Presence

MBA's are now in the heart of recruiting/networking season. For those going into consulting, this is when some people are getting invited to "invite-only" events by certain prestigious companies (and possibly having their egos inflated), and everyone else not invited is having FOMO (fear of missing out) about not getting invited.

A consulting firm held a "how to case interview" session today, where they gave tips, a live example, and then also general comments about what they are looking for. Besides great experiences, analytical abilities and creativity, they are also looking for "presence".

I've actually heard other companies talk about this quality too. That they want people who have "presence". And they try to describe "presence" as confidence, excitement, polish, etc. It's one of those qualities that is really hard to describe, but everyone kinda has a sense of what it means.

And that's probably the scariest part about recruiting for consulting. You never really know if you have what they want, because not everything is practice-able or quantifiable. No one ever thinks of themselves as insecure and awkward, or as arrogant and unperceptive. But we can all sense if others are insecure, awkward, arrogant, etc.

Anyway, a lot of craziness going on. It's good to step back, not become arrogant or insecure (those two characteristics usually go together ironically), and to remember that even if you get an interview spot, you only have a 10-15% chance of getting an offer. And whether or not you are invited to these exclusive events, to remember that your value and worth is not based on how the companies see you.

It's good to step back, and remember
1) who you are--you're a child of God; God's beloved. you are loved
2) who you trust-- you've got family and close friends whom you can depend on, whose interactions are strictly "non-evaluative" unlike those of recruiters and colleagues. (aka, you can cry in front of them without being judged as emotional or weak, and you can appear dumb, awkward and not-knowledgeable without being judged, because they either know you too well already and nothing you do can surprise them, or they are so full of love that they don't do the judging thing--aka what the church should be, but most of the time isn't)
3) what's important -- life's not about prestige, and it's not about money. And it's surely not about starwood and airline flight points. Be true to what's important. And that usually links back to #1 and #2, along with whatever you are passionate or compassionate about, relating to humanity and the gospel