When it’s OK to fake it so you can make it

GETTING ahead in life means sometimes having to tell a few white lies in order to get to where you need to be — we’ve probably all been guilty of it at some point.

It’s OK to fake it ‘till you make it

GETTING ahead in life means sometimes having to tell a few white lies in order to get to where you need to be — we’ve probably all been guilty of it at some point.

Exuding confidence in unknown territory doesn’t come naturally to everyone. But with a bit of practise and a splash of intuition anyone can nail a job interview, get past the VIP rope or convince someone that you like them when in actual fact you’d rather be standing naked at the North Pole surrounded by polar bears.

Here are some scenarios where it’s OK to stretch the truth a little and how best to go about it.

Extending the truth in a job interview

One of the biggest cultural differences between Americans and Australians is our level of confidence. I sat through many job interviews when I first arrived in NYC where when asked if I was any good with Wordpress I gave a brutally honest answer that didn’t work in my favour.

It wasn’t until I was recounting my latest interview frustration to a friend who had been here much longer that she told me I had to step up my game and just say yes I was an expert and probably the best there is.

It’s OK to stretch the truth a little in a job interview regarding skills that you can likely brush up on at short notice such as Adobe and Microsoft Office (nothing a few YouTube sessions can’t fix). But just don’t say you’re fluent in French when in actual fact you know how to say ‘bonjour’ and once spent three days in Paris. People who speak other languages get very excited when they meet another person who speaks the same said language and will more than likely take every chance they get to practise their linguistic skills. I’ve watched many a promising candidate end up in the scrap heap from this very mistake.

Ad libbing here and there is OK, just beware that there are some things you can and can’t get away with. At the end of the day though doing your research on the company and the person interviewing you beforehand will go a long way.

Getting past the VIP rope

A couple of my close girlfriends are incredibly good at this. No matter how hard I try, I am always the one to get busted because I always hesitate at the crucial moment and give myself away. Security guards can smell fear.

However backstage and behind the scenes photographer SKINNY K has mastered the art and has been able to photograph the likes of The Dandy Warhols, A-Trak and Chromeo.

How? She says it’s all about respecting the artists and you have to be able to prove that you can bring something to the table. If you’re adding something to the environment and enhancing creativity, then who wouldn’t want you around? She says the entertainment industry thrives on egos and without a certain level of arrogance and facade you will be destined to stay on the other side of the VIP rope forever.

Skinny K relies on split-second judgments on body language and always assesses the situation around her in order to get into restricted areas. She says intuition plays a big part in knowing when the right moment is to make your move and it takes guts, but the results can be totally worth it. She once managed to get on to an extremely closed stage just after Paris Hilton was denied. By simply acting like you are more important and that you are supposed to be there you have a much better chance of succeeding.

Convincing someone that you actually like them

We all deal with people we don’t like — in social settings, at work and of course, there’s always a difficult aunt or some such family member you aren’t so keen on. One of the beauties of getting older is realising that you don’t need to get along with everyone all of the time, but for the most part it is generally a hell of a lot easier to.

People love to talk about themselves, known fact. Simply by looking someone in the eye (and not past them!) listening intently, asking a lot of questions, mimicking their body language and by all means not looking at your phone to see who just texted you, I guarantee that will be well on your way to being in that person’s good books.

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