Latest / Career Coaching with Fexingo: Professional Coaches, Career Counselors, and Guidance for Workers / Why Your Next Job Is The Interview
Transcript
- Lucas: Most people walk into an interview thinking they are on trial. They rehearse their answers, polish their stories, and try to project confidence because they assume the power dynamic is entirely one-way. But if you look at the data from late September and early October, that assumption is costing workers exactly what they need most: clarity. Luna: Right, and I think that’s why so many good candidates end up in bad roles. They’re so focused on passing the test that they forget to check if the classroom actually has a roof over it. Lucas: Exactly. We talk a lot about how to sell yourself, but we rarely talk about how to vet the buyer. Today, we are flipping the script. We are going to discuss why your next job is not just something you get, but something you interview for. And I want to start with a specific trend we are seeing in executive searches right now. Luna: Which is? Lucas: Reverse due diligence. It used to be reserved for private equity firms buying companies. Now, senior talent is asking for access to financial models, churn rates, and internal audit reports before signing anything. It sounds extreme, but it highlights a shift in leverage. Luna: It does sound intense, but when you think about the cost of a bad hire for a company versus the cost of a bad job for a person, the stakes are pretty symmetrical. Lucas: They are. And this brings us to our first concrete tool for today’s discussion. When you are in the final round of interviews, you have earned the right to interrogate the role. Most people use this time to ask vague questions about benefits or remote work policies. That is too passive. You need to ask about failure. Luna: Asking about failure? Like, what went wrong here recently? Lucas: Precisely. Ask the hiring manager: tell me about a project that failed in this department in the last twelve months. How did they handle the aftermath? Did they blame individuals, or did they analyze the process? The answer tells you everything about their psychological safety and their actual maturity as a business. Luna: That is a brilliant filter. If they say nothing has ever failed, you know they are lying or they are completely unaware of their own blind spots. Lucas: Exactly. Silence or denial is a red flag. But let’s go deeper. Once you get past the initial interview, you will likely meet potential peers. This is where you can do some serious reconnaissance. Do not treat these chats as social pleasantries. Treat them as field research. Luna: I love that framing. Field research implies you are looking for evidence, not just impressions. Lucas: It does. So, what evidence do you look for? Look at the body language of the current team. Are they relaxed? Are they checking their phones constantly, which might signal burnout or boredom? Or are they leaning in, engaged, and maybe a little tired in a good way? There is a difference between exhausted from impact and exhausted from chaos. Luna: That nuance is so important. You can smell the difference in a Zoom call. One feels like purposeful effort, the other feels like reactive panic. Lucas: And then there is the question of resources. Companies often hide their true priorities behind nice mission statements. But you can see where the budget goes. Ask your interviewer: what is the biggest bottleneck stopping this team from hitting its goals next quarter? If they say people, they might be understaffed. If they say tools, they might be technologically behind. If they say strategy, you are walking into a political minefield. Luna: Ouch. If they say strategy, you’re basically being warned that no one knows what they are doing either. Lucas: Or that leadership is indecisive. Both are dangerous for your career. Now, I want to bring up a specific example from a mid-sized tech firm we observed earlier this year. They were hiring for a product lead. The candidate asked about the decision-making hierarchy. The hiring manager said decisions were consensus-based. Sounds democratic, right? Luna: Sounds healthy. Why was that a problem? Lucas: Because consensus without authority is just delay. The candidate dug deeper and found that projects sat in committee for six months. She declined the offer. Six months later, that team missed two major deadlines because they couldn’t move fast enough. She saved herself from a performance review nightmare by asking one extra question. Luna: That is such a clear case of due diligence paying off. It’s not just about getting the job; it’s about ensuring the job is sustainable. Lucas: Sustainable is the key word. Because here is the uncomfortable truth: you are also being interviewed by the company’s reputation. In October 2026, information asymmetry is shrinking. Glassdoor is less reliable, but LinkedIn activity, industry forums, and even alumni networks provide a richer picture. Use them. Luna: So, before you accept an offer, you should probably reach out to someone who left that company in the last two years? Lucas: Yes. And be careful how you frame that conversation. Do not ask them why they hated it. Ask them what they learned. Former employees are often more honest about the structural issues than former managers. They can tell you about the turnover rate, the management style, and the real reasons people leave. Luna: That takes courage though. Reaching out to a stranger and admitting you are considering joining their old workplace. Lucas: It does take courage, but most professionals respect the curiosity. If they don’t respond, that is data in itself. Silence suggests they might still be bitter, or they simply don’t care. Either way, it informs your risk assessment. Luna: I agree. And it shifts the dynamic from me begging for a job to me evaluating a partnership. Lucas: Exactly. A partnership. Which brings us to the negotiation phase. Most people negotiate salary. You should also negotiate the terms of your success. Can you ask for a three-month review with specific metrics? Can you secure training budgets upfront? These are signals that you expect to grow, and that the company is willing to invest in that growth. Luna: It’s like setting the rules of engagement before the war starts. If they balk at defining success, you know the goalposts will move. Lucas: Spot on. And finally, trust your gut. Not your emotional gut, but your analytical gut. If something felt slightly off in the third interview—the vague answers, the defensive tone, the lack of enthusiasm—do not ignore it. Your subconscious is picking up on micro-cues that your conscious mind hasn’t processed yet. Luna: So, if you have to rationalize away your discomfort, that’s usually a sign to walk away. Lucas: Always. Walking away is a powerful career move. It signals that you value your time and your sanity. And ironically, it often makes you more attractive to future employers because you show discernment. Luna: I really like that perspective. Discernment as a competitive advantage. Lucas: It is. So, as we wrap up, I want to leave you with this challenge. For your next interaction, whether it is an interview or a networking coffee chat, prepare three questions that reveal the company’s operational reality. Don’t ask about the perks. Ask about the pain. Luna: Ask about the pain. That’s a great takeaway. It forces honesty and gives you the data you need to decide. Lucas: If today was actually useful to you, the way these stay ad-free is listener support — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, if you got something out of this flip in perspective, consider supporting the show. It helps us keep digging into these details for all of you. Lucas: Thanks for listening. Now, go out there and interview them back.