Who cares?

The client had requested a meeting and mandated us to fill some vacant positions they had in their organisation. As usual we agreed the profiles for the ideal candidate and reviewed the job accountability and responsibility description. I got back to my office that Monday morning; checked the assignments we had pending, the jobs under review and all other deals that we closed or didn’t close the week before. This client in particular was always very concerned about the minutest detail and seemed to care about even what didn’t matter. Over time we had learned to manage the expectations of all our clients not minding their peculiar demands and always delivered on promise.

We went through our database to pull out some of the resumes that matched what we were looking for but also decided to spread our tentacles by using the various channels we had to advertise for the various positions. In no time we had received hundreds of applications for the available positions and had to go through the motions of sorting the ones that we were going to schedule for interviews. This is always so interesting as you get more than what you bargained for. If you ask for someone with a science degree you’ll be shocked to see people with arts or commercial degrees applying for the same position and sending cover letters explaining why they are most qualified for the positions (most times they aren’t.

I assembled a panel from within and outside my organisation, briefed everybody on what we set out to achieve based on the agreed criteria. Each panel was assembled based on their qualifications and expertise for the various candidates we were expecting. Each session took a particular pattern depending on what we expected from each candidate that was seeking each position. While some were more inclined towards the experience they had gathered over time, others were tilted towards the qualifications they had obtained or even how well they could tackle the questions that were fielded to the candidates. We had interviewed several candidates and had gotten used to the facts that a lot of them hardly knew how to even prepare for interview sessions.

Max came in after we had seen quite a number of candidates. We had actually gotten quite a number that we could send to the client for the next stage of interviews but we thought it was only right we gave all the candidates that showed up an opportunity to have a shot at the position. His suit wasn’t quite a match for his shirt but we ignored all of that and for some reason decided to focus on other things. He didn’t quite sell himself for someone that had the experience he claimed to have. When asked why he thought he was the best fit for the job out of all the candidates that had applied for the position, he changed gear and started telling us how hard things were for him growing up and how poor his parents were. He continued to paint a picture of a childhood full of lack but failed to see he wasn’t winning any one on the panel.

I allowed him finish and without batting an eye lid, I told him he we won’t be calling him for the next level of the interview. He seemed a bit taken aback and I felt somehow his story was a last card to play to win the game. I had a look that probably showed I wasn’t moved by his story and I told him so. I made him to understand that no serious organisation would give him a job based on his story. I made him understand his story would put him at a disadvantage if he vied for any position in any professional organisation. The only reason he would get a job is probably from those that pitied him (and that is not sustainable) or those that wanted to take advantage of him. Both ways his growth in any of those organisations will be stunted.

The truth is in the real world you have to stand for yourself. You have to go beyond moaning over the circumstances of your life and seeking for pity. People like to exaggerate and self-indulge over their negative experiences as though it should earn them a special place or position. Nobody cares. People are busy dealing with their own situations that they are not bothered about yours. Look beyond your circumstances and go for the top.