What do job interviews and dating have in common? More than you might suspect.
First, let’s talk about interviews. Jarrod Moses the subject of the Q&A in the Sept. 16 installment of Corner Office in The New York Times. He’s founder and CEO of United Entertainment Group. Asked for his key interview question, he replied: “What's the story you want to tell 10 years from now of how you started and what you wound up doing?”
That’s a smart thing to ask. The story to which a person aspires shapes his or her conduct. In short, you grow into your aspirations. That's a lesson from Aristotle.
Now, let’s look at dating. Tracy McMillan knows storytelling. She writes for the hit show “Mad Men.” Her new book is "Why You're Not Married . . . Yet: The Straight Talk You Need to Get the Relationship You Deserve.” (I read a lot of different stuff.) She writes that storytelling is a big deal. Here’s an insight from her book:
“We tell ourselves, and other people, stories about who we are, what happened to us, and what the world is like. We bring our story with us on every date and into every relationship we have. [And I would add: every job interview.] What few people realize is that the stories you tell about yourself essentially become true — because the story shapes your thinking, the thinking shapes your perception, the perception shapes your choices, the choices shape your actions, and your actions are ultimately your destiny.”
Jarrod, meet Tracy. Her advice on dating applies to interviews and fits hand in glove with Moses’ advice. So, what's your story?
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