They said they liked my résumé.
Said my experience was solid. My references checked out. I looked good on paper, sounded better in person.
But somewhere in the quiet between “Tell me about yourself” and “Where do you see yourself in five years,” I realized something no one had prepared me for.
The interview wasn’t the test. I was.
And I don’t mean “me” in the way recruiters usually mean it. I mean: the way I held eye contact when the question caught me off guard. The way I described failure without apologizing. The way I knew when to stop talking.
That’s what they were watching.
We’ve Been Taught to Perform. But the Real Skill Is Presence.
Every job site tells you how to prep for interviews—rehearse your elevator pitch, research the company, ask a question at the end so you seem engaged. It’s all good advice.
But no one tells you the real trick: people don’t hire qualifications. They hire resonance.
And resonance can’t be memorized. It happens in the space between the answer and the silence that follows.
That’s where the decision gets made.
Confidence Doesn’t Always Sound Like Power. Sometimes It Sounds Like Stillness.
When I sat down across from the hiring manager, I didn’t lead with big words. I didn’t try to impress her with jargon or stats.
I just spoke in full sentences. I left space. I didn’t fill every silence with nervous detail.
Because here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: the person who rambles is trying to convince you. The person who pauses already knows.
Recruiters notice that. So do the right employers.
And when you work with a team like IQ PARTNERS (recruiters who actually know how to read between the lines), you stop chasing job descriptions and start stepping into alignment.
You’re Not a Culture Fit. You’re a Culture Reveal.
I used to think interviews were about blending in—proving I could be polished, adaptable, easy.
But now? I know better.
The way I show up in that room says more than my LinkedIn ever could. My posture. My tone. My ability to ask real questions. Not performative ones.
When you treat an interview like a mirror instead of a stage, something shifts. It becomes less about “Do they want me?” and more about “Do I recognize myself in this?”
Because you’re not there to fit into a culture. You’re there to reflect what happens when the culture gets it right.
The Rejection That Was Actually a Redirection
There was a job I didn’t get. I was sure I nailed it. Perfect energy, great rapport, mutual laughter. It felt done.
Until it wasn’t.
At first, I spiraled. Replayed every sentence. Wondered if I should’ve worn different shoes.
Then I got a message from someone on the panel (off the record) who said: “You were amazing. But I think you’re meant for somewhere that won’t waste your time in meetings.”
That stuck with me.
Because sometimes a “no” is the loudest “you’re on the right path” you’ll ever get.
Work Isn’t Just Work Anymore
We spend too much time in our jobs for them to just be jobs. We bring our minds, our emotions, our relationships, our Sunday scaries.
So if I’m going to commit 40+ hours a week to something, I want it to feel like an extension of who I am—not a performance of who I think I should be.
The interview is your first taste of that.
Pay attention. To how they speak. To what they don’t say. To how they make you feel.
Because interviews aren’t auditions. They’re previews.
And you should like what you see.
