People Don't Buy What You Do, They Buy Why You Do It

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in hosting a job fair for the company I work for (vivint.solar if you are interested). We had a great turnout, and conducted many rounds of group interviews. Previously, I had only ever conducted interviews with one applicant at a time, so this was an enriching experience for me. I was able to merge my knowledge of the company, my passion for what we do, and the communication skills that I have learned in class in order to capture the attention of the applicants and sell the position for which they had applied. The same skills are essential while being interviewed. I think that a universally applicable rule to live by is voiced in the video posted below. In the video, Simon Sinek says, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." This is a powerful statement. When being interviewed, it is important that you present yourself with confidence, that you show that you are knowledgeable in your field, and that you speak eloquently and professionally. However, no matter how competent you are at what you do, if you are unable to sufficiently sell the interviewer on why you do it, you will not be considered a strong candidate. You need to be passionate about what you do (or want to do). There needs to be a correlation between what you do and how it interacts with something you truly care about. I love my job not because I think that solar panels are awesome (which they are), but because by providing our services to our customers we are saving ordinary people money and are increasing the quality of life for those we serve. I am passionate about helping people live the best life they can possibly live. That is my why. What's yours?