When all eyes are on us, it's easy to fall into people-pleasing and avoiding conflict, all at the expense of hiding our beliefs and personality. So how do we bring our authentic selves to stressful situations like a job interview? In today's conversation, career coach and former Uber leader Neda Jafarzadeh shares her tips to bring your best self to the interview.

Neda was a Career Coach Manager at General Assembly, where she coached over 500 people seeking a new career path. She's designed and managed leadership and development programs for leaders of all levels – including executives – at Uber, and built the foundation for the Learning and Development function at Everlane focusing on leadership, team and employee development. She's also a Certified Professional Coach with New Ventures West.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nedajaf/
Coaching: https://app.carrus.io/s/neda-jafarzadeh

Show Notes and Highlights:

[8:00] The difference between identity and authenticity. The what vs. the how
[11:00] What does "being authentic" really mean? Questions to ask yourself.
[13:20] Specific examples you can use to identify if you are being authentic or being fake
[15:00] The importance of pausing

[16:50] Tools to increase self-awareness and recognizing how you feel
[19:00] The power of naming emotions. Check out Brene Brown's HBO show here that I mentioned: https://brenebrown.com/book/atlas-of-the-heart/ and her book The Gifts of Imperfection https://brenebrown.com/book/the-gifts-of-imperfection/
[20:30] Why being authentic can create discomfort

[26:40] Why it can be hard to be authentic in general, specific situations and where you're at in Maslow's Hierarchy
[27:50] The overriding needs you have and what makes it tough to be real in an interview
[28:50] Pre-work for the interview, knowing your strengths
[29:00] Dealing with stern-faced interviewers

[33:15] Different ways people are being inauthentic
[33:57] The downfalls of faking enthusiasm
[36:36] Assessing your own strengths and weaknesses
[41:30] Sussing out your manager/future boss and if they're the right fit for you, and questions you can ask your manager in the interview

[45:40] Tips to judge your interviewers style and whether the company is a culture fit for you
[47:19] Follow-up questions and digging deep once you have the job offer
[52:50] Joining a new company and the counterintuitive idea of taking ownership for your own onboarding plan
[58:00] Building a network in the first 180 days on the job, casual 1-1s and leveraging your boss for intros

Questions/Comments/Feedback about this Episode?

Drop me an email anytime at misha@carrus.io!