As a young adult, I was a dancer for a semi professional ballet company so I learned how to work in a professional environment and be interviewed from a company member standpoint regularly, leading me to be comfortable and confident in these situations from a young age. However, when I retired from dancing, pursued higher education, and began entering into a different industry, I really struggled in the hiring process in ways that I did not anticipate. For example, I had minimal experience on my resume so I needed someone to take a chance on me thereby allowing me the opportunity to gain more of that experience, while still being a student full time. I found it very difficult for hiring managers to prefer my resume enough to move forward into the interview stage and that felt frustrating. I wished I looked more appealing on paper because I knew I could do the job well, if I was given the chance. Additionally, those first few interviews I did were very nerve raking which led me to under perform.
Now as I approach graduation and look to enter into a more full time career defining job within my preferred industry, I have a resume padded with much more experience and education than before, which gives me confidence. I also have much more confidence in my interview abilities and truthfully utilize the “fake it ’til you make it” mentality to battle any imposture syndrome and insecurity struggles that seep in. That being said, I am once again frustrated by how I struggle as an applicant in the selection process because I often get passed up for internal hires. I understand that it is easier for companies to hire from within because it is usually less costly and they already know the employee, but as an external hire I have value as well.