Tweetspeak Poetry

  • Home
  • FREE prompts
  • Earth Song
  • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • Teaching Tools
  • Books, Etc.
  • Patron Love

Poetry at Work: The Poetry of the Interview

By Glynn Young 6 Comments

New York in Rain

I was part of an interview team, talking individually with four candidates for a communication research job. Human Resources had provided us with a set of “behavioral interview” questions, which meant we would be asking things like “What’s the biggest failure you’ve ever experienced?” and “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”

We followed the HR guidelines, but I asked one additional question, and it turned out to be the differentiator.

“What do you think of our web site?”

Three of the four gushed about how wonderful it was. The fourth said it was rather boring and uninteresting.

Guess which candidate we hired?

The job interview is a staple of organizational life. Whole libraries and consulting industries have been built around the interview, with the “behavioral interview” serving as the current interview canon.

Rather than ask someone how they overcame a career setback, I’d prefer to ask them who their favorite poet is.

Imagine being asked that in a job interview. Imagine asking that in a job interview.

And yet there may be more sense in a question like that than those behaviorally correct questions we use today. You’d learn something unexpected, for one thing. Or you’d learn that a candidate doesn’t like or read poetry, which is not a disqualifier, bit it might speak volumes about how a candidate handles the unexpected.

Job interviews, for both the interviewer and the candidate, contain drama, anxiety, tension, hope, fear, uncertainty — all those emotions and realities that make for great poetry.

And like other aspects of work life, interviews contain their own inner poetry. An interview is the result of a mating dance of organizational need and individual desire.

In an interview, questions and answers are both imagined and practiced before the actual event. Both interviewers and candidates do this, searching for the right words that will crystallize thoughts. Sounds something like poetry?

Interviews are verbal langauge — and poetry is meant to be read aloud (or that was the original intent, anyway).

Interviews, like poetry, are ultimately about ideas, even though they are ostensibly about people. Behind the people in an interview are ideas about careers, employment, the future, and organizational goals and objectives.

And like poetry, interviews are about capturing attention, being different, standing out in a good way or a novel way.

An interview can be considered the creation of a poem. Interviewers and candidates come together, and a relationship is born, sometimes only briefly. But each interview is simultaneously an organizational and personal poem.

Tell me a poem, a story
of a favored poet or poem,
one who changed your life,
your mind, opened up
possibilities, or made you
feel secure as your anchors,
your moorings, were removed.

Speak to me of your need;
describe the expectations
(are they great ones?), explain
how we soar together, toward
the sun, if not the moon,
tell me how I become

part of your larger self.

Photograph by Terence S. Jones. Sourced via Flickr. Poetry at Work™ post by Glynn Young, author of the novels Dancing Priest and the recently published A Light Shining.

________________

Buy a year of happy work mornings today, just $5.99. In June we’re exploring the theme Mirror, Mirror.

Every Day Poems Driftwood

Poetry at Work-Hot

Now you can easily follow our new Poetry at Work posts. Add one of our Poetry at Work badges to your blog or website today!

Click for more badge options

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Glynn Young
Follow Glynn
Glynn Young
Editor and Twitter-Party-Cool-Poem-Weaver at Tweetspeak Poetry
Glynn Young lives in St. Louis where he retired as the team leader for Online Strategy & Communications for a Fortune 500 company. Glynn writes poetry, short stories and fiction, and he loves to bike. He is the author of Poetry at Work and the Dancing Priest Series. Find Glynn at Faith, Fiction, Friends.
Glynn Young
Follow Glynn
Latest posts by Glynn Young (see all)
  • Poets and Poems: Yvor Winters and “Selected Poems” - September 19, 2023
  • “The Battle of Maldon” by J.R.R Tolkien, Edited by Peter Grybauskas - September 12, 2023
  • Poets and Poems: Stephen Cushman and “Keep the Feast” - September 5, 2023

Filed Under: article, poetry, poetry and business, Poetry at Work, work poems

Get Every Day Poems...

Comments

  1. Mary Sayler says

    June 4, 2013 at 10:28 am

    What a great idea! Wonder what would happen if people asked potential spouses about a favorite poem before committing to a life-long relationship. If the other person seems baffled, no problem, but a gag reflex or super-strong reaction such as “I hate the stuff!” might be cause to back away very, very carefully 🙂

    Reply
  2. Megan Willome says

    June 4, 2013 at 10:36 am

    I haven’t had many job interviews, but interviewing people is part of my job. It’s one of my favorite things to do because as much as I prepare, there’s always something unpredictable that happens. And when the interviewee says that wonderful, unexpected thing, I can actually see it in Times New Roman, 12 point, 1-inch margins and no spacing between paragraphs. That’s when I know it’s good.

