Whoring out past work experience like recruiting crack . . . Forum

[Anonymous User]

Thoughts? I feel like that is what I am doing. On the one hand, my experience was TFA and I don't want to talk about it that way. On the other, the recruiting process really compels a sales-pitch type of exchange. It wasn't and isn't about resume padding but employers view it that way. . . . Confuzeled

Please chime in

[rayiner]

What the hell are you talking about?

[Kronk]

What the hell are you talking about?

He doesn't want to bring attention to his work experience in a way that cheapens it, apparently.

[Anonymous User]

What the hell are you talking about?

I am a rising 2L. It has to do with an issue I've come across during the start of the recruiting season. The process is about framing my past selfless work in a selfish way. I realize the economy is bad and I would be thankful to get a good opportunity, but doing it based on reducing what I've done to a "pitch" is fundamentally in conflict with what it actually was. I can very easily do it, but man. What an artificial space this is. A more targeted question give that background is, "How are people who can relate this this sentiment adjusting their mindset to keep a good interview-friendly smile?" On point advise is welcome.

He doesn't want to bring attention to his work experience in a way that cheapens it, apparently.

Exactly!

[Kronk]

I am guessing most recruiters will ask you about TFA, so hopefully you don't have to bring it up in a cheap way. You can just be honest and tell them about it when they ask you. But if they don't ask you about it, I don't know how to bring it up in a classy way, sorry. You probably don't have to bring it up at all unless there are specific experiences you think were important to your future work at their firm. They will know what TFA is, and know that it is pretty selfless work.

[DoubleChecks]

I'm still confused on why you make it sound as if the two concepts are somehow mutually exclusive. Talk about your TFA experience...and emphasis/focus on what qualities of yours it enhanced. What did the experience teach you? And, maybe -- assuming the reason isnt too high-horse/noble, why you were drawn to TFA in the first place (and its goals/initiatives). But mostly go back to how the experience made you a better person.

Why would 'selling yourself' in this manner cheapen the experience? It's true I assume. You must have learned things from your time with TFA (and i dont mean the practical, how to teach kinda things, as useful as those are).

[Kronk]

I'm still confused on why you make it sound as if the two concepts are somehow mutually exclusive. Talk about your TFA experience...and emphasis/focus on what qualities of yours it enhanced. What did the experience teach you? And, maybe -- assuming the reason isnt too high-horse/noble, why you were drawn to TFA in the first place (and its goals/initiatives). But mostly go back to how the experience made you a better person.

Why would 'selling yourself' in this manner cheapen the experience? It's true I assume. You must have learned things from your time with TFA (and i dont mean the practical, how to teach kinda things, as useful as those are).

I am mostly with you, but I kind of understand the OP. It's like if someone came up and said "Oh and by the way, I volunteer at homeless shelters on weekends." Half of you thinks they're a douche, half you thinks they're volunteering just so they can tell people they volunteer, and the third half of you pats them on the back.

I don't think an interview is the same situation as a casual conversation; they probably want to hear what you're doing. But having to bring up on your own that you went to a lower-class neighborhood for minuscule wages to try to help inner city schools might seem to the OP as like the interviewers will think he did TFA for the career boost rather than because he believed in its mission.

ETA: I would also say that there is certainly a way to approach it. E.g. talk about what you learned, like DoubleChecks suggested, or what you gained from the experience, rather than what you GAVE to your students.

[Anonymous User]

I went through OCI w/ TFA. Enjoy!

[Anonymous User]

. . . having to bring up on your own that you went to a lower-class neighborhood for minuscule wages to try to help inner city schools might seem to the OP as like the interviewers will think he did TFA for the career boost rather than because he believed in its mission.

ETA: I would also say that there is certainly a way to approach it. E.g. talk about what you learned, like DoubleChecks suggested, or what you gained from the experience, rather than what you GAVE to your students.

Man, you are good! The rare TLSer tries to understand a point before retorting it, and you're spot on. I have found myself falling back on the pro-athlete interview style of answer for some reason - "It was a great experience. I learned a lot of valuable lessons that really helped me develop my professional responsibility in a demanding environment." Yada yada. Actually, now that I type it out, the response doesn't sound that bad, but I imagine hearing it feels like listening to Drew Brees' post-game interviews - "We went out there, did our best and were fortunate to come out on top this time. The other team was really talented. It could have gone the other way, but things turned out in our favor."

To me, answers like that are really a way of skirting the issue because the player knows that the interviewer won't understand or appreciate the experience. . . . Don't misinterpret me and think I am saying that doing TFA is anywhere as impressive as winning a Super Bowl ring. The point is just to illustrate that there is a disconnect that would take more time to close than an interview allows. Interviewers generally don't want to hear that much about it, but they want you to say something inteligible. Hence my fallback reply to "tell me about TFA."

I went through OCI w/ TFA. Enjoy!

Any more insite?

[Geist13]

Why are you assuming that you can't speak enthusiastically about the real reasons you enjoyed your TFA experience? You're doing yourself a major disfavor if you think recruiters don't want to hear that. Everything I've read, and everyone I've talked to agree that recruiters want you to be yourself.

[somewhatwayward]

for someone who was a teacher, you sure make a lot of spelling mistakes

[Mattalones]

for someone who was a teacher, you sure make a lot of spelling mistakes

Award for most unnecessary comment ever

P.S. I only saw one or two after skimming back over it with proof reading in mind, but nothing jumped out at me. Mad-Troller!

... and the runner up is:

Some will eat it up, some will think you're a waste. All depends on who is interviewing you.

I think the problem is fixed as much as it can be by discussing just one meaningful experience-nugget in a genuine and intelligent way, which will make more general comments more meaningful. It won't take too long and enthusiasm comes through. That is all an interviewer can ask for from the interaction - short, responsive, & entertaining.

[pandacot]

Some will eat it up, some will think you're a waste. All depends on who is interviewing you.