Some years ago, I helped a Spanish woman prepare for an interview with a large pharmaceutical company. Her specialism was running double-blind trials on new drugs. Double-blind is where neither the participant nor researcher knows whether the participant received a placebo or the actual drug (until after the study), eliminating the possibility of bias. This role is a six-figure position.
Carmen (not her real name) had run these trials for small companies in Eastern Europe for some years. Divorced with custody of her eight-year-old daughter, she had previously studied for Master’s Degrees in Madrid and Paris. We had established a great rapport throughout the session, but I suspect we both felt tired after three hours of intensive role-playing. As you would imagine, Carmen was brilliant, multilingual, articulate, and spoke cogently throughout.
We discussed the new job role and her previous experience. Then, we moved on to the motivation and timing for this career move which would involve considerable personal and professional upheaval for herself and her daughter. Finally, we strengthened some stories to make her ambitions bigger, more rounded, and more compelling.
I was surprised when my final question foxed her, though I repeat, we were both tired now. So the question was: What further professional studies would you like to undertake in the future?
At this point, she put her hands on her ears and rested her elbows on the table. Her response was not what I expected.
“I have a Batchelor’s degree and two Master’s degrees. I’m a single parent. I never want to see a classroom again. I’m exhausted.”
I poured her a glass of water and said, “Time out.”
When she returned from her break, she apologized, although there was no need to apologize.
“Ok, I understand that this huge undertaking is all-consuming, but could I make a suggestion?”
“Please, because my brain stopped when you asked that question.”
“Remember that this is an interview. You have a phenomenal CV full of prestigious studies and professional achievements. You will be their new senior problem-solver, so here’s how I would answer it.
“Yes, it’s been a few years since my last Master’s Degree, and I miss academia so much. My field of study is widening all the time, and I’m keeping my finger on the pulse of developments. I’m currently exploring the possibility of an MBA, but it needs to be the right MBA. Researching will take time, but it needs to be a good fit because of my family and professional commitments. As we’ve discussed, I have solid organizational skills, so I’ll make this dovetail in time.”
“That’s clever,” she said. “I’m not committing to anything there other than some research. It’s a credible story.”
Over the next month, they called Carmen in for three interviews and offered her the position. She was kind to inform me of her fantastic news and take me to dinner to celebrate. Although they didn’t ask her the question, she felt happy that she had rehearsed a credible answer. Once she had accepted the job, she suddenly missed academia and went on to do her MBA.
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