On the day of my interview, I was uncharacteristically nervous. They had sent a single interviewer, and he received us in a room at the Nassau Inn, an ordinary room, mind you, not a suite; they knew we were sufficiently impressed already. When my turn came, I entered and found a man physically not unlike yourself; he, too, had the look of a seasoned army officer. "Changez?" he said, and I nodded, for that is indeed my name. "Come on in and take a seat."
His name was Jim, he told me, and I had precisely fifty minutes to convince him to offer me a job. "Sell yourself," he said. "What makes you special?" I began with my transcript, pointing out that I was on track to graduate summa cum laude, that I had, as I have mentioned, yet to receive a single B. "I'm sure you're smart," he said, "but none of the people I'm talking to today has any Bs." This, for me, was an unsettling revelation. I told him that I was tenacious, that after injuring my knee I had made it through physiotherapy in half the time the doctors expected, and while I could no longer play varsity soccer, I could once again run a mile in less than six minutes. "That's good," he said, and for the first time it seemed to me I had made something of an impression on him, when he added, "but what else?"
I fell silent. I ...
To those who have not yet faced such an interview, or such competition, yes, this description seems consistent with what many have successfully encountered. The point: have a toolbox of relevant experiences to demonstrate that you can perform at the highest level against unknown and sometimes unseen competition, including egos, intellectual agility, and human cool. You're on your own to get into that position, unless you're lucky enough for friends and family to encourage you to compete with your own best performances. And, a sponsor accepted by your interviewer sometimes doesn't hurt your chances.
04-13-2007, 05:50 PM
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