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- Practicing humility can help you land the job–or job candidate–you want
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Looking for a job requires a complex interplay of confidence and humility. You must clearly outline your strengths without seeming smug. You have to market yourself without alienating others. In an effort to portray yourself as poised and powerful, you can easily overstep into arrogance. Arrogance is not sustainable. It can obtain short-term results, usually by using bullying and bravado. Ultimately, arrogance sabotages itself by refusing to see personal flaws, take responsibility for errors, work as part of a team, or try others’ ideas.
Many of us have a misperception of humility. We equate it with self-deprecation. We imagine someone who shuns the limelight, is embarrassed by their accomplishments, minimizes their contributions, needs constant reassurance–and is passed over for job offers or promotions. Such a misunderstanding can have costly results in your job search.
C.S. Lewis once insightfully observed that true humility is freeing. He wrote, “Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him…He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.”
Humility is being liberated from the distractions of insecurity to engage fully with another person and focus on the task at hand. This is precisely what is needed to be an engaged, effective member of a professional team. Here are four ways self-forgetful humility will serve you in an interview:
- Avoid false advertising. Some candidates will inflate their curriculum vitae in an effort to land an interview. They embellish accomplishments and invent outcomes. In a job search, you are trying to sell yourself. Overselling yourself, however, is a fatal error. Interviewers will quickly suss out if you claim skills or experience that you don’t actually have. This ruins your credibility and scuttles your chances.
- Celebrate teammates’ victories wholeheartedly. Humble people work as part of a team toward a shared goal. They are not preoccupied with grabbing credit. They recognize and praise others’ accomplishments without feeling threatened. Arrogance is caustic to teams. As you discuss experiences from your career, acknowledge and honor the contributions of others. Employers need cohesive and productive teams. If you appear to be a Lone Ranger who creates chaos, potential employers will quickly move on.
- Own mistakes candidly. Whether it’s the stock question, “What is your greatest weakness?” or some creative variation, interviewers routinely ask about failure. When you are secure in your strengths and abilities, you can be honest about your shortcomings, while discussing the process you used to reflect and adjust. Arrogance makes us defensive. Humility enables us to adapt and grow. Employers want teachability and ongoing development.
- Express passion clearly. Arrogant people care only about themselves. Humble people have more important causes to support. When you are not worried about feeding your ego, you have energy to give to your mission and values. Share the principles and passions that guide you with your interviewers. Humility frees you to focus on mission, performance, and outcomes–something potential employers are sure to appreciate.
One of the best ways to hone your tone, ensuring it strikes the right note of confidence and humility, is through practice. Ask a trusted colleague to conduct a mock interview with you and seek honest feedback on your demeanor. There’s no better way to practice thoughtful humility than receiving their constructive criticism well and recognizing it as a tool for growth.
Truly humble leaders see the potential in others and cheerfully invest in their professional development. Reflect on your own career and those who have mentored you. These leaders will give you a living example of humility that can inform and inspire your own maturation with all the boldness that humility offers.
Cheryl Hyatt is a founding partner and CEO of Hyatt – Fennell, Executive Search Plus and President and owner of The Charitable Resources Group, Inc.
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