2/16/09 - Self Deception

Many people follow American Idol. I am personally in awe of the multitudes of people who show up for the auditions and think they are actually the next American Idol. Less than half of them have any talent at all. You would think they would understand that they can't sing. Sure, some do and just want their fifteen minutes of fame. Some, however, truly think they are good. Why is that? It's because they have been deceiving themselves! Not only that, but other people won't tell them the truth. This is not just about American Idol contestants; this is about how we interview for jobs.

Am I self-deceptive? I have always thought that I have done well in an interview situation and in some cases, that is very true. After this lecture, I began to analyze how I interview. I found that I do some things very well and some things mediocre. Since the recruiter won't tell you what you can improve on, I decided to figure it out for myself. One of my strengths is my enthusiasm during the interview. Many recruiters look for that. Another is that I am able to translate many of my experiences into desirable qualities. Even though I excel in those areas, I realized I still have areas to improve in. One thing is that I sometimes ramble. I have to make sure that I have quality over quantity. I'm sure that no recruiter wants to listen to someone go on and on. I am also trying to work on remembering more aspects of the company that I am interviewing with. From my experiences, that is so impressive to them. In one interview, I mentioned how amazed that their store was up 44% in their profits last year and the manager looked shocked. I want to work on remembering that.

Self-deception leads to stagnation. A leader HAS to GROW! I will chose to not be like certain American Idol contestants whose world is rocked when Simon tells them they are awful. I want to prepare, learn, and have an accurate view of myself and the world.