Job interviews often require candidates to present a curated version of themselves, not out of dishonesty, but to strategically align their responses with employer expectations and demonstrate their value and fit for the role.
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These are lies you can say in a job
interview. At least that's what it feels
like when you're the one saying them.
Because what I'm going to share are the
moments where your honest answer could
hurt you, even though it shouldn't. And
the version you give instead, it's not
fake. It's what everyone in hiring
expects you to say. But if no one's ever
told you that, it can feel like you're
being dishonest. I spent over a decade
on the other side of the hiring table at
Google, Tik Tok, Uber, Lyft, and the New
York Times, and I'm going to walk you
through all nine of the answers that we
expect you to give and why. So, let's
get into it. Number one, how are you?
This feels like small talk, but it's
not. It's an audition that starts before
you think it does. I've watched
candidates lose momentum in the first 10
seconds of an interview. They'll say
something like, "I'm just getting over a
cold." or honestly, it's been a rough
week or traffic was a nightmare getting
here. And what they don't realize is
that I'm already taking a mental note.
Not because I'm judging them as a
person, but because I'm asking myself,
is this how they're going to show up on
a hard day at work? You are always
great. Always. So, say, I'm great, thank
you. How are you? That's it. You're not
being fake. You're showing me that you
can regulate your energy when it
matters. That's a skill. And the
interview starts the second you walk
into the room, not when the first real
question gets asked. Number two, why do
you want to work here? Here's what most
people say. I went to your website and I
really love your mission and values.
That's what everybody says. And I'll
tell you what I'm thinking when I hear that.
that.
Nothing really. [music] It tells me
nothing about you. It tells me that you
spent five minutes on our about page.
So, what you want to do is flip the
question entirely. Stop making it about
what you want from them and make it
about what you're going to do for them.
Something like, "I've outgrown my
current role and I'm looking for a new
challenge. And based on what I've seen
about this team's goals, I know I can
help you solve." And then insert the
problem. You're not there to take, you
are there to contribute. And here's the
mindset shift. Stop treating interviews
like auditions where you're hoping to be
chosen. Treat them like a meeting
between two parties who both have
something to offer. That energy shift,
hiring managers can feel it immediately.
Number [music] three, where do you see
yourself in 5 years? Let me tell you
what we're actually asking because it's
not about your five-year plan. We don't
actually care about your five-year plan.
What we want to know are two things.
One, are you going to leave in six
months? And two, are your goals aligned
with this role? Or are you going to get
bored and become a problem? Which is why
you never say I'm going to grad school.
Never say starting my own business.
Never say hopefully in a leadership role
somewhere. Because somewhere tells me
probably not here. Even if those things
are true, and they might be, that's not
what we want to hear in this moment.
What we need to hear is, "I see myself
here. I see myself becoming an expert in
this area and I'm a valuable part of
this team." This role aligns with where
I want to go because, and then you
connect it to something specific about
the job. You're not lying about who you
are. You're telling the version of the
truth that serves this conversation.
There's [music] a difference. Number
four, why are you looking for a new
opportunity? This is for when you're
employed. We don't want to hear that you
hate your boss or that your company is
toxic, that you're being micromanaged or
underpaid or undervalued. Even if every
word of it is true, especially if it's
true, that's not what you say. And
here's why. When you trash a current
employer, I'm not thinking, "Oh, that
sounds terrible." Instead, I'm thinking,
what is she going to say about us in two
years? You become a risk. And in a stack
of qualified candidates, risks get cut.
So, keep it clean. Say, "I've learned a
lot in my current role, and now I'm
ready for a new challenge." Done. You
said nothing negative. You've shown
growth and you moved the conversation
forward. One sentence, move on. Number
five, how do you feel about your current
manager? Now, this is different from the
last one, and here's why. Because it
needs to be its own point, because
sometimes the person interviewing you is
about to become your next boss, and that
changes everything. I've watched this
happen in real time. A candidate was
interviewing for a role on a team that I
was recruiting for, and she mentioned
that her current manager was a quote
micromanager and too hands-on, and that
she was looking for more autonomy. The
hiring manager nodded politely, said
nothing, but that hiring manager was
known internally for being heavily
involved in her team's work. Some people
loved it, some people didn't, but the
candidate had just told her without
realizing it that her management style
was a problem. She didn't get the offer,
and she never really knew why. Say
nothing negative about your current
boss, nothing about your co-workers,
nothing about leadership ever, because
you don't know who you're talking to,
and you don't know who they know. This
isn't about being fake. It's about not
handing someone a reason to say no. So
instead of saying, "He's a
micromanager," you could say, "My
manager has been great at providing
structure for our team's goals. I've
learned a lot about process from him and
as I've grown, I've become more
proactive in anticipating next steps and
I'm excited about the possibility of
bringing that proactive energy to a new
team. Number six, [music] your hobbies.
