Help! I Messed Up My Exploratory Interview With A Dream Company CEO gettyThrough a mentor, I was very fortunate to secure a dinner with the president of a company I admire. I went in with a list of things I wanted to discuss, but once we sat down, I realized they enjoyed talking about their own journey. So I instinctively shifted into “journalist mode” and focused on asking thoughtful questions, hoping to build rapport and make them like me as a person before making any specific request.
During the dinner, my mentor jumped in several times to bring the conversation back to me, [sharing highlights of my background]. Afterward, I asked my mentor whether they thought the dinner went well. My mentor said it was great, but that it felt more like an interview, and that I did not share enough about myself. They also said that for busy people, it helps to be clear about what you are asking for, because if I’m not specific about my request or memorable about my own story, the person may forget who I am.
The next day, I sent a follow-up email summarizing the ways I could be helpful [to the president]. In the last paragraph, I added a small shameless plug about my own work and mentioned that if they ever were hiring, I would love to be considered.
