[BigV]

Hi monster

I saw this earlier this morning and all your other friends chimed in with great advice.

Here's my two cents:

The company, they *want* you to be the one.

I have found it helpful to understand the perspective of the employer. They have a pressing need, a need they can't resolve with outsourcing, with spreading the work across other current employees, hiring another person is their last resort. They may not be actually desperate, but they need you, and they would really like you right now.

They picked you for the position/interview because they think, based on what they've seen about you to this point, likely your resume and your application, maybe a recommendation from someone they know/trust, that you're the shortest path to their solution. Might not be though, right? You might not be the right person, so they're being reasonable, prudent, by interviewing you to find out more about who you are.

THEY interview all the time, you and me, not so much, amirite? So for them, they're accustomed to it, they think they know what they want from your answers so they're cool, but hopeful. ... Here's what I want to convey. I've had nerve wracking phone interviews recently too. Stakes are high for me too. I'm nervous. But doing the things that dissipate that nervousness is important. It will make a difference in how you're perceived over the phone.

Just be yourself.

hahaha.. easier said than done, I know. But you are the expert on you. They want you, well, they want to know that the you you are is going to be able to do the work they need done. But you read the job description, you're a grown-ass woman, you absolutely know how to get shit done. As your relaxed, confident answers convey the technical skill they're looking for, they'll learn about the person you are. That's really the unknown part for them, and you are the best person to sell that to them.

You're gonna crush it.