THE EMPLOYER'S
PERSPECTIVE

The customer is the most important part of the production line.

—W. Edwards Deming, Statistician, Professor, Author, Lecturer, and Consultant (1900–1993)

The customer is the person who pays. As such, it's important to learn to empathize with your customer. In retail, that customer is the shopper. But in your case, your customer is your employer. You always want to keep your eye on your employer's needs and concerns.

Remember the Golden Rule. I don't mean the one that says, “Treat others as you'd like others to treat you” (although that's important, too). In business, the Golden Rule is, “Whoever has the gold makes the rules.” An employer is someone who is trading his or her money for your skills, knowledge, network, and talents (and perhaps your creativity, if you're lucky). You want to understand that person's needs and what you can do for him. In an interview, he is who really matters.

You are of service to the employer. You need to be the person who “rides to the rescue” like the U.S. Cavalry always did in old Western movies. You need to reassure the employer that if he places you in a role, with a minimum amount of supervision and time, you can fix his problem. Your role is to take work away from the employer, to handle something he needs handled, which will allow him to move on to something else without having to worry about whether what he hired you to do is getting done.