Podcast Summary: "Career Confidential: Interviewing for Smarties"
Podcast: Becoming You with Suzy Welch
Host: Suzy Welch (NYU Stern Professor)
Guest/Co-host: Dustin Liu (Senior Associate Director, NYU Initiative On Purpose and Flourishing)
Release Date: September 9, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode dives deep into the tactical art and science of job interviews. Suzy Welch and her colleague Dustin Liu—both highly experienced in hiring and career guidance—break down what it really takes to ace interviews in today’s job market. Drawing on real stories, candid experiences, and their trademark humor, the hosts explore competence, culture, preparation, being real in the room, and how to craft your personal narrative. The tone is practical, encouraging, and unfiltered, with actionable advice for everyone from nervous first-timers to chronic interviewers.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Purpose of Interviewing: Beyond the Existential ([00:20]-[02:47])
- Suzy frames interviewing as "the most tactical" aspect of purpose-driven work, bridging the gap between existential soul-searching and real-world action.
- Even if your purpose is outside traditional jobs, interviewing skills matter for landing roles that align with it.
Memorable Quote:
"You've got to be existential before you get tactical."
— Suzy Welch [01:36]
2. What Hiring Managers Seek: The Three C’s ([03:33]-[06:00])
Suzy lays out what she looks for:
- Competence: Technical ability to do the job.
- Cultural Fit: Will you mesh with the team and values (but beware “yo bro syndrome”—lack of diversity).
- Curiosity: Interest in the work, evidenced by asking thoughtful questions.
Notable Moment:
- Suzy recounts a recent interviewee who didn’t ask any questions:
"This person did not ask me a single question about what we do and why. I know you're nervous... but you gotta ask them questions... show that your brain's in the game."
— Suzy Welch [04:21]
3. From the Candidate’s Side: Knowing What You Want ([06:38]-[07:14])
- Dustin shares his practice of routinely interviewing to "keep fresh" and emphasizes the importance of knowing what growth and culture you personally want.
Quote:
"In those interviews I had a good sense of what I was looking for in an employer... so much of it had to do around my growth."
— Dustin Liu [06:57]
4. Assessing Company Culture: Red Flags & the Right Questions ([07:14]-[10:49])
- Suzy stresses that a company’s inability to articulate its culture is a "gigantic red flag."
- Tactics for candidates: Politely ask, "How would you describe your culture?" or "Who succeeds here? Who shouldn’t work here?"
- Dustin recommends waiting until rapport is built to ask tougher questions.
Quotes:
"If a company cannot describe its culture to you, it has one. It's probably pretty toxic." — Suzy Welch [07:28]
"What kind of person should not work at this company?"
— Dustin Liu [09:55]
5. Preparation: Detective Work Wins ([10:49]-[13:46])
- Preparation is a key differentiator. Suzy expects candidates to know her work, the company, and come armed with ideas.
- Dustin describes doing “Nancy Drew esque detective work” before interviews.
Memorable Examples:
- A candidate physically checked parking the night before [13:19].
- Suzy tells how a candidate’s curiosity immediately set her apart:
"I said, oh, I just finished a column. And she said, what was it about?... I couldn't believe it. She wants to know what the work is."
— Suzy Welch [13:01]
6. Your Digital Presence: LinkedIn & Google Yourself ([14:09]-[16:04])
- Suzy reviews every applicant’s LinkedIn:
- Activity, connections, profile quality, evidence of skills
- Notes with applications are invaluable ("Do not sleep on that functionality.")
Quote:
"When somebody says, I really like this job because of X, Y and Z, I'm like, thank you. Thank you for giving me your context."
— Suzy Welch [15:47]
7. The Interview Starts Before the Interview ([16:04]-[17:32])
- First impressions begin with the very first email.
- How you treat administrative assistants and handle all communications is “data collection” that can preemptively disqualify you.
Quote:
"It does. It starts with the first communication. Do you think people don't talk in companies? ... Everybody talks to each other."
— Suzy Welch [16:33]
8. On References & If You Lack Strong Ones ([17:32]-[18:34])
- If exiting a job with poor references, own it honestly with the hiring manager.
- Emphasize what you learned, own your mistakes, and explain the context without blaming.
Quote:
"I think that the answer is honesty, where you would say to the hiring manager, look, I am leaving this job in a very rough place. It didn't work out for these reasons. I own this piece of it..." — Suzy Welch [17:42]
9. Handling Interview Nerves ([18:42]-[20:40])
- Suzy’s unorthodox but powerful advice: Name it.
If you’re nervous or feel the interview’s going off the rails, say it out loud with candor—and express your desire for the job.
Quotes:
"I have crazy advice, but I'll stand by it. And the advice is this. Say it out loud... That vulnerability, that humanity, that candor could blow the barn doors off. And frankly, if it doesn’t, you don’t want to work there." — Suzy Welch [18:56]
10. The Power of Personal Narrative ([21:46]-[End])
- Many candidates struggle to tie together diverse experiences. Suzy stresses crafting a personal story that explains your journey, purpose, and why you belong.
Quote:
"You must have a narrative of yourself. You must have your story knit together so that when you go in, they’re not asking questions and you’re kind of randomly answering them. You are going in with a narrative."
— Suzy Welch [21:46]
Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
-
"An interview is typically a conversation between two liars."
— Suzy Welch [04:08] -
"You want people to care enough that they're coming fully loaded with ideas."
— Suzy Welch [13:32] -
"I want them to be prepared. I want them to want the job and say so. And I want them to be candid and I want them to show their humanity in the interview."
— Suzy Welch [20:48]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:20–02:47: Framing the episode—purpose, work, and why interviews matter
- 03:33–06:00: The Three C’s of hiring: Competence, Culture, Curiosity
- 07:14–10:49: How to assess company culture & questions to ask
- 10:49–13:46: Tactical preparation before and during interviews
- 14:09–16:04: Managing your digital presence for interviews
- 16:04–17:32: Why the interview starts with your first communication
- 17:32–18:34: Reference challenges and honest communication
- 18:42–20:40: Managing nerves and the value of vulnerability
- 21:46–end: Creating and sharing your personal narrative
Closing Takeaways
- Show up prepared and “fully loaded.”
- Be genuinely curious and express excitement for the job.
- Ask candid, specific questions about culture—but time them well.
- Be honest if things haven’t worked out elsewhere—own your story.
- If feeling nervous, name it rather than trying to fake calm.
- Craft and own a personal narrative that ties your experiences and purpose together.
“Getting the job that you can grow in and thrive in is one of the greatest things can ever happen to you in your life. The interview really matters. The interview is the stage setting. Sometimes we never crawl out of the hole we get into in the interview... I’m rooting for you.”
— Suzy Welch [20:48]
For anyone facing an interview, this episode is equal parts pep talk, advice column, and real-world toolkit—delivered with the refreshing candor that marks Suzy Welch’s “Becoming You” series.