My CV has made me look better than I am.

[c1JSU]

I have a job interview tomorrow based on the fact that I look just right for the job ‘on paper’. Which is true. On paper I do, in capability I am sure I am not. My current job title makes me sound like I do much more than I do and that’s the problem. I’ve not lied about anything whatsoever but it just sounds so much better than reality. For example; I produce invoices and chase debtors. What that means is I use the word template the company has had for years to make an invoice and I drop customers an email when they haven’t paid. Or diary management of the directors. What that means is I make appointments and scribble them in the book. How am I going to handle this? Be upfront and say sorry but my fancy job title has mislead you? I have thought I should perhaps change my cv going forward.

What is your current job title? And have you set out in your cv what your day to day responsibilities are?
If you think you’re capable of doing the job you’re interviewing for, why would you sabotage yourself?! Go in and sell yourself instead!

Fake it till you make it!!

If those roles are expected of you in new job, it is most likely a similar situation where thwy have procedures in place for you to learn and follow. Youve picked it up once, you can do it again!

Have more faith in yourself and what you actually do.

Everybody knows what the tasks you’re describing mean. There isn’t a more complicated version of producing invoices or diary management, unless I’m grossly mistaken. Have some confidence and good luck!

The whole point of a CV is to make you look as good as possible, to grab the attention of the selector, and get you an interview.
Don’t undersell yourself, go along tomorrow and do your very best.
This could turn out to be your dream job!
Lots of luck!

I think this is nerves making you doubt yourself. Have you heard of 'imposter syndrome'? Google it - it might make you feel better! BEst of luck in the interview :)

Go in and tell them you can do it and to a high standard. Don't put yourself down in the interview because the reality is that their "job description" sounds bigger than it is. Just like your experience does.

Sell yourself and get the job!! Good luck

You may find that the new company just has exactly the same processes and procedures in place as your old one.

Think of a few times when you've "done" something. It might not have been a haul for you but it made a difference.

Eg. You transferred the company's ordering system from a paper record onto a word document instead.

What you tell them is, I saw that there were pitfalls in using the paper system, it could be lost, there was very little accountability, it couldn't be shared from location to location easily...etc. I transferred the data online and made a much more streamlined and accessible, accountable system that was clear and easy to use.

Thank you so much everyone for the words of encouragement. It really helps. My current job title is Secretary to the Director. Which I am. But to me it’s just a basic admin role with a nice title. I am applying for the position of office administrator, so you would think I could quite comfortably carry it off, but I’m so worried I’ve made myself look like something I am not. It’s been five years since I started a new job and the thought of being the newbie and learning new processes and then showing myself up because I can’t do it... well it nearly makes me want to chuck in the towel now. I have heard of imposter syndrome and I did some reading up on it this afternoon. Then I panicked and thought what if it’s not imposter syndrome and I actually have only got where I am because of luck?! Oh gosh I don’t think I’ve been this nervous for a long time

Normal pre-interview panic!
What if the job you're going for sounds fancier on paper as well, and actually most of it is tasks you're good at already?

Don't they say that men tend to apply for jobs they are somewhat underqualified for and talk themselves up and women tend to believe they're not good enough even if they are well qualified? I'm assuming you're a woman here but this might apply. Maybe you're up against lots of men who've just talked themselves up?

Best of luck!

Good luck for the interview. As others have said the job role will have been fancied up too. You got this. Have faith. And let us know how it goes

Aww you’ll be fine. Worse thing that might happen is they say you’re not suitable. You’ve lost nothing. Chances are you’ll be just what they’re after. Go for it!

Thank you all so much, I do promise to update. I feel like I’m winging it with everything I do unfortunately!

It's normal. If they ask about a particular program or system and you're not sure just say you are confident in all aspects of learning new systems and are very quick at picking things up. Try and speak normally, don't go in all "I love a challenge and to be tested" if that's not how you'd normally speak. Be honest (ish) but big yourself right up.

