Today I had an interview with a large company for a position I was really excited about. In preparation, I decided to follow some advice I had seen on TikTok from various interview experts and recruiters. They suggested things like always saying yes if asked if I'm interviewing elsewhere, removing graduation dates to avoid age discrimination, and even jokingly saying I hope to be in the interviewer's position in five years. I thought these tips would help me stand out, but it completely backfired. During the interview, when the interviewer asked me the classic 'where do you see yourself in five years?' I replied with the line I had learned, and he looked genuinely offended. He seemed to think I was trying to undermine him or that I was sent by a competitor. Additionally, I had removed some of my older internship experiences from my resume, thinking they weren't relevant anymore. When the interviewer asked if there was anything I hadn't included, I mentioned those internships, and he questioned why I had left them off. It felt like I was digging my own grave the entire time. Overall, the interview felt like a disaster, and I realized that taking advice from TikTok may not have been the best idea. I learned a tough lesson about being authentic and sticking to my own experiences instead of trying to fit into a mold created by social media.