Dear Interviewer

Dear Interviewer,

The person sitting across from you
Is not a checklist,
Not a resume,
Not a first impression.
They are a person, breathing and dreaming—
Just like you.

You resist the stories—

• That a smile defines warmth,
• That a quiver betrays strength,
• That a pause is uncertainty,
• Or quick words mean chaos.

You resist—

• The lie that arrogance and confidence are twins,
• Or that humility has no power.

You give me space—
To stumble. To breathe. To be.

You don’t build walls with assumptions—

You build bridges,
Bridges of questions—
Questions that seek to understand.

And within those bridges,

You offer me space—
To stumble. To breathe. To be human.

Yet, understanding isn’t simple—

You can’t form a judgment—
Not without every thread of truth.

But here’s the truth:

• Answers are fragments.
• Stories are windows—
  But the heart is what lies beyond.

And seeing it—
That’s where your real work begins.

You pause.

You put forth your most honest effort,
Because you know:

The person sitting across from you—

• Is more than their titles.
• More than their past on paper.
• More than a snapshot of their best day.

They are a person, a human being—
Just like you.

And as a human, they deserve:

• Your hardest work.
• Your best effort.

So:

• See their why, not just their what.
• Hear their silence, not just their words.
• Test their skills, not their luck.

I believe you understand—

And I trust you’ll hold yourself to it.

That’s why I’m here—
Because I trust that you’ll honor this exchange.

• You’ll see me, not just what’s on my resume.
• You’ll ask me what I can do, not assume what I can’t.
• You’ll hear me, not just listen for the answers you want to find.

So let’s meet—

Not as interviewer and candidate,
But as two people,
Seeking the same:
A path forward, built on trust,
And a connection, built on understanding.

Sincerely,
The Candidate