Difficult questions

Had an interview yesterday, #206! I’m slogging through it, trying not to fuck up too badly, giving ‘reasonable’ answers to all their questions. (It’s a union-backed temp job with the city, so every question is delivered as robotically as possible). Then I get to the last one: “Tell us why you’re the best candidate for the position”.

Few questions illicit such a visceral reaction (the other that comes to mind is “what’s your salary requirements”, on which I think I’ve ranted before).

I shyly reiterated how my education, skills, and experience match what they’re looking for, like the robot that is processing the questions. Trying to add the cherry to the top, I add “and I’m dedicated to the cause”, and something about being an artist (as the job had to do with arts).

The cherry topped a shit sundae and I knew it.

This is what I wanted to say: I am a dedicated servant to my fellow peeps, especially those less fortunate than me. I am inherently by nature not a selfish, self-aggrandizing, or self-centered person. In fact, one of my major challenges in running for public office was that it was ALL ABOUT ME, and I loathe the limelight. (I really had to work on that, and it was very difficult to see my name splattered on signs all over the neighborhood.) I do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. If I really thought I was the best person for anything, I wouldn’t be in this line of work. Cause I don’t know if I’m the best, I don’t know who the other people are, I’m sure they’re excellent too. I can’t say I’m better than them. (It was different in my campaign: the incumbent was well known, and I had specific policy grievances with him, as well proposals and visions that were vastly different. It was cute.)

So no, I can’t say why I’m the best person for this job, and asking me makes me want to crawl into a hole.

I am not competitive by nature. I never have been. I’ve never tackled a challenge because I thought I could do it better, or that I was better than someone else. Nothing on my resume is there for that reason. I do things because it’s the right thing to do, because I want a better world, because there are so many injustices out there than need to be undone. In fact, it could be argued quite strongly that the much of the world’s problems are because some people think too highly of themselves. I don’t even remember if I voted for myself (which one out, the quest for humility, or my own vote? I don’t remember, and it was a fierce debate in the voting booth).

So why am I the best candidate? I’m not. Lots of people are. Some might also be in line for interview. Don’t make me disparage them or inflate my ego to get this job. 

Thank you.