Condensation was starting to drip down the glass of water that lay in front of Alex. The water had been offered on arrival, and Alex had accepted, but only out of politeness. Despite the heat of the meeting room on this sweltering summer day, Alex sat cool, his brow unsullied by sweat. The two figures opposite cut very different shapes. Alex’s interviewers were struggling with the humidity, and one had already taken off his suit jacket. It was the other who asked the question. The question Alex had been waiting for.
“How do you work in pressure situations?” The man asked, before taking a large sip of water. Alex sat back in his chair, his left foot resting comfortably on his right knee and his hands gently clasped together in his lap. He inhaled deeply through his nose before speaking.
“I’m going to answer that question. I promise you I will. It’s not going to seem like it at first, but I want you to stay with me because my answer to this question will determine the outcome of this interview.” The interviewers glanced briefly at one other before turning back to Alex, he took their silence as a green light to continue. “I do not care about this. I do not care about my career. This is all just a means to an end for me. Now, that is not to say that I would do a bad job. On the contrary, I have my own professional pride, and I will perform the duties laid out in the contract to the best of my abilities. During the agreed upon working hours, you will have the benefit of all my years of experience and all the knowledge I have accrued. However, if this company were to collapse tomorrow, I would not shed a tear. If you were to decide to let go of me the next day, I would not shed a tear because, again, this does not matter to me. So, if you want a real ‘go-getter’ who’s willing to go above and beyond, then I’m probably not your man. But if you want someone with a proven track record of doing this role well, who will do exactly what he is paid for, no more and no less, then I think we will get on well. To answer your question, finally, you ask me how I work under pressure, and to that I say, ‘what pressure?’ There is no pressure because. This. Means. Nothing. To. Me.”
The interviewers sat back and looked at each other. Without speaking they decided that Alex was correct, and the outcome of the interview had been determined with that answer.
“That’ll be all then. Thank you for coming in.”
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