Liar

I'm a liar.  I admit it.  I know how to play the game.  I got called out on it.  I didn't like hearing it and I didn't like admitting to myself that I am a liar.  No one likes to be called out on their bullshit.  Being called out forces you to be introspective.  It makes you see the ugly inside yourself.  I looked in and hated myself.  But also loved myself for having the talent to fib.  And then I became conflicted and angry.  So I shouted mean and angry words because of my displaced anger.

What kind of lies have you been telling Susie?

Why would you love your ability to fib?
 What's wrong with you?

Nothing is wrong with me.  Rather it is an all around ailment that afflicts most of the people that I know.  I love my ability to fib or bend the truth because it has helped me land every job I have applied for.  I am a verbal whore in regards to my work talents during a job interview.  I find it easy.  It comes second nature to me.  If I want the job I polish the turd until it gleams so I can be the chosen candidate.  It's how you go about getting a job, interviewers don't want to hear the truth.  They want to hear that you are the best person for the job, even if you are not.

This is how you go about getting the job.

Why do you feel you are the best candidate for this position within our company Mr. Smith?

 My extensive knowledge of [insert relevant subject] would be an asset to your company.  I look forward to being part of the team and share my knowledge of [subject] with my future co-workers.  Given the opportunity to prove my value to this company, I know you would be very pleased with my performance.

This is how you will not get the job.

Why do you feel you are the best candidate for this position within our company Mr. Smith?

I went to college to learn [insert relevant subject] but I have no work experience doing [subject].  I need this job to put a roof over my head and food on the table.  I can't gain work experience if I am not given the chance to prove myself.  I would like the chance to do just that.

Do you like being lied to?  I don't like being lied to but I lie.  Companies expect you to lie to get the job.  Then when you don't get the job they lie back to you.  So the start of a new career path is based on lies if you even get the job.  Mutual lying.  Once you are hired they expect you not to lie.  But they can continue their lying ways.  Companies can do that ya know.

Let's go back to Mr. Smith #2, the honest one.  He gets a call back about the job he applied for and his feed back from the company will go something like this:

Hello Mr. Smith, I wanted to let you know that you were not selected for the position of [job title].  We have selected another candidate that would better suit our needs.  You did a great job on the interview and we feel that your talents could be better suited with something different.  Good luck Mr. Smith and feel free to apply to further openings as the become available.

LIES!  LIES!  LIES!

Mr. Smith did not get hired because he was honest.  He asked for a chance to prove himself but was not granted a chance because he didn't play the game.  How can he not play the game?!  Well Mr. Smith knows it feels bad when he is lied to.  So being a empathetic individual, Mr. Smith does not want to lie to others.  Mr. Smith was taught to do to others as you would have them do to you.  Is that so damn hard?  Something as simple as treating a person like you would like to be treated is of no use in our society?  And we wonder why we are on our way to hell in a hand-basket.  The working world is not about honesty, fairness or morality.  It's about money.  You need money to survive.  You want to adhere to your morals.  But it seems you can't do both without sacrificing one for the other.

So this brings me back around to my anger, which now is just disappointment in myself.  I was taught to be fair, respectful, truthful and I got lost somewhere along the way.  I thought it was great that I had such an easy  time of the interview process.  The 'let's lie to each other' conversations are not something I should be proud of.  They should be something I am ashamed of but do out of necessity to gain employment in this job market.  My other beef is the term overqualified.  Umm, if I am applying for a job it means I need employment.  So what if I am overqualified? My area of expertise is not currently hiring but the bills keep on coming, so give me a job Mc Donald's!

For now I am thankful that I have a job.  I am thankful that my shady interview practices have not run into my daily work habits.  I am proud of my job and the work that I do.  I just hate the interview/hiring process.  I am not just talking about my job, I am talking about almost all places of employment.  I think society as a whole would improve (or implode) if we were more truthful.