I used to watch beauty pageants when I was a kid (now they’re known as “scholarship contests”). When they were still beauty pageants, I remember so vividly a Miss Teen USA pageant where Miss Texas was running away with the win. You could tell because they would show you the judges’ score for each contestant, and in every round (interview, evening gown, swimsuit – OK, this isn’t American Ninja) Miss Texas was the high score.
With the pageant winding down to the final five, all the finalists had to do was answer one question, and again, Miss Texas nailed it. So all that was left was a walk in an evening gown where the judges would have one final look at their favorites for Miss Teen USA!!!
The final walk started at the back of the stage, on top of a dais that was about 3-4 steps high. Military cadets were waiting below the dais, and the contestant would appear at the top, pose left to right, walk down the steps and take the arm of one of the cadets, so they could both walk gracefully off the stage.
The audience was going nuts. I’m going nuts. This pageant was like watching Michael Jordan take on a peewee basketball team. I couldn’t wait to see Miss Texas get the crown.
So Miss Texas takes her place at the top of the dais…
Then she precedes to slide down the steps on her butt – I don’t know how she didn’t rip that dress. While she did spring right back up into the arm of her assigned cadet and with just the slightest quiver of the lip, stroll offstage, she ended up finishing last.
I’m sure that if you averaged the scores for the evening, Miss Texas still could have won. She was that far ahead.
Unfortunately, scores aren’t carried over in beauty pageants. They’re like single-elimination sports that way. Whatever happened in the past is wiped out, and it’s only your performance in that round that matters.
Job searches are like beauty pageants and single-elimination sports championships. You might have been at the top of the resume pile. You might be the frontrunner in the interview process all the way to the final. But you still need to nail that final interview round and comport yourself appropriately during the negotiation process in order to close your search.
Anything else is like falling down the stairs during your final walk of the evening. Remember Miss Texas – perform at your best all the way to the end.
Keeping my clients focused and in peak performance all the way to the end is one of my roles as a coach. If you want someone in your corner – to prep you before you step out for your final interview – schedule a consultation call to discuss 1:1 coaching with me.
