Interviewing & Becoming President
Interviewing is often perceived as being about the candidate. Makes sense – the candidate is the person being interviewed after all… True, but the interviewer is the person making the decision. Who are the most important persons in an electoral debate? Is it the two presidential candidates that are debating each other? Wrong! Why are those candidates on television? To convince each member of the electorate that will eventually cast a vote on Election Day.
“The person making the decision is the most important person. It’s that simple.”
Although this comparison is imperfect, it shows a nuance too often missed by candidates attending job interviews, who tend to put too much focus on themselves. What does that mean? It means that answering questions correctly is not sufficient. To “win a job”, a candidate has to do more than answering questions correctly. He or she also has to leave his or her mark. How can a candidate do that? By paying close attention to the interviewers’ demeanors and reactions. Only by being attentive to your audience will you be able to connect with it and pass your message through.
“Don’t focus only on your answers. Instead, focus on the image you want to project of yourself and the interviewers’ reactions.”
The key is to have interviewers that are receptive. They will be receptive if you show real interest in the position and if you can engage in a real conversation – as opposed to only answering questions.
As in a real election, once you are chosen, you will gain your power back (the winning president will be given the mandate to lead the country for his term in office). Until then, you are nothing more than a salesman.
“What you say is not the only thing that matters. It’s also how you say it.”
Don’t forget to smile!
Eric Luu
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