A couple of weeks ago, I drove from Columbus to Kansas City. That 12 hour drive was fueled by Red Bull and podcasts, and boy did I find some good ones.
I’m a regular listener of You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes, and he had a recent episode with Allison Williams (the female lead in Get Out and Marnie in Girls).
After talking about her husband and breaking my heart, she and Pete talked about her attitude towards interviewing.
As an actress going through auditions, and Pete as a director who has sat on the other side of the table, they agreed that the interviewer genuinely wants each audition to be the right person.
PH:
I try to offer comfort…not getting a part isn’t personal at all…either it’s right or it’s not.AW:
Most of our job is dealing with rejection.I also like to think…going into an audition you want be the answer to their problem. You want to be the solution to the problem of the people behind the table. I like to walk into a room and think, “You don’t have to keep doing these anymore.”
It’s obvious with auditions or job interviews, but it really applies to any sale. And in a more abstract way, a lot of interactions in general.
Remember, you are a product. Like it or not, you are constantly selling yourself on virtues of trust, respect, and likability, whether you intend to or not.
But whenever you are specifically trying to seize an opportunity, provide a product or service, or pitch an idea, remember that you can be the solution to the problem of the people behind the table.