I once had an MBA student who checked every box. He was whip smart, well-spoken, genuine, and clearly hard-working. He attended a respected college and spent two years at a top consulting firm. He was a typical top pick for the companies he was courting.
And yet, he kept getting rejected after job interviews. Something wasn’t adding up.
Finally, after asking him to do a mock interview with me, I quickly spotted the problem.
When I asked the classic “What are your long-term career goals?” he smiled and told me he wanted to start his own business one day.
Perhaps you can still hear me screaming, “No!”
