That interview was uncomfortably strange. To be fair, I was exhausted after four other interviews across that day and the previous one. From the start, the atmosphere felt tense and standoffish. I gave my presentation, which went well despite my tiredness and nerves—both perfectly natural when you care about the outcome. Then, when I asked for feedback, the CEO chose to critique my personality and likeability, suggesting it could be a disadvantage in client interactions. What exactly was I supposed to do? Break out into a Teletubbies routine? Are you hiring for CBeebies presenters or professional SEOs? I was both polite and friendly. Having spent most of my career client-side, I can say that clients see right through forced positivity—it often comes across as fake. In fact, it’s a red flag for a toxic work culture, something not uncommon in marketing agencies. If you’re unfamiliar, look up “toxic positivity”.