The language of interview-speak
Interviewer: So why do you want to work at this company?
You, speaking confidently but feeling soulless: Well sir, I have a 10 year plan to be worth 7 figures by the age of 35. I hope to start my own business around that time, and to have MBA. I also believe in the potential of this company. You guys went public recently and have shown strong sales number. I want to ride that tidal wave and show you I can slug a homerun in this industry into the horizon of the future, sir.
You’re this 25-year old kid got a lot of spunk and a resume that would fly off monster.com like pancakes at a Google cafeteria. You’re a go-getter, I love your attitude, and you know your stuff. You are goal-oriented and you’re going to be successful one day, and I would want to make you a part of any company I was invested in. And man, you can stuff three slick sales-talk metaphor sayings into one sentence. But seriously, though, are you for real?
I think about what these kids are saying all the time. I am one of these kids, in fact. But when I’m sitting around a pub in Berkeley, kicking back with my mates and discussing life, I don’t talk about my imaginary 10 year career plan. I just say that stuff in interviews so I can get the job. But who really believes that stuff? When we discuss life, we talk about how we want to travel the world. Maybe find a good woman or man to be with. Move to a new city, find something to be passionate about. Maybe teach in a inner-city school or open up a small environment-friendly cafe-restaurant.
And that’s the problem. There has always been a gap between life and work and now it is widening. More and more people say what they need to say to get the job, but in the end they realize that they feel unfulfilled. They realize that a job is necessary to pay the bills but now people are thinking that there is more to life than surviving. People want to have a purpose, a reason, a passion, and they want to live life and not just get through it. As a result, we see more and more of our youngest and brightest moving away from the private sector and joining programs like Teach for America. And why shouldn’t they? It’s the soullessness of being a part of the workforce that is driving them away. That is what needs to be changed, not the good hearts of today’s youths.
[...] Hobo talked about young peoples’ drive at I Need a Job. I think there are still plenty of fulfilling opportunities out there, but many [...]