I definitely agree with this sentiment. I definitely have some polished elements of my behavioral interview, from repetition. I do want to point out, though, that being a "different person" at work is something everyone does to varying degrees (without necessarily being maladaptive), but also there are some people, particularly neurodivergent ones, that don't really have the option of fully dropping the mask at work for a number of reasons.
Absolutely agree, and I wish I'd thought to include this. I think "maladaptive" is the key word, here: if a mask is helpful, and makes you happier and more productive at work than you would be without it, it's a good idea to wear it in your interview, too.
The problem is there's no real rubric for what's maladaptive. Some behaviors may be immediately necessary for survival but take a toll on you mentally or physically, sometimes without you even realizing it. And, of course, there may be behaviors you feel you must exhibit (be the feeling accurate or not) that you must exhibit to be accepted in a setting regardless of how they impact you personally.
Yep, that all makes sense, and probably warrants its own article. Sometimes we put a mask on because we have to, but are blind to how much it's costing us. It's hard but important (and not impossible!) to examine each mask we wear carefully, to determine whether it's helping us more than it's costing us.
Rehearsal is critical, and you spoke about storytelling, but there's a lot of art in telling a story. I highly recommend this book about how to do it effectively:
Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling https://a.co/d/fuZMeNL
I definitely agree with this sentiment. I definitely have some polished elements of my behavioral interview, from repetition. I do want to point out, though, that being a "different person" at work is something everyone does to varying degrees (without necessarily being maladaptive), but also there are some people, particularly neurodivergent ones, that don't really have the option of fully dropping the mask at work for a number of reasons.
Absolutely agree, and I wish I'd thought to include this. I think "maladaptive" is the key word, here: if a mask is helpful, and makes you happier and more productive at work than you would be without it, it's a good idea to wear it in your interview, too.
The problem is there's no real rubric for what's maladaptive. Some behaviors may be immediately necessary for survival but take a toll on you mentally or physically, sometimes without you even realizing it. And, of course, there may be behaviors you feel you must exhibit (be the feeling accurate or not) that you must exhibit to be accepted in a setting regardless of how they impact you personally.
Yep, that all makes sense, and probably warrants its own article. Sometimes we put a mask on because we have to, but are blind to how much it's costing us. It's hard but important (and not impossible!) to examine each mask we wear carefully, to determine whether it's helping us more than it's costing us.
Rehearsal is critical, and you spoke about storytelling, but there's a lot of art in telling a story. I highly recommend this book about how to do it effectively:
Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling https://a.co/d/fuZMeNL