HOW TO WIN INTERVIEWS

An interview is not an interview. It’s a chance to meet a decision maker in your industry, and befriend them. 

Why do I point this out? Because many peoples’ career troubles stem from a failure to meet decision makers in their industry, and befriend them.

Complaining about “how many interviews you’ve had to do” is backwards. More interviews, more chances, more powerful friends. And more prowess to apply to future interviews.

If you want to nail the interview, treat it like an exciting event. A occasion to be awesome. This job may or may not be for you, but either way, you’re walking away ecstatic, with a new friend and advocate.

THE BAR IS… BORING

I recently read a book written by prominent figures in the field of talent acquisition. It contained a chapter full of interviewing techniques.

It's tactical: what questions to ask, which ones are outdated, how to tell if someone’s lying, how their answers might predict their future performance, how to counter their counter-question, you name it. They touch on everything. Except the most important thing.

Not knocking this book (it's excellent) or any other book about talent development and career advancement. You should read all of them. Learn the rules before you break them, etc.

But reading that chapter was a great reminder of why people dread interviews. Elaborate  tactics, from both sides, are often just a poor substitute for the magic that's missing. What's the magic? Being interesting.

BE WEIRD, BUT NOT A WEIRDO

When you interview, assume that a dozen others have interviewed too. Know that all of them are “qualified”, just like you. Further differentiation is required.

Little known fact: when a dozen equally qualified people compete for a creative leadership job, the job goes to the most interesting person.

That’s right. The job goes to the person whom they can imagine showing up, being liked, over-performing, lightening the vibe, and not alienating others. (That’s a lie actually. The job goes to the person who has friends within the company. But follow these instructions enough times, and that’ll be you.)

So while others are fixated on how they can appear to be the “most qualified”, you can just be a human being. Your human being-ness is the layer that gets added on top of your qualifications. 

DERAIL ALL INTERVIEWS

Interviews are inherently silly, of course. You cannot apply a rigid framework to understanding a unique human being in 45 minutes. Humans respond to stories, so turn interviews into conversations. Conversations during which you subtly demonstrate your high standards, high value, high capacity for listening / understanding / interpreting ideas, sense of humor, and most importantly, your personality.

Every interview you do should be derailed by the fact that you are unable to disguise, despite your humility and tact, the fact that you have a wide breadth of heroic and unique experiences under your belt; a love for life and work that you just can’t stop smiling about. Friends are discovered in common. Books are recommended. Sincerity is conveyed in both directions. Vulnerability and confidence are charmingly blended. It's natural, uncalculated, enjoyable. 

ENJOY IT

So you’ve crushed all professional and personal questions with charming enthusiasm and thoughtful questions back to the interviewer. Will you be able to fit all of this into the allotted interview time? Hopefully not!

If your interview doesn’t go 10 minutes overtime and end with “we should get coffee and pick this up again, I have so many more questions” then it was not a good interview.

Interviewing is selling. Blair Enns has a great principle about selling: it should be fun, or you aren’t doing it right.

Get excited, and go enjoy yourself.