I remember that in the last article I told you, that I had an interview that showed me some exciting things that would become profitable for me? Well, it wasn’t based on how I aced the scholarship interview! Yes, you got that right, time would show that what happened during the interview that day, was not exactly success.

I had an awesome time in the interview, I enjoyed myself so much, that it was obvious to almost all the other student applicants within an earshot. The interviewers laughed excitedly as I mixed them a potpourri of native intelligence and western humour. My endless hours in front of different sorts of comedies ranging from Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Three is Company, Different strokes, e.t.c. combined with my hard work of academic dedication seemed to be paying off. I was sure I had nailed the interview. Life couldn’t be better, right there in my pocket was part payment for my scholarship, handed over to me by those who patronised our transportation business, the full and final payment was a few weeks away, as the interview seemed good as nailed!

Well, I must have performed so well that they thought me too good for the scholarship. Yeah, you read that right, I must have failed the interview. That taught me quite a few interesting lessons, it was my first interview ever, and the last one that didn’t result in my being selected for anything I was being interviewed for. My C.G.P.A at the time of this interview was about 4.93/5.00. I realised that your academic results weren’t going to give you a seat, the best they could do, was open the door. If you like bag a first class, and finish top 1% in your class, all it does is open doors for you, what you do inside that door determines your destiny. If you study the normal demographics of school results, very few people have a first class, it means the probability that you’ll be “beefed” is higher than you’ll be celebrated, even by your superiors. Don’t get me wrong, my result most likely didn’t have much to do with it, I just didn’t meet their quota one way or the other, but what I needed at that time of my life honestly, was not success, it was the right doze of failure. Failure itself, in a little doze, is the antidote for failure.

Before you get too sober on me, since failure is a serious matter, here are a few lessons – take them. Never judge and interview by how much fun you had (Even the devil appears like an angel of light). Forget your results, what have you done? Gather experience, have sound bites from your life experiences, it’s more valuable that your grade. I also realised I have a gift in that department, I know how to answer verbal questions and maybe talk generally.

In a few years from that date, I would become “The Interviewer”. The feelings I had from there, and the lessons learnt, shaped my approach and many choice memories of recruits I encountered later in life. I ensured that my experience made it better for others. Talking about which, I remember the candidate that linked me to a great opportunity, stay tuned.