Do you feel entitled to your dream job?

You'd usually associate an attitude of entitlement with millenials. Some, but certainly not all.

However, there's something that interviewers often see with more experienced candidates (i.e. those in their forties or fifties). And it's something that turns them off because it can make an otherwise stellar candidate seem arrogant or "entitled".

What pattern of behavior am I talking about?

It's when a candidate throws around their experience as if it is, by itself, de-facto evidence of their qualification for a job.

For example:

An interviewer might ask you why you feel you're a good fit for the role in question. Many weaker candidates might respond with something like this:

"Well, I have more than 20 years of experience in healthcare."

That's a bad answer.

Why?

Because the fact that this candidate feels like their twenty years of experience is reason enough comes across as entitled.

What exactly have they accomplished during those twenty years?

How did they grow?

What key lessons have they learned?

What kind of legacy did they leave?

Those are the kind of things interviewers want to know about.

When I coach private clients, they'd often tell me they felt like they were bragging if they talked about their successes and accomplishments, but nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, not talking about your accomplishments (and expecting an employer to hire you anyway, based on your "twenty years of experience") is bragging.

Giving weight to your candidacy by clearly communicating how you'd add value to their organization is the opposite of arrogance. It's also believable, and gives interviewers a sense that you'd be a valuable asset to them.