Kevin Downey

My first leadership principle was to effectively communicate the stakes involved in the work that needed to be done. I needed everyone on my team to be a stakeholder. I would tell them what they needed to do and why they had to do it, as well as how the work they had to perform fit into the big picture. That philosophy stands for those I offer career and interview advice.

When I was a manager, I took great pride in embodying my company's culture. But it wasn’t something I had to force myself to do or to grow into. I was doing what came naturally to me, and as a result, I felt like part of something bigger. My job was my club. I was the right fit, and the manager who hired me saw me as the right fit. I knew I was the right fit, and so did he. He was aiming to fine-tune his team, and I fit the mold. Later, when I rose through the ranks and was promoted to a leadership position, I eventually became an effective recruiter for our company. I prided myself on choosing the candidate who seemed the right fit. They walked into the door knowing they belonged there, and in truth, they did. But, on occasion, I’d recognize a candidate who was close to hitting the mark but was missing something. They may have fit the mold, looked the part, and embodied the vibe of our culture. Sometimes they even delivered an above-average interview but missed the mark on a few questions. They’d inadvertently reveal they hadn’t prepared and put in the work needed to win the job.

In many ways, an interview is a test. If their scores weren’t perfect, I’d pass on hiring them. I was looking for A-Players. The fact that I had a reputation for hiring the best meant I had a reputation to maintain. Even if a candidate was close to the mark, I wouldn’t hire them unless it was a bullseye.

When a candidate is confident that they fit the mold, have the skills, and are aligned with the company, it’s a good sign that they put in the work beforehand to prepare for the interview. When this is the case, it is immediately evident that they have a strong work ethic. The more consistent their CV is with their resume, and with each answer to each question, the more consistent their work performance can predictably be.

Lastly, asking questions is a skill. It’s difficult to know what questions to even ask or where to start without any navigation. How can you ask questions about something you know nothing about? That’s what we at Mock Questions are here for.

How effectively you ask the right questions and whether you keep asking questions is a sign of how resourceful you are and your ability to think outside the box. When you prepare and do your due diligence, you’ll feel confident in a job well done. From the time you greet your interviewer to when you say goodbye, you should feel like a rock star who delivered a great interview. Whatever the outcome, at the very least, it’s good practice.

The goal is to give your all, be yourself, and be the best you can be. Only you can be a rockstar at being you. This is how you stand apart from the other candidates. So walk into your interview being overly confident in that.

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