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| Some invitations to converse are more oblique than others... |
“I tend not to ask too many questions about an applicant’s skills and aspirations - at least not at first.” says Deepak Goel, CEO of Drizzlin, a boutique media firm. “I like to let people tell their own stories. I ask them about their lives, their childhood, the choices they’ve made. I’m most interested in people’s character, what they are really about.”
Deepak has been eager to hire bright young people. “We’ve always been very close as a group, and my general philosophy has been to look for people who like us, who like the work, and have a general outlook on life that sits well with what we are trying to do as a firm.”
Is it tough to maintain that philosophy, when you have a bunch of new clients beating down the door and a ton of work that needs to get done right away? “The fundamental notion is still that, for anyone who joins Drizzlin, we will give them room to rise as fast and as far as they can.” Deepak says that Drizzlin will consider anyone who is willing to roll up their sleeves and learn the business from the inside out. “Whether it’s someone with just a few years work experience who wants to help put systems in place, or a more senior finance professional who’s looking to move into this industry and exercise some leadership in a growing company, we’re happy to have a conversation with them.”
Deepak mentions the notion of “fit” and “fitness” described in The Corner Office , a collection of interviews with CEOs of large companies: “Of course it’s important that you have some skills, and that you are good at something. But we want to know who you are, and whether you’ll be happy with us. We want to know that you are willing to invest time in growing with the firm, and in exchange we are happy to give you time to find your feet.”
Advice for applicants?
- Be clear about what you can commit, in terms of time and energy. Some applicants are in the middle of exams or have other pending commitments. “We often tell them to apply again once they have some clarity. We can make hiring decisions very quickly, and the nature of our work is such that, if someone is right for the firm, we want them on board ASAP.”
- Don’t be afraid to bring your values, your life philosophy and your personality to the conversation. “It’s a small team and we are very close, but there is room for all kinds of people.” Don’t assume that you need to be exactly like the person who is interviewing you. Be yourself, and give the interviewer a fair chance to figure out whether you’re a good fit.
- Don’t get hung up on the specific role that was advertised. “Of course, you need to be able to contribute. But we are interested in building a team of people who are willing to learn and grow.”
- A little preparation can be very helpful, especially for applicants who don’t have a social media or marketing background. “Show us that you understand the space, and the basics of the industry. If you can demonstrate some brand awareness, it tells us that you’ve been paying attention to what’s going on around you, and are more likely to hit the ground running.”
