Is 'Fake It Til You Make It' Bad Career Advice?
"Fake it til you make it" has survived 50 years of career advice—from its 1970s roots in positive psychology to SNL sketches and Simon & Garfunkel songs. But should advice from the disco era still guide your professional decisions?
Modern psychology calls this concept "behavioral activation"—engaging in valued activities even when you don't feel motivated. Research shows that pretending to act extroverted can increase well-being through positive emotions and connectedness. Yet the phrase itself creates a fundamental tension: Does projecting confidence help you grow, or does "faking" anything undermine authenticity?
The answer depends entirely on what you're actually doing when you think you're "faking it."
What Does the Psychology Actually Say About "Fake It Til You Make It"?
Behavioral activation research demonstrates that engaging in confident behaviors can improve actual performance and well-being. This isn't about deception—it's about using behavior to influence psychology.
Albert Bandura's self-efficacy theory supports this approach: belief in your capacity to execute behaviors necessary for specific outcomes directly affects performance. When you act confident during a presentation, you're not lying about your abilities—you're accessing confidence that exists within your capability range.
The distinction matters. Confidence-building behaviors work when they're grounded in actual skills or transferable experience. You're not fabricating competence; you're projecting the confidence needed to demonstrate competence you already possess but might doubt.
However, this psychological framework breaks down when "faking it" means providing information you don't have or claiming expertise you lack. That crosses from confidence-building into deception, where the psychological benefits disappear and professional risks multiply.
When Does "Faking It" Actually Work in Your Career?
Confidence-building behaviors prove most valuable in situations where your mindset directly affects your performance: interviews, presentations, leadership moments, and new role transitions.
Consider the volleyball tournament scenario: organizing an event without prior experience, but drawing on related sports knowledge to project leadership while teams arrived. This wasn't deception—it was applying transferable skills with confident execution while buying time to gather specific information.
Similarly, giving presentations to 500 parents after attending the same university represents confidence-building, not faking. You possessed relevant experience and knowledge; you just hadn't delivered it in that specific format before. The confidence allowed you to access and communicate what you actually knew.
These situations share common elements: you have foundational knowledge or related experience, the stakes allow for some improvisation, and you can gather additional information as needed. You're not claiming false expertise—you're confidently applying what you do know while acknowledging what you're still learning.
The key difference lies in whether you're building on genuine foundations or creating entirely fictional ones. Transferable skills provide legitimate grounds for confidence; complete fabrication does not.
What Are the Dangerous Boundaries You Shouldn't Cross?
Professional disasters occur when "faking it" means providing false information or claiming expertise you completely lack, especially when preparation time was available.
Consider the interview disaster: a candidate received a framework, had access to explanatory videos, and was given time to prepare. Instead of studying the material, they attempted to improvise their way through explaining a concept to its actual creator. This wasn't confidence-building—it was unprofessional unpreparedness disguised as competence.
Similar failures occur in technical fields where actual expertise matters. A hardware store employee who doesn't know sanders shouldn't guess about which tool works best for specific projects. A retail associate who isn't sure about stock levels shouldn't make definitive claims. These situations require honesty: "Let me find someone who specializes in this" or "Let me check our inventory system."
The boundary exists where competence becomes critical and preparation was possible but ignored. Heart surgery represents the extreme example—you cannot and should not fake medical expertise. But even in lower-stakes situations, claiming knowledge you don't possess when you had opportunities to gain it crosses from confidence into deception.
Recognition of this boundary actually builds professional credibility. People respect "I don't know, but I'll find out" more than obviously fabricated answers.
How Can You Build Genuine Confidence Instead?
Rather than "faking it," focus on building authentic confidence through strategic preparation and honest self-assessment.
Step 1: Inventory Your Transferable Skills
Before entering any new situation, identify related experience you can draw upon. Soccer refereeing translates to volleyball tournament organization. University attendance provides relevant perspective for admissions presentations. Previous customer service builds foundation for retail assistance. Map what you actually know before projecting confidence about what you can learn.
Step 2: Prepare Thoroughly, Then Project Confidence
Use available preparation time strategically. Research the company, industry, or situation. Study provided materials completely. Gather as much relevant information as possible, then approach the situation with confidence in your preparation level. This creates genuine grounds for confident behavior rather than empty projection.
Step 3: Ask Strategic Questions When You Don't Know
Develop comfort with phrases that buy you thinking time while maintaining professionalism: "That's a great question—let me make sure I give you the most accurate information" or "I want to connect you with our specialist who can address that specifically." These responses project competence through appropriate referral rather than false knowledge.
This framework transforms "fake it til you make it" into "prepare strategically, then project confidence in what you've learned." You're building on genuine foundations rather than creating fictional ones.
The result is sustainable confidence that grows with experience rather than fragile bravado that collapses under scrutiny.
Further Reading
Albert Bandura - "Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control" The foundational text on self-efficacy theory, explaining how belief in your capabilities affects actual performance. Bandura's research shows that confidence in your ability to execute specific behaviors directly influences success outcomes, providing scientific backing for strategic confidence-building.
Mastery Experiences: Build confidence through progressive skill development rather than false claims
Vicarious Learning: Observe others' success in similar situations to build belief in your own capabilities
Verbal Persuasion: Use positive self-talk and strategic feedback to reinforce genuine competence
Amy Cuddy - "Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges" Research on how body language and behavioral changes can influence confidence and performance. While some of Cuddy's power posing research has faced replication challenges, her broader work on presence offers practical strategies for accessing confidence you already possess.
Power Posing: Use physical positioning to access internal confidence before important situations
Presence Over Power: Focus on authentic self-expression rather than dominance over others
Behavioral Priming: Small changes in posture and breathing can influence psychological state and performance
Ready to Build Authentic Professional Confidence?
Listen to the full "Unspoken Career Truths" episode for more debate and insights on when career advice helps versus hurts your professional growth.
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Share your experience: What's your biggest time drain at work, and how might you approach it differently after reading this? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
