Why Should We Hire You?

How many of you have been asked this interview question throughout your career?

For me, it was in an interview at the beginning of my career when I was looking to switch from Carat USA, a media buying company, to work for Showtime, a premium cable network. I made it through all the rounds of interviews with HR leaders, coordinators, managers, and now was sitting face-to-face with the VP of Sales and Marketing, Paul Cestari. The talent pool was down to a few candidates and he needed to know what the X factor was to help make his final decision. 

I’m going to digress a bit because it’s important to know where I was and why I was seeking a change so early in my career because at the time, jumping from role-to-role was seen more as a sign of non-commitment; now it’s to be expected if someone starting their career wants faster progression. I began my entry into advertising and marketing as an Assistant Account Executive at a worldwide media buying company. Wow, I felt like I was at the precipice to something pretty cool and felt a part of the media buying excitement to help build brands from major picture studios, national restaurant brands, and propel political campaigns throughout the national political cycle through TV, Radio, Print, Outdoor, and the nascent beginnings of internet advertising. 

As it was in agency life at the time, the work was grueling and the pay was dismal for a recent grad. I remember working beyond the capacity of my body during the run up to April elections of 2000. I caught pneumonia at the start of the political buying season and worked through it thinking that as long I was taking my antibiotics, I could recover without missing a beat. For those who are unfamiliar, supporting a political campaign’s media buy was like compressing the budget and activities that a national or local brand would spend for an entire year in just a few short months before the election date. It wasn’t uncommon to have tens of millions of dollars pour in from a campaign fundraiser and have to spend all the media dollars across all channels within mere days to help make an impact in the polls.  

I thought I could work the entire political season while sick. I thought I could rest once the elections were done. Boy was I wrong and my body made sure that I learned a valuable life lesson that when you’re sick, you need to take time to rest and recover. My body revolted and my pneumonia came back with such a vengeance that when I went to see my doctor he immediately placed the order to admit me to the hospital as soon as possible. 

This news was a punch to the gut. How in the world was I going to explain to my boss that I needed to take a few days off to recover at the hospital? Looking back, I had my priorities all wrong but I was young and didn’t want anything to impact my career trajectory. I called my boss from the doctor’s office to let her know that I needed to take some time off for my health and that I was going to be admitted to the hospital that night. I knew she would be upset but I could never have fathomed her immediate response that day. I paused to wait for her to say something…anything, and then she asked me in an exasperated and annoyed tone, “But who is going to do the work?”

Her words were an incredible gift and I thank her for giving me the clearest sign that I needed at that moment that I needed to prioritize my health, and healing. I realized in that moment that if I didn’t do it, no one else would. For this gift of clarity, I am eternally grateful to her.

My experience was less than ideal having experienced the proverbial grindstone that media and advertising agency life provided to fresh new recruits at the time. Excruciatingly long hours and a less-than-ideal culture. However, in the midst of adversity, there were amazing lessons to learn and I was gathering those lessons to help fuel the leader that I wanted to become. I took stock of where I was in my career and observed the leaders, their values, and the quality of their lives. It was a window of who I may become in the next 3-5 years if I stayed. For me, it was clear that I needed a change and needed to find an environment where I could thrive. 

Fast forward to my interview at Showtime, a couple months later, sitting in front of Paul, who had just asked me, “Ok, last question; why should we hire you?” 

A few weeks after my interview with Paul, I was checking in at the front desk of the 15th Floor of Showtime Networks, ready to start my first day. I went through my HR orientation, got settled into my new office, had lunch with the team, and was preparing to meet with my new manager, Paul. We chatted about the first 30-60-90 day plan and he paused for a moment and said, “Do you want to know why I hired you? (Of course I did, so I nodded in anticipation.) I hired you because you said you were hungry; hungry to learn, hungry to help, hungry to work, and your passion came through. You showed a real and authentic desire that can’t be taught. Many candidates are capable of doing this job but not everyone shows the hunger to achieve like you did so openly and clearly.”

I felt honored and also felt entirely seen. Paul became one of my first executive sponsors in my career. He went beyond ally-ship and ensured that he was always in my corner to coach me from the sidelines. He’d prep me for any situation. Paul didn’t pull any punches whenever we were prepping for a presentation to management or to clients. 

He’d ask all the hard questions that were meant to throw you off course and he would explain to me, “I want to ask you all the hard questions, see your response, and provide you feedback here, where we feel safe, so that when you are out there presenting, hopefully, I’ve covered all the hard questions and you can focus solely on shining.” If I took an unexpected punch to the gut, he was the first one to step in the ring to advocate for me, give me time to dust myself off, provided constructive feedback to help adjust my approach, and cheer me on loudly through all my successes. Paul was a lighthouse throughout my career at Showtime. The ocean was mine to explore but he always lit the safe path so I could return to center as often as I needed. 

One of the leadership qualities that I have adopted from Paul is the post-mortem analysis of any situation that he would run through with all his direct reports. He would always, and I mean always, ask you 3 questions after a key presentation, meeting, whatever it was that was could have made an impact on your career:

1)  What do you think went well?

2)  What do you think didn’t go so well?

3)  What would you change for next time and why?

It’s a simply brilliant approach to coaching and mentoring. As a leader, if you use this method, you push your team to become self-aware and build their resilience up to self-adjust and improve in cycles. Test, learn, optimize, and grow. 

I write about this moment in deepest gratitude to one of my first mentors, executive sponsors, and life-long friends, Paul Cestari. Thank you for showing me what an authentic and caring leader can be and that prioritizing family IS a super-hero strength and an asset in business. May this story inspire many more to lead with kindness and love. 

For the millions who are searching for their next role during this pandemic, I'm in the search with you. I fully support you in your search and I’m in your corner cheering you on. I recommend that you take some time to reflect back on all your experiences, identify the leaders who shaped you and why, and make your X factor known during your application and interview process. Remember, whoever gets you, wins!