Now, this one's going to surprise you
because most people just treat this as a
throwaway, but it's not. I once had a
candidate mention that she was restoring
a vintage motorcycle in her garage. She
wasn't interviewing for anything
mechanical. It was a marketing role, but
that detail made her memorable. It
signaled curiosity, patience,
willingness to figure things out, and
the hiring manager brought it up three
times in the debrief. On the other end,
I've had candidates tell me their main
hobby is watching TV or hanging out with
friends. And there's nothing wrong with
that. We all do it, but it doesn't give
me anything to work with. So instead,
you become forgettable. You're not
listing activities. Instead, you're
painting a picture of who you are when
you're not at work. And the picture
should make someone think, "Huh, that's
interesting. I'd want to get coffee with
that person." Reading, hiking, learning
a new language, building something,
mentoring, playing in a sports league.
Those are examples of things that you
can say. [music] And these tell me that
you're curious, engaged, and you have a
life outside of work. Pick the version
of yourself that's true and memorable.
So, instead of saying, "I like Netflix
and going out," you could say, "Outside
of work, I'm an avid home baker. I
actually run a small Instagram page
where I document my attempts to
mastering sourdough. It's taught me a
lot about patience, process, and
troubleshooting when things don't rise
as expected."
Number seven, your job title and
description. This is the one that trips
up high performers the most, and I need
you to hear me on this. If you've been
doing the work above your pay grade, you
need to claim it. If you've been leading
projects without the official title, you
can say that you led them. If you've
been doing the job of a senior person
while being paid as a junior one, own
the job. I've reviewed hundreds of
thousands of résumés, and one of the
most common mistakes I see is people
underelling what they've actually done
because they're waiting for permission.
They're waiting for the promotion, the
title change, the official recognition,
and in the meantime, they're letting
other candidates take credit for the
level of work they're already doing.
[music] The title on your badge is what
HR decided. The work you've done is what
actually matters. And if you don't
articulate that clearly, someone with
less experience, but more confidence is
going to walk in and take the job that
you were qualified for. That's not
lying. that's accurately representing
the value that you created. So for
example, if your title is marketing
coordinator, but you led the campaign,
you could say, "While my title was
marketing coordinator, I was responsible
for leading the Q3 email campaign from
concept to execution." This involves
setting the strategy, coordinating the
design and copy, analyzing the AB test
results, and presenting the 15% lift in
engagement to leadership. Number eight,
resume gaps. This one stresses people
out way more than it should. And here's
what I want you to understand. That gap
on your resume already got you the
interview. We saw it. We still called
you. Which means we've already decided
that it's not a deal breakaker. You just
need to not make it weird. If you went
back to school, got a certification, or
did volunteer work, talk about what you
learned and how it applies to the job
you're [music] interviewing for. If you
were laid off, say that there were
layoffs. I've been laid off. It happens.
We understand. If it was something
personal like health, family,
caregiving, you can simply say, "I took
time off for personal reasons and now
I'm ready to return to work." In the US,
employers legally can't ask you about
your family status and won't push.
Here's what actually matters. The energy
that you bring when you talk about it.
If you're defensive or apologetic, I'm
going to sense that something's wrong.
If you're matterof-act and confident,
I'm going to move on. The gap isn't the
problem. How you handle it is. For
example, let's say you had a 9-month gap
for caregiving. You could say in your
interview, "I took a planned period away
from my career to focus on a family
commitment. During that time, I kept my
skills sharp by completing a Google
Analytics certification and doing some
freelance content work. I'm now fully
ready and eager to return to a full-time
role where I can contribute deeply. And
say this with a calm, confident tone.
Number nine, do you have any questions
for us? Do not say, "No, I think you
covered everything." That's the fastest
way to end an interview on a flat note.
[music] And here's what it actually
communicates to me. You're not that
interested. You haven't thought beyond
today, and you're just trying to get
through this. The questions you ask tell
me how you think. They tell me whether
you're already picturing yourself in
this role or just hoping to survive the
conversation. Have at least two
questions ready. Why is this position
open is a good one. And it tells you if
someone got promoted, quit, or was
fired. And that's useful information for
you. What does success look like in the
first 90 days? This question shows that
you're already thinking about how to
deliver. Don't ask about vacation days
or remote work flexibility in the first
interview. That's a negotiation
conversation, not an interview
conversation. The best candidates ask
questions that make the interviewer
think that's what you're aiming for. For
example, don't say no. Instead, ask,
[music] "You mentioned the team is
growing. Could you describe the dynamic
between this role and the team it
collaborates with the most closely?" Or
you could ask, based on our conversation
today, what would you say is the most
immediate challenge the person in this
role would need to tackle in their first
month? Interviews aren't about being the
most honest person in the room. They're
about being the most strategic. Same
person, same skills, different answers.
Now, if you've been laid off, check out
this video where I lay out a 10-day plan
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