People regularly lose jobs for what they cannot do but rarely get jobs based solely upon their abilities. This is because every job has a unique combination of demands and benefits.

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	The successful interviewee never gives up, never loses confidence, and always delivers a positive argument to close the deal.

Outstanding performance in similar past positions cannot ensure strong performance by an employee in a new position. Recruiters know this, and they use interviews to gauge the personal attributes of their candidates. More often than not, the candidate's mindset and attitude matter most.

The processes of recruitment and interviewing are as old as humanity itself, and our myths and legends demonstrate that the attitude of a successful interviewee is the same everywhere and in every era. The successful interviewee never gives up, never loses confidence, and always delivers a positive argument to close the deal.

The Irish myth that tells of Lugh Samildánach's attempt to enter the court of Nuada of the Silver Hand at Tara is one of the best tales illustrating this point. Below is a version of the story taken from The Second Battle of Moytura, compiled and translated from the Celtic by Whitley Stokes and published in 1891:

Now there was a certain warrior on his way to Tara whose name was Samildánach. And there were then two doorkeepers at Tara, namely Gamal, son of Figal, and Camall, son of Riagall. When one of these was there, he sees a strange company coming towards him. A young warrior fair and shapely, with a king's trappings, was in the forefront of that band.

They told the doorkeeper to announce their arrival at Tara.

The doorkeeper asked, "Who is there?"

"Here there is Lugh Lonnannsclech, son of Cian, son of Dian-cecht, and of Ethne, daughter of Balor. Fosterson, he, of Tallan, daughter of Magmor, king of Spain, and of Echaid the Rough, son of Duach."

The doorkeeper asked of Samildánach, "What art dost thou practice?" saith he, "for no one without an art enters Tara."

"Question me," saith he. "I am a wright."

The doorkeeper answered, "We need thee not. We have a wright already, even Luchtae, son of Luachaid."

He said, "Question me, O doorkeeper! I am a smith."

The doorkeeper answered him, "We have a smith already, even Colum Cualléinech of the three new processes."

He said, "Question me. I am a champion."

The doorkeeper answered, "We need thee not. We have a champion already, even Ogma, son of Ethliu."

He said again, "Question me," saith he, "I am a harper."

"We need thee not. We have a harper already, even Abhcán, son of Bicelmos, whom the men of the three gods [chose] in the fairy hills."

Said he, "Question me. I am a hero."

The doorkeeper answered, "We need thee not. We have a hero already, even Bresal Echarlam, son of Echaid Baethlam."

Then he said, "Question me, O doorkeeper! I am a poet, and I am a historian."

"We need thee not. We have already a poet and historian, even En, son of Ethaman."

He said, "Question me." Says he, "I am a sorcerer."

"We need thee not. We have sorcerers already. Many are our wizards and our folk of might."

He said, "Question me. I am a leech."

"We need thee not. We have for a leech Dian-cecht."

"Question me," saith he. "I am a cupbearer."

"We need thee not. We have cupbearers already, even Delt and Drucht and Daithe, Taé and Talom and Trog, Glei and Glan and Glési."

He said, "Question me. I am a good brazier."

"We need thee not. We have a brazier already, even Credne Cerd."

He said again, "Ask the king," saith he, "whether he has a single man who [possesses] all these arts, and if he has, I will not enter Tara."

Then the doorkeeper went into the palace and declared all to the king. "A warrior has come before the garth," saith he. "His name is Samildánach, and all the arts which thy household practice he alone possesses, so that he is the man of each and every art.'

Then that was related to Nuada. "Let him into the garth," says Nuada, "for never before has man like him entered this fortress."

So that's how Lugh made it into the king's court. He appeared in "king's trappings" because dress is always important. The first question he faced asked for his identity, and he gave it. Then came the test wherein Lugh had to convince the gatekeeper that he would be useful to the king. He put forth arguments 10 times, and 10 times he was refused on the grounds that others with the same skills were already employed by the king.

The eleventh time, Lugh delivered the winning argument: "Ask the king whether he has a single man who [possesses] all these arts, and if he has, I will not enter Tara." And the gates of Tara opened to him.

The principles taught by this story apply to all interviews. You have to present yourself well, you have to tell the employer who you are, and you have to convince the employer that you will be useful and that you stand apart from others. To do these things, you must have confidence, a positive attitude, and a winning argument.

Your professional abilities and past performance are not, by themselves, sufficient to get you into a king's court.

On the net:

The Second Battle of Moytura
www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T300011.html

Lugh
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugh

The Employer's Perspective
staffingservices.dal.ca/Interview%20Preparation/Presenting_Yourself.php

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