No One Asked, But You Delivered: You Pre-Interviewed Yourself

"The idea here is very simple: Industry employers and universities are very good at looking out for themselves, and they require no help from you. Therefore, if a job is posted that you think would be good for you, your task is to take reasonable steps ("reasonable" being a key word) to create a good application and then to send the application to the employer. That is all. Here are things that are not your job:"

"Grad students tend to be too self-critical when applying for jobs or internships. When you pre-interview yourself for jobs you run the risk of passing up good opportunities needlessly. Many people overestimate how good they are at determining whether an employer would want to hire them. If a job sounds really good, it is best to apply and let the employer do the interviewing."

Graduate students often apply excessive self-criticism when considering jobs or internships, eliminating viable opportunities by pre-screening themselves. Employers and universities prioritize their own selection processes and will assess candidate fit during interviews. Applicants should prepare reasonable applications and submit them whenever a position seems promising, rather than trying to determine absolute worthiness alone. Determining whether others are better suited, whether every requirement is met, or whether employers will regret hiring you are not the applicant's responsibilities. Applying sends responsibility for evaluation to employers and preserves opportunities that self-elimination might otherwise lose.

Read at Psychology Today