My current boss in the interview said that he's useless with PowerPoint and that he was looking for someone who could probably help him with that. I told him not to worry, if he hired me he'd never have to bother with it again (a very basic system I know). Truth was I'd never gone near it prior to that. When I got the job I went on YouTube and typed "PowerPoint demo"

He's always impressed with what I come up with! Haha. And I wasn't lying as such because he hadn't had to worry or bother with it again.

You want the job, walk in like you've already got it. Listen, be friendly and polite. It's ok to say "I'm not used to talking myself up but I have been successful when doing this/that/the other and I take pride in my work"

Well, let's take a step back. Yes, you use a Word template to create the invoice but you have to know who to invoice and for how much (and I dare say put things like purchase order numbers on it - and get all this stuff right every time). You presumably also have to keep track of the invoices since you then chase up debtors, so how do you know who to chase? Unless you sit at your desk poised over the keyboard until someone else says 'please chase person x for amount y based on invoice z' you are chasing debtors. What do you do when they don't reply? Do you sit at your desk again waiting until someone tells you to chase again, or do you keep track of who hasn't replied, who has, and when it's time to chase again?

And now diary management - if you're doing this on paper and for multiple people, trust me that is definitely a skill. God I remember the days when you'd have to phone four or five other people or their secretaries trying to pencil in a few dates and get everyone to hold them whilst you work out which day everyone can do and then (pre-email) phone round and confirm the date with everyone. What a palaver! You'll be doing some of this I suspect - again, someone doesn't say to you 'please appointment x in my diary', you do the work and then writing it in the diary is just the final step in the process.

So. Don't sell yourself short. You haven't lied on your CV. You can answer any question they ask you honestly and if it turns out it's not the level of experience they require - well, no harm done.

I do admire the fact you've managed to invent imposter-syndrome-about-imposter-syndrome

Best of luck, hope it all works out for you.

And cross posted but to this day I'm winging it in my job but always manage to pull it off somehow, you'll be great. The best quality in an employee is dedication from an employers point of view. Sell that, prove how you've been committed to doing a good job in the past

I'm rooting for you!!! Actually feeling nervous for a stranger 😂.

For what it's worth I went from one completely different sector to another and actually can't believe I did it. The interview is stand alone. Look at it that way, it's one big sell yourself opportunity (even if it feels a bit of a blag to you). If you get the job then you can fine tune your skills before the start date (YouTube my friend )

Thanks all, If I get the job I will absolutely do some home learning via YouTube! I would be willing to do any courses/training as necessary too.

Your feelings sound very normal to me. You actually sound like you will be fine for the role. You are doing admin work now essentially and the new role might just be a variation of what you already do. I would go for it if I was you and talk yourself up a little bit as well in the interview. I do understand imposter syndrome - I stepped up into a management role years ago and I had an amazing director who took me for a walk and said you may not feel like you can do the role but I believe you can. I can't thank him enough. You just need to believe in yourself a bit more OP.

Worst case scenario you gain interview experience. Imposter syndrome is a very real thing!

I'm an admin manager and I would absolutely interview a secretary for an admin position. We might do invoicing or diary management from computer programs these days as our company has grown, but it's not so long since we did things manually the same way you do. As PP have said, the basic skills are actually the important bits, the processes themselves are easy to learn.

Good luck, and don't under sell yourself!

Thing is - if you produce invoices on a word doc template and the new company wants you to produce them through Xero (for example) it'll be obvious you don't use Xero or you would have said so on your CV. So ..... they'll train you!

And if the new company wants you to create all diary entries in outlook (for example) instead of scribbling them in a paper diary - it'll be obvious you don't use outlook or you would have said so on your CV .... so they'll train you!

Best of luck today OP.

I think you just have Imposter Syndrome and are probably extremely capable and hard working. Good Luck 🍀

I hope all goes well for you today. Don’t forget to give them a nice smile as you go into the interview room!