Insights

One of those questions that circulates the internet every now and then is something to the effect of ‘if you could tell your 18 year-old self some good advice that you know now but wished you knew then, what would it be?’ This is a good one, and while I don’t have a lot of suggestions, one idea popped up pretty quickly.

I was thinking about this when I was conducting a hiring interview the other day. For the person on the other side of the table, the general assumption is the exercise is solely a test about *them*. The common idea is that a job interview is solely about determining a person’s best fit for the job and whether or not *they* are the optimal candidate for the position.

But in truth, an interview is very much a two-way street. By this I mean you are (assuming your manager or similar leader is on the hiring panel) interviewing the interviewers as well. You are trying to get a sense of what they are like, how talented and skilled they are, how well they can be a part and contributor to *your* success.

This is not something that I thought about when I was just starting out my career; I doubt many people think about this even in the later stages of their professional development. But it is absolutely true. The single most determinant factor of your professional success will be how successful your boss is and how well they can proceed up the ranks—a rising tide floats all boats and that. Similarly, the atmosphere established by those leaders on the hiring panel will do much to dictate your satisfaction with the job, which itself is a driving force behind your future success.

The key, then, is to go into any interview with the mindset they *they* have to perform as well. This will take some of the stress off you, and will also help you make the right call if they come back to you with a ‘you’re hired!’