Give Your Interview a Facelift

As California's unemployment rate is a scary statistic at 10.5% right now, a more frightening statistic is that many job seekers are turning to Botox and plastic surgery to give them the "lift" they need in an interview. With many people out of work and over 40, they are forced to compete with 20 and 30 year olds vying for the same position, and looking for a jump on the competition. The American Society of Plastic surgery reported there is a 3% increase increase from 2007. . . people are actually spending more on plastic surgery now with the economy is in the hole than they were before.
What does this mean? This means that people know they need to put their best foot forward, the resume only gets you in the door - this has been made clear with so much competition for each available position. The only problem is that people do not know how to do this. Turning to plastic surgery surely is not the answer. and It is the false answer to a deep rooted problem: confidence. So the question is, how do we keep our confidence up with the competition stacked so high? Plastic surgery is a metaphor I see for what people are turning to and covering up what they want to hide. Everyone is not heading to their neighborhood plastic surgeon, but we are all trying to hide who we really are.
Our confidence is rooted in actually knowing our true weaknesses, our true strengths, and bringing them to the table. I am not saying to actually tell your employer your weakness upon shaking their hands, but when we know what our REAL weakness is, we know how to deal with it - no matter the position we are going for.
For instance, if you did not graduate from a top 10 school, of course you are aware of this, but if you are self conscious of it, you will spend the majority of the interviewing working to convince the person on the other side of the desk that you are still worth hiring. Instead of trying to convince them, you should simply show up, show them your best and exactly what you have to offer that is different from the Top 10 grads. This makes you a stronger person and more confident, showing your potential boss exactly what makes you the best for that exact position. Not being afraid for them to uncover anything is power: bringing all we are to the table - being honestly the best.
When we do this, it also frees us to see the strengths and weaknesses of our potential employer. The best relationships are built on honesty. That is when they know your weakness, and accept it, and you know theirs. When a partnership is built on this kind of honesty, you know this is something that will last. You will have nothing to hide, and your boss can help you overcome your weaknesses to make you a stronger employee.
This is the real Botox for jobs: Confidence.