Interviews Don’t Have Consolation Prizes

Most of life gives you options. A first prize, a second prize, sometimes even a third.

You learn, you adjust, you try again.

Interviews are different.

Very often, there’s only one outcome that matters.

When you walk into an interview, it’s a bit like The Hunger Games Reaping.

Your name is called. You step forward. The room goes quiet.

You don’t get weeks to prove yourself. You don’t get multiple rounds to slowly warm people up to you. You get a short window sometimes less than a minute where people decide how you come across, what you value, and whether they can imagine you in their world.

That’s what an interview really is.

And that’s why preparation matters far more than people think.

This isn’t about having perfect answers or memorising corporate jargon. It’s about being able to explain you — naturally, confidently, and in a way that feels human. An elevator pitch isn’t a performance. It’s a relaxed, conversational way of saying who you are, how you work, what matters to you, and why you’re a good fit for this company.

This is your survival skill.

The challenge is that your strongest assets are usually invisible to you.

The habits you rely on without thinking. The way you organise chaos, stay calm under pressure, read people, adapt quickly, or follow things through. These are real strengths but because they feel normal to you, you don’t realise how valuable they are.

And if you can’t see them, you can’t name them when it counts.

Preparation isn’t about pretending to be someone else. It’s about knowing what you already bring into the arena and being able to articulate it clearly, calmly, and confidently.

Because interviews don’t have consolation prizes.

If you want help uncovering your natural strengths and turning them into a strong, authentic elevator pitch, contact me. We’ll identify what you already do well and shape it into something you can use when it matters.

So that when your name is called, you don’t freeze.

You step forward knowing exactly what you’re bringing with you.

Contact Frieda van der Merwe for career and interview coaching.