Robert De Niro on Interviewing

As a marketing recruiter, this week I had the pleasure of coaching a candidate on an up coming Director of Ecommerce job interview in Dallas.  When it comes to interviewing, I am a firm believer in two things:

1. Every candidacy needs a "central selling theme" and
2. Attitude is everything.

When I say every candidacy needs a central selling theme, I mean that there should be one simple, relevant theme surrounding WHY a candidate is the best fit for the organization.  Seriously.

Abraham Zaleznik of the Harvard Business School said nearly 35 years ago that all too often, it is not the most qualified candidate who gets hired -- but the one whom the hiring committee believes can contribute something lasting and meaningful to the company's existing management mix.  Not much has changed.

Indeed, I have seen incredibly qualified C-level candidates come out of interviews in a body bag because the "chemistry" just wasn't there.  And one key element of chemistry is being able to convey your selling story to a hiring committee in a way that is short, punchy, and memorable.  Like Johnny Cochran's "If it doesn't fit -- you must acquit."  Just like in jury trials (See Pg. 5).

My client is relatively new to ecommerce, and some of their VP's are nervous that a top-flight Director of Ecommerce will bring about revolutionary change (as opposed to evolutionary change).  So I told my candidate that his drumbeat should be "With ecommerce behind it, _____'s best days are ahead of it."

Granted, this tagline didn't trumpet my candidate's name all over the place.  But humility is a key element of my client's culture, and any attempt by my candidate to sell himself so brazenly would have killed his chances.  So it was best for him to elevate the client's existing management team through his tagline.  By making himself the Best Supporting Actor, he gets himself hired.  At least that's the theory.  I'll let you know next week if he got the job ...

The other aspect of chemistry is attitude.  And as my father-in-law would say, "Stay loose and you can win."  Somehow, with job interviews, the harder you try, the worse they turn out.  Not sure why that is.  But if you try too hard, you come across as trying too hard.  And companies can smell a disingenuous candidate -- unless the company is so dysfunctional that you'd be crazy to work there.

So how does one stay loose?  Well, you simply have to keep things in perspective.

Which brings me to Robert De Niro.  Several years ago I read an article in Esquire about celebrities and their Big Breaks -- when they got them, how they recognized them, and how they handled them.

The writer asked Mr. De Niro about his Big Break -- which Mr. De Niro said was the audition for the role of Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (strange, I know, since Mr. De Niro had previously won an Oscar for his role in Godfather II.).

I'm not a movie buff, but the story goes that every talented young actor in Hollywood was dying for the part.  And a ton of great actors auditioned.  But Mr. De Niro strolled in for his audition, read the part, and nailed it.

So the article's writer asks Mr. De Niro "Were you nervous?"

"Nope," replies the star.  "I never got nervous before auditions.  Ever."

"Why's that?" asks the interviewer.

"Because I didn't have the part when I arrived.  What's the worst that could happen?  I'd leave without the part.  The way I saw it, every audition was pure upside.  All opportunity and no risk."

Comments

[Terry Hall - The Small Business Prophet(tm)]

Hi Harry,

Thank you for adding perspective to the interviewing process.

In life are constantly being interviewed or interviewing with clients, bankers, potential mates, our kids teachers, vendors and employees.

I have found that by using Business Intuition, we all can connect on a different level with the people we interact. It's fun to connect with people on a deep level.

The benefits of being a Business Intuitive are many. First is knowing the hot buttons of another person, Second is knowing how you are doing in the interview process. Third is knowing which opportunities to pursue and which one to walk away from.

I have found this invaluable in business.

Warmly,
Terry