The Way of the Wall Street Warrior

CHAPTER 2Don't Fight the Tape: Diligence Your Way to an Interview

In preparation for interviews, ask your close friends and colleagues what they thought of you at first contact. What were their brutally honest first impressions? Maybe your friend from kindergarten remembers you running around without pants. Or another remembers how you were sullen and listened to Billie Eilish on repeat. Regardless, ask only for the bad, or the things you need to improve. You probably already know what's great about yourself, but we're often oblivious to what makes us less than perfect.

Why is it so important to understand people's first impressions of you? It's not just that you want to put your best foot forward (and lock your worst foot in a safe room). People tend to hire those who are like themselves. It's all part of the field of cognitive bias, a discipline that uses psychology to explain why people make decisions, usually irrational ones. This field includes affinity bias—a concept that explains why employers tend to hire people who look like them and have similar beliefs and backgrounds.

On Wall Street, there is a phrase, “Don't fight the tape.” It means not to trade against the market. If stocks are rising, don't sell. Obviously, this can be shite investment advice, but it's a useful maxim when you're first trying to get in the door on a job or a deal. So go with the flow, study the heck out of the companies, and try to determine their organizational biases. You may surprise yourself ...