We are at our most effective when we have a clear sense of purpose.
Heading into a job interview, that sense of purpose is captured in three sentences:
This is what I want them to know about me.
This is the work I’ve done that will convey why I’ll be a great member of their team.
This is what I want to learn about them.
It’s easy to get unmoored in interviews: it’s an artificial situation and we can revert to the person we were years or decades ago—when we had our first interviews—instead of the more intentional, confident person we are today.
The most important thing to remember is: the dutiful question-answerer is not the person who gets the job.
The person who gets the job is someone who comes in with executive presence that is communicated through a clear sense of purpose. That purpose is manifested by conveying a clear body of work that shows why you’re the right person for this job.
This is a delicate rebalance of the power dynamic that typically prevails.
As you walk into the room, the interviewer has all the power: you’re one of hundreds of candidates aiming to “win the bake-off.”
But if you enter with strong presence and clear intent, and you focus on communicating your relevant body of work, that balance starts to shift towards one in which two people are having a conversation to discover if working together will meet both of your goals.
Of course, you’re walking a fine line here. While you want to come in with a clear purpose, you can also push too far. If you communicate that all that’s going on for you is evaluating them, you’ll probably come across as arrogant and get passed over.
But clarity about why you are here and fidelity to those goals will infuse all your responses with additional crispness. You will convey the points you need to get across even in the face of a barrage of surprising questions. And you’ll be more likely to stay grounded throughout this grueling process.
In summary:
Their agenda is: to assess me and find the best candidate for the job.
My agenda is: to clearly convey who I am, why I’m here, and what I bring to the table; to understand who they are and whether they’re the right place for me.
Attitude matters as much as what you say in any job interview.
Other posts in this Series:
