You’ve seen it happen.
You know someone who got the job…and you’re thinking, “Really? Them?”
They weren’t the smartest person in the room. They didn’t have the deepest technical chops. But they could talk about their work. They knew how to explain what they did, why it mattered, and how it solved a real problem.
That’s what wins in interviews.
It’s not always about being the most talented candidate.
It’s about being the most understandable one.
You’re not under qualified. You’re just unclear.
Hiring managers aren’t mind-readers.
If you assume your impact is obvious, or that your resume speaks for itself, you’ll lose out to the person who’s half as skilled but twice as clear.
The truth is, the hiring process favors people who can frame their work in business terms. Who treat the conversation less like a pop quiz and more like a strategy session. Who don’t just show up to answer questions, but to solve problems.
If you're waiting for the questions to be perfect so you can give a good answer, you're already on your back foot.
The job interview is a business conversation, not a test
The best interviews feel like working sessions. Not because the candidate is regurgitating textbook answers, but because they’re engaging like a partner.
They’re asking thoughtful questions.
They’re translating their work into business impact.
They’re making it easy to picture them on the team.
This is especially true in tech and startup environments, where the lines between roles are often blurry and the problems are constantly shifting.
The person who gets hired? Usually the one who makes it easy to say yes.
So let’s talk about what makes this so hard
Let’s say you made it through the initial resume screen, congrats, because that in itself is a whole thing.
(And honestly? That deserves a rant of its own. Because the skills required to write an excellent, compelling resume often have nothing to do with whether you’re good at the actual job.)
But for now, let’s assume your resume did its job. The door’s cracked open. You’re interviewing.
And here’s where the real mismatch begins.
Some of these interview processes are part job screen, part Hunger Games. You’re expected to:
Share your screen and walk through complex systems in real time
Talk through architecture decisions while someone watches in silence
Whiteboard a solution while juggling audio glitches and performance anxiety
It’s not just about knowing your craft; it’s about performing it. On camera. While being evaluated. In real time. And that is not the same skillset.
Case in point: I recently onboarded a new recruiter on my own team. I was walking her through some of our internal platforms…stuff I use every single day…and I fumbled. Not because I didn’t know what I was doing. But because I knew I was being watched. I could feel the pressure to “do it right” on the spot.
If I, as someone who teaches this stuff, still get flustered in those moments, what does that say about how we’re screening talent? It was like I suddenly forgot how to type or even navigate LinkedIn. LinkedIn!
Let me be clear: I’m not saying we should throw out technical screenings. (See previous post: What AI Can’t Fake in a Technical Interview, A deeper look at how to actually assess engineering talent today)
But we do need to acknowledge this:
There are people getting filtered out not because they can’t do the job, but because they couldn’t perform the audition.
That’s a different conversation. One about how we evaluate talent. One about how clarity and confidence (not just competence) are the difference between “moved forward” and “we went with someone else.”
And if you’re the candidate?
That’s why learning to communicate your thinking, not just do the work, is so critical.
You’re not just there to be technically correct. You’re there to make the person across from you trust you, understand you, and picture you solving their problems.
The people who get hired aren’t always the best at the job. They’re just the best at showing how they think.
So how do you show it?
It starts with one shift: Stop recapping what happened. Start translating your impact.
You’re not writing a diary. You’re building a case.
If your resume or interview answers sound like:
Helped launch new product
Worked on the engineering team for platform migration
Contributed to internal tool redesign
You’re not telling me what you did; You’re telling me you were nearby when things happened. And that doesn’t get you hired. That gets you skipped.
Here’s how to do it differently:
Step 1: Start with the action
What did you actually do? Not the team. Not the project. You.
Bad:
Was part of the API rebuild
Better:
Led integration testing for new API endpoints used by three external partners
Step 2: Add the outcome
What changed because of your work?
Bad:
Supported customer onboarding
Better:
Redesigned onboarding documentation, reducing support tickets by 30 percent in the first 90 days
Step 3: Give the context
Why did this matter to the business?
Bad:
Updated legacy systems
Better:
Migrated legacy internal tools to modern architecture, improving system reliability during peak usage for sales team
You want every bullet, every answer, every story to answer this question: So what?
Not just what you did, but why it mattered.
Try this fill-in-the-blank format:
“I [did what action] to [solve what problem], which resulted in [measurable or meaningful outcome].”
Example:
I automated reporting workflows for the finance team to reduce manual spreadsheet work, which saved them 8 hours a week and improved reporting accuracy across the board.
Is that bragging? No.
That’s explaining your value.
You’re not saying you’re a genius. You’re saying:
Here’s the problem I solved, here’s what I did, and here’s what changed.
That’s not arrogance. That’s clarity.
Bonus: Practice before the pressure hits
If you wait until the interview to figure this out, you’re going to flounder. Not because you’re not qualified, but because pressure scrambles clarity.
So write out your top 3–5 wins.
Use the format above.
Say them out loud.
Better yet: send them to me. I’ll reply.
Seriously: reply to this email and brag.
Tell me something you built, fixed, led, shipped, or owned.
Practice makes you clearer. And clarity gets you hired.
See you next Monday,
Robin
#gorogue
Excited to share that I’m joining RecruiterOS as an Advisor to support the go-to-market launch of their new recruitment platform, built specifically for small agency owners.
When I started Rogue Recruitment back in 2018, it was with a simple belief: staffing could be better. More human. More honest. More effective.
For the last 7+ years, I’ve been advocating for candidates, building high-touch partnerships with scaling teams, and challenging the way this industry operates.
This feels like a natural extension of that mission: to help build tools that actually serve small, ethical recruiting firms. The ones doing quality work without the armies of sourcers or the big-brand budget. The ones fighting to do it right.
I’m fired up about this because it’s not just tech. It’s a chance to amplify the impact of the underdogs, and help them punch above their weight.
👉 My ask: I’d love to connect with other small agency owners. If you’re open to chatting, we’re looking for:
>> Real talk about what’s broken in your current tools
>> Early testers for the MVP
>> Feedback to shape a platform that’s truly built by us, for us
Replay back to this email if you’d like to set up a time to connect. Or, if you have a favorite recruitment agency owner, please forward this along to them.