I was talking to a friend yesterday who had a job interview for a job she wasn't sure she wanted. In the course of our conversation, she asked me whether I thought that she should act excited about the job during the interview despite her ambivalence. My strong feeling on this is: Yes, if there is any part of the job that you can feel excited about (pay, stability, environment, etc.) If there's nothing you can get excited about, then you may want to examine whether it is worth going to the interview at all.
Why is it important to appear excited about a position?
First, a few words on ambivalence. Ambivalence is defined as "the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions."
Ambivalence is okay. Everyone is a little ambivalent about most things in life (responsibilities, exercise, going to the grocery store, etc.). So there is no reason to feel upset if you're ambivalent about a particular job - there's nothing wrong with it. Ideally it would be great to be 100% sure about a job, but this is rarely the case and, even though you may not be 100% sure about a job in the beginning doesn't mean that you won't grow to love the job over time or that the job won't help you meet other important needs (i.e., income, stability, better hours, or a skill set or introduction to a business that you need in order to obtain your dream job).
So, it is okay to internally feel ambivalent about a job you are applying for, but if you actually want to get an offer (and therefore be the one to decide whether you actually take the job), it is crucial in an interview to access and express the parts of yourself that are feeling positive about/pulling you towards the job.
Why is this? There are a few reasons.
1. The first has to do with my theory on interviewing and the two things you can bring to the table that will increase your chances of getting an offer (A) Enthusiasm and (B) Specificity
(A) Enthusiasm - There are a lot of people out there who want your job. Why shouldn't they give it to someone who is actually excited to be there? Enthusiasm is contagious - it makes people feel happy - when people are happy, they tend to want to maintain that state and have people around them who contribute to it.
(B) Specificity - Specificity in this context means very specific with the employer about why this particular job is a good match for your skill set and experiences. Highlighting aspects of the job you think you will enjoy also reminds people why they chose the field themselves and also gives them confidence that you have been thoughtful about the demands of the job and will be able to get the job done.
2. If you think about and talk about all of the parts of the job that excite you, you might end up realizing that it really is the perfect job for you.
So how do you play up the part of you that is pulling you towards the job? Pick all of the parts of the job you like and talk about those in an excited fashion. If there are parts of the job that are less than thrilling to you, it is possible and even useful to address those aspects, but to the extent possible, I would try to spin any potential concerns in a positive light, and ask questions that will give you the information you need in order to help you to make a decision about whether to take the position in the event you get an offer.
Remember: Even if you are not 100% sure about a job, it is better to pick the parts of the job you can get excited about and focus on those, rather than come across as half-hearted. Otherwise, why go to the interview in the first place?
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