[epolanski]

> An interview is a sales pitch for a product.

While I see your point, I as a candidate am absolutely transparent and honest about anything work-related, be it in the present or past.

To me the relationship employer-employee is very important, I spend more time working for a client/company during the week than I do with family and friends. Thus this time has to be spent in a mutually satisfying and healthy way.

Pitching and selling myself as anything different than I am does nothing but put me in uncomfortable positions.

[jvanderbot]

This is true, but the degree of freedom that remains is what part of yourself do you wish to show at work.

I don't know anyone that shows their whole self in every situation, so some reservation/ choice is made implicitly. The discussion here is about an explicit choice, which must be maintained, at least for the most part.

[actsasbuffoon]

And even then, there are appropriate and inappropriate times to bring up certain pieces of information.

For example, I’m not embarrassed about the fact that my mom died when I was young. But it would be deeply weird to open a job interview by saying, “Hi, I’m [name] and my mom died when I was young.”

I’m not hiding that information from employers. But maybe we should know one another a little better before I bring it up.