    Reply
  3. Monica Sharman says

    June 4, 2013 at 11:42 am

    And not only would we learn something unexpected, but the behaviorally correct questions themselves are unexpected. It’s the kind of question an interviewee can’t prepare a canned answer for.

    I think part of the interview process should be a lunchtime basketball pick-up game. 🙂 It’s unexpected, their guard is down, we see more of who they really are…

    Reply
  4. Glynn says

    June 4, 2013 at 12:40 pm

    Monica, one time I played men’s volleyball with a church group — and watched good friends become vicious animals on the court, led by the pastor. I think you’re on to something.

    Reply
  5. Martha Orlando says

    June 4, 2013 at 12:50 pm

    What a unique way to think about the interview, and it makes such sense! Love the closing poem, too!

    Reply
  6. davis says

    June 4, 2013 at 6:09 pm

    give me a head hunter with words
    long beautiful words
    shining gleaming streaming
    golden olden

    let them fly in the breeze
    and get caught in the trees
    a home for q’s and t’s
    those words

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For the Writer in You

Take How to Read a Poem

Get the Introduction, the Billy Collins poem, and Chapter 1

get the sample now

Welcome to Tweetspeak

New to Tweetspeak Poetry? Start here, in The Mischief Café. You're a regular? Check out our September Menu.

Patron Love

❤️

Welcome a little patron love, when you help keep the world poetic.

Your Comments

  • Bethany on Poetry Prompt: Back to School, in the Second Person
  • Megan Wheeler on Poetry Prompt: Back to School, in the Second Person
  • Bethany R. on Poetry Club: Coffee Shop Collage—”Do the Shells Still Hear”
  • Bethany R. on Poetry Prompt: Back to School, in the Second Person

Join the Year of the Monarch

How to Write Poetry

Featured In

We're happy to have been featured in...

The Huffington Post

The Paris Review

The New York Observer

Tumblr Book News

Stay in Touch With Us

Categories

Learn to Write Form Poems

How to Write an Acrostic

How to Write a Ballad

How to Write a Catalog Poem

How to Write a Ghazal

How to Write a Haiku

How to Write an Ode

How to Write a Pantoum

How to Write a Rondeau

How to Write a Sestina

How to Write a Sonnet

How to Write a Villanelle

5 FREE POETRY PROMPTS

Get 5 FREE inbox poetry prompts from the popular book How to Write a Poem

Shakespeare Resources

Poetry Classroom: Sonnet 18

Common Core Picture Poems: Sonnet 73

Sonnet 104 Annotated

Sonnet 116 Annotated

Character Analysis: Romeo and Juliet

Character Analysis: Was Hamlet Sane or Insane?

Why Does Hamlet Wait to Kill the King?

10 Fun Shakespeare Resources

About Shakespeare: Poet and Playwright

Top 10 Shakespeare Sonnets

See all 154 Shakespeare sonnets in our Shakespeare Library!

Explore Work From Black Poets

About Us

  • • A Blessing for Writers
  • • Annual Theme 2022: Perspective
  • • Annual Theme 2021: Generous
  • • Our Story
  • • Meet Our Team
  • • Literary Citizenship
  • • Poet Laura
  • • Poetry for Life: The 5 Vital Approaches
  • • T. S. Poetry Press – All Books
  • • Contact Us

Write With Us

  • • 5 FREE Poetry Prompts-Inbox Delivery
  • • 30 Days to Richer Writing Workshop
  • • Poetry Prompts
  • • Submissions
  • • The Write to Poetry

Read With Us

  • • All Our Books
  • • Book Club
  • • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • • Literacy Extras
  • • Poems to Listen By: Audio Series
  • • Poet-a-Day
  • • Poets and Poems
  • • 50 States Projects
  • • Charlotte Perkins Gilman Poems Library
  • • Edgar Allan Poe Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Blake Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Shakespeare Sonnet Library

Celebrate With Us

  • • Poem on Your Pillow Day
  • • Poetic Earth Month
  • • Poet in a Cupcake Day
  • • Poetry at Work Day
  • • Random Acts of Poetry Day
  • • Take Your Poet to School Week
  • • Take Your Poet to Work Day

Gift Ideas

  • • Every Day Poems
  • • Our Shop
  • • Everybody Loves a Book!

Connect

  • • Donate
  • • Blog Buttons
  • • By Heart
  • • Shop for Tweetspeak Fun Stuff

Copyright © 2023 Tweetspeak Poetry · FAQ, Disclosure & Privacy Policy

We serve poetry with our cookies. Because that's the way it should be.
We serve poetry with your cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you... accept the cookies with a smile.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
update cookie prefs

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT