Don't Fake Experience — Build Real Growth | Career Advice

Why Pretending Hurts Students More Than It Helps

During our interview with senior aerospace engineer Baktash Hamzehloo, we discussed a mistake he frequently sees from students and young professionals entering the workforce:

Trying to appear more experienced than they actually are.

According to Baktash, many students feel pressure to:

• Sound extremely advanced
• Pretend they know everything
• Compare themselves to professionals with years of experience
• Hide the fact that they are still learning

But he made one thing very clear:

If you fake being equal to someone with five years of experience, that's where the mistake starts.

Because eventually, reality exposes the gap.

Why Students Feel Pressure to Pretend

A lot of students believe they need to "prove themselves" immediately.

Especially in competitive industries, students compare themselves constantly to:

• Experienced professionals
• Online success stories
• High-achieving classmates
• Unrealistic expectations

As a result, many students start:

• Overstating knowledge
• Avoiding questions
• Pretending to fully understand concepts
• Acting more confident than they truly feel

But according to Baktash, experienced professionals recognize this quickly.

And ironically, trying to appear perfect often creates more weakness—not more credibility.

What Companies Actually Expect From New Graduates

One of the most reassuring points from the interview was this:

Companies already understand that fresh graduates are still learning.

Most professional environments expect students to:

• Ask questions
• Make mistakes
• Need guidance
• Develop gradually

The expectation is not perfection.

The expectation is:

• Honesty
• Curiosity
• Effort
• Learning ability
• Initiative

According to Baktash, employers are usually much more willing to help students who are authentic and eager to grow than students pretending to already know everything.

Real-World Example

Imagine two students entering the same internship.

Student A

• Pretends to understand every task
• Avoids asking questions
• Tries to hide weaknesses
• Makes preventable mistakes silently

Student B

• Admits when they need clarification
• Learns actively
• Asks thoughtful questions
• Improves consistently over time

At first, Student A may appear more confident.

But over time, Student B usually develops faster because they are actually learning instead of protecting an image.

That's exactly the mindset Baktash was encouraging.

Why Humility Accelerates Growth

According to Baktash, students who accept that they are still developing gain a huge advantage because they become:

• More coachable
• More adaptable
• Better learners
• Easier to mentor

And those qualities matter tremendously in industries where knowledge evolves constantly.

Nobody expects students to know everything immediately.

But professionals do expect students to:

• Put in effort
• Learn continuously
• Take responsibility
• Improve honestly

Where Students Can Apply This Today

This advice matters during:

• Interviews
• Internships
• Networking
• Team projects
• First jobs

Students should focus less on:

How do I look experienced?

and more on:

How do I become genuinely capable over time?

That shift changes everything.

Because long-term credibility is built through real growth—not performance.

The Bigger Lesson

There is nothing wrong with being a beginner.

Every professional started somewhere.

The problem begins when students become more focused on appearing advanced than actually developing the skills needed to grow.

And according to Baktash, students who stay honest, curious, and willing to learn often progress much faster long-term than students trying to fake expertise.

Credit & Interview Source

This article is based on insights shared during our interview with Baktash Hamzehloo, where he discussed hiring, internships, student development, workplace expectations, and the importance of authenticity and continuous learning in professional growth.