Election Year Interview

If you really think about it, an election is like a job interview. Sure, it's an insufferably long interview that lasts for years, but at its core it is a job interview. You, the voter, are deciding whether or not you want to hire him or her as your representative. For many job seekers, this is the only opportunity you will have to sit on the other side of the desk and make a hiring decision. Use this opportunity to learn what interviewers are looking for and apply it to your own search.

For instance, most people boil down what they're looking for in a president to a few key areas like experience, history and character. That's not too far off of what a company is looking for in you. That's why your resume is constructed of your experience and history.

It's that third variable that plays out in the campaigns, and is really the most essential component of your interview. How candidates react to events and stories generated during the campaign tells the American public (the interviewer) a lot about the person's character. Did they try to lie their way out of a tough situation? Are they playing hardball with their opponent or are they slinging mud?

And that's what the interviewer across the desk is trying to do when you're interviewed. They have your experience and history right in front of them in easy to read resume form, so what's your character like? How do you answer questions? Are you being honest or are you just saying what you think they want to hear?

All of the thoughts that run through your head when you're watching a stump speech or a debate, are the same running through the mind of the guy interviewing you. What you need a candidate to say to get your vote is very close to the things you need to say to get the job.

So, when preparing for an interview think about the decisions you made about who was getting your vote. It could help you more than you know.