Get into interviews as equals evaluating each other with your interviewers

“I want to become the must-hire in job interviews.”
A young adult came to me with this coaching need.

And the ‘must-hire’ she became.

Just not in the way she had thought of.

Becoming the 'must-hire' is a one-way street of proving yourself.

Finding the right fit is a matter of equals evaluating each other.

She had been interviewing for months.
Some ended in rejection. Some in silence.
Each rejection felt like a personal failure.
The fear of staying stuck was real.

Together, the desperation had hardened into determination:
“I have to become so good they cannot reject me.”

Before she came to me, she was walking into interviews as though she had to earn the right to be chosen.

But the real work lay elsewhere.

Simple work looks like interview tricks - rehearse answers, ask ‘smart questions’, use body language hacks, “show authenticity” convincingly – the tricks she came to me for.

The real work?

I supported her to re-examine her core values that might have shaped behaviours, reflecting on what might no longer be relevant today.

We explored her talents with the help of science-backed assessment tool, CliftonStrengths, so she could lead life more intentionally, play to her strengths, be aware of blind spots, got unstuck from the ‘how to impress?’ loop, and learned to look for what were needed to bring out her best.

In every interview, she assessed the companies much as they assessed her.
She spoke about her strengths and values with clarity.
She walked away from roles that felt wrong.

When employers declined, she moved on with her head held high.

Once she stopped trying so hard to prove herself, she became far more compelling to hire.

By our sixth session, she found a new role in a new company.

The company that eventually hired her even adjusted their budget to bring her in.
Far more compelling than just any ‘must-hire’.

If you constantly feel like you have to prove your worth - in interviews, leadership, or life, that is the work worth examining.

The real work is rarely where you think it is.

I don’t work with you to get chosen. I work with you to choose wisely.