

Show threadnkearneyFeb 6, 2023
@helenczerski like rectal examination!! It would be helpful if job interviewers were more aware of this aspect!!!
Show threadDeclan McCannFeb 6, 2023
@helenczerski I think job interviews are different because a candidate is being asked to talk about their strengths and skills and to back these up by talking about qualifications, experiences and achievements. There aren't too many other situations where you will be asked this.