Work and career progression: “always take the interview”.
I reported direct to the CEO at a startup and I told him our largest customer had headhunted me, and I assumed I wasn’t special and they’re probably targeting many of us. He asked me what the process was like and what the offer was, and when I told him I didn’t take the initial call hand he shook his head. “You always take the interview. Absolute worst case is you confirm you’re happy where you are. Median case is you confirm your worth and force me to have a difficult conversation where you’ve got the most leverage. Best case is you find a new better thing. But through it all you’re exercising the muscle of interviewing while you’re at the top of your game. People always let it atrophy and then try and rebuild it when they’re at their low point. Frustrated with where they are. Unexcited about the things they’re working on, and unable to fake talking about them in the overly positive ways they need to. Don’t want until a low point to work out what comes next. Always take the interview”.
Corollary: only take the interview if you're possibly open to change. I don't often take interviews and the few times I have, resulted in a change. That's not bad, but sometimes it can be disruptive in itself. Maybe you ace an interview for the best possible job, but can't take it because you're caring for your aging parents and you knew the on-site location before the interview.
As someone who does a ton of interviews, I hope people are wasting tons of my time!
I love the opportunity to talk to people about working where I work and if a great person wants to waste my time, I’ll take the chance to sell them on where I work.
As someone else who does a lot of interviews - please god no. There is negative value in every failed interview where I could have instead been contributing to the company’s mission.
I mean I do put a lot of work into getting bad fit candidates out of the pipeline as early as possible (ideally before they speak to me or anyone else).
But the most important thing I can be doing is getting good fit candidates hired — that is how I contribute to the company mission. And I accept that means talking to some number of people who aren’t seriously considering my offer. I take it as an opportunity to change their mind or failing that to experiment with the questions I ask. Over time I become a better interviewer because of those opportunities.
Every interview has the chance to end with me hiring the best person we’ve ever hired. The upside is so high that the downside is worth it.
I can’t get upset at people who interview when they’re not serious about changing jobs. I do it all the time myself and encourage everyone I work with to do it. Can’t hold it against anyone who does the same.
I know this statement reflects poorly on me, but I'm barely hanging on to my sanity dealing with my life otherwise and I'm not even that young anymore.
Honestly it’s not. I would basically be reducing my hourly rate if I _never_ stopped interviewing, because most of those are dreck that can’t meet my current comp in the first place.
I don’t apply. It’s what shows up in my email or LinkedIn inbox. I don’t take the interviews when they are obviously misaligned with my level/skillset/interests because they are a waste of time.
Yeah I think a qualification to add would be “Take the qualified interview.” If you apply, that’s your qualification so take the interview. If they contact you and you tell them what you want, that’s your qualification, so if they agree and offer an interview, take it.
Agreed, and I assumed people would apply some common sense to how and when to generalise 4 words.
I still get what is clearly blind spam from recruitment agencies in a country I haven’t lived in for > 15 years (so they CV they have on file would be just as old) offering me entry level positions. Those don’t ever warrant a response. But if someone has gone to the effort to actually look at your work history, see what you’ve done, and reached out… take the interview.
I know it's good advice to keep interviewing skills fresh, but boy is it a time commitment. I had to study for a few months to prepare for my last round of interviews and as the meme goes, I haven't really used leet code in my job!
Best job I ever had working with the best people, and I have to think good leadership was a huge part of it. When everything comes together like that you can't imagine ever working anywhere else (hence my initial bewilderment and why he thought I'd take the interview). Eventually leadership changes though...
Truly a privilege to experience it at least once in your career.
This advice is solid gold. I declined many interviews when I was at the top of my game for silly-in-hindsight reasons such as I have just joined, I am happy here etc. Have always regretted it ever since.
I reported direct to the CEO at a startup and I told him our largest customer had headhunted me, and I assumed I wasn’t special and they’re probably targeting many of us. He asked me what the process was like and what the offer was, and when I told him I didn’t take the initial call hand he shook his head. “You always take the interview. Absolute worst case is you confirm you’re happy where you are. Median case is you confirm your worth and force me to have a difficult conversation where you’ve got the most leverage. Best case is you find a new better thing. But through it all you’re exercising the muscle of interviewing while you’re at the top of your game. People always let it atrophy and then try and rebuild it when they’re at their low point. Frustrated with where they are. Unexcited about the things they’re working on, and unable to fake talking about them in the overly positive ways they need to. Don’t want until a low point to work out what comes next. Always take the interview”.