Taking Things at Face Value

Recently, my argument for why I was qualified for an open position was completely eviscerated in like three moves. The mtg lasted maybe 15-20 minutes, tops.

Instead of being upset or resentful, however, I saw the logic of the interviewer's approach: he was't taking anything I had to say at face value.

He listened carefully, then:

1. Asked questions to surface the logic behind my claims (comparing that with his own detailed experience / homework).
2. Asked for examples he could quickly analyze
3. Surfaced the issues he saw and asked me to explain

From that approach, he was able to reap many rewards, such as: seeing how I thought, if I'm for real; if he can bank on me.

Impressive in its efficiency.

By contrast, my approach mostly looks like this:

1. Accept what I'm being told / shown
2. Develop hunches; imagine how the above could work, filling in gaps with my own imagination + experiences
3. Set goals & projections based on the above + my somewhat arrogant view of my capabilities.

Correction - my approach mostly LOOKED like that.