Preparation Is Table Stake

The interview started exactly how you’d hope it would.

She was personable, easy to talk to, and carried herself with a natural confidence that you can’t really teach. The kind of presence that makes you think, “This person will be good with people.” And in our business, that matters.

She had come highly recommended. “Great personality,” I was told. “Strong cultural fit.”

So far, that was holding true.

We moved through the usual questions. Education. Interests. A bit of back-and-forth. Everything felt easy.

Then I asked a simple question.

“What is it about our firm that made you apply with us?”

It’s not a trick. It’s one of the most basic questions in an interview. The kind that tells you, very quickly, whether someone took the time to prepare.

And then everything stopped.

You could see it happen in real time. The pause. The shift. The quiet realization that there wasn’t an answer ready.

What came next didn’t quite land. It circled, missed, and faded out.

So I asked a follow-up.

“Do you know what we do?”

This time, she didn’t try to recover.

She paused, took a breath, and said, “No.”

And just like that, the interview was over.

That moment is more common than people think. Not always as direct, but it shows up in different ways. A vague answer. A generic response. Something clearly pulled together on the spot. And in most cases, that’s the end of it.

Because preparation isn’t what sets you apart in an interview—it’s the starting point.

Before you walk into the room, you should know who you’re meeting.

• What do they do?

• Where do they fit in the market?

• Why do they win work?

• How are they viewed?

And just as important—do they align with your own values and expectations?

That preparation does two things.

1. It shows respect for the other person’s time, and it makes sure you’re not wasting your own time.

2. It also gives you something much more important than a rehearsed answer—it gives you a genuine reason to be there.

And that’s what allows you to speak clearly about why you should be part of the team.

None of that had happened here.

So realistically, the process should have ended in that moment.

But this was the exception.

Not because she was prepared—she wasn’t—but because she handled it honestly. No bluffing. No excuses. Just a quiet admission, and the kind of disappointment that tells you she expected better from herself.

So I gave her a choice.

Take a few days. Learn what we do. Decide if it actually interests you. And if it does, come back.

I didn’t expect to see her again.

But she came back.

And this time, she showed up ready.

The difference was immediate. The conversation shifted. She understood the business. She asked thoughtful questions. She connected what we do to what she wanted to do.

It felt less like an interview and more like a real discussion.

Before she left, she thanked me—not just for the opportunity, but for the lesson.

She said she wouldn’t make that mistake again.

She didn’t.

She went on to become one of the best hires I’ve ever made and is thriving in her career today.

But that’s not the part to take away.

The part to remember is that she should never have needed that second chance.

Because most people don’t get one.

The lesson is simple: preparation is not what sets you apart—it’s table stakes

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