I’ve been asked to write more about the relationship between professional confidence and competence. I was challenged by the following question: “how come the less competent people on my team rate their competency level much higher than it is?” This is a cognitive bias known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Research findings indicate that poor performers tend to overestimate their competency level (being overly-confident), and to a lesser extent, high performers tend to underestimate their abilities and score themselves lower. In my previous article about confidence in interviewing I didn’t mean to imply that confidence beats competence. The key to professional success is the balance between confidence and competence; accurately evaluating knowledge, abilities, and skill levels and being aware of improvement potential. Success lies in the difference between empty confidence and actual confidence.
Successful people tend to be more confident, in large part because they are competent. Competence breeds success. Success begets confidence and further success. If you struggle with confidence, work on gaining competence. Think about driving. Have you had the experience of teaching a teenager to drive? Trying the freeway for the first time? With experience and practice new drivers build competence, become more comfortable, and gain more confidence (as do the passengers riding with them.)
It is human nature to value confidence and be attracted to confident people. Competence is also valued, but it is much harder to discern during an interview. While not the perfect tool, competency tests such as whiteboard tests or case interviews and behavioral/experiential questions are the most common method to assess competence. Key competencies are identified as benchmarks to assess and evaluate candidates. The STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, & Result) is typically used to gather information on these key job competencies. Interviews are not the time to “fake it ‘til you make it.” Faking it will only lead to failure. It’s best to be honest about competency level and demonstrate aptitude for learning.
Employers are looking for candidates who are RAW:
Ready: to apply their knowledge and skills to the job
Able: have the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to do the job
Willing: to go above and beyond to deliver
Our goal as professionals is to equip ourselves with the skillset needed in our chosen career and advance our competency levels along the continuum of performance from novice to master. Competence is acquired through knowledge and practical experience. Professional competency is based on our knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities used to successfully perform job duties, produce outputs, and deliver desired results.
In discussing confidence and competency, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule. In his book outliers, he maintains that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery, or achieve world-class expertise in any skill. 10,000 hours is the magic number of greatness. I’ll add one caveat; to reach mastery, you need to engage in deliberate practice. Repeatedly performing the same task wouldn’t yield much improvement over the long-run. True mastery is achieved when we push ourselves further each time we tackle a task and as we handle new challenges.
Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem. What did you do? What was the outcome? What do you wish you had done differently?
Describe a project that best demonstrates your analytical abilities. What was your role?
Tell me about a time when you had to analyze information and make a recommendation. Describe your approach and thought process. Was the recommendation accepted? If not, why?
I invite you to record your answer to any of the questions above and share with me via Google Drive, Dropbox, or your favorite collaboration platform. I will respond to everyone within 3 business days but can commit to providing detailed feedback only to the first 5 who contact me.
More about interviewing skills in my next blog posts. Be sure to follow the savvy professional series for job search and interviewing tips and offers for free feedback and critique.
Email me at info@choicefulpath.com
