Summary of Key Points: Professional Interest
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The 2:1 Inquiry Rule For every one thing you say about how excited you are for the job, ask two detailed questions about a specific problem the business is facing. This shows your interest comes from your skill set, not just flattery.
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Act Like a Consultant, Not a Job Seeker Don't treat the meeting like you need their approval. Treat it like a working meeting where you are trying to help solve an issue, which makes you seem more authoritative and in control.
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Use AI for Tough Questions Check company reports or statements with AI to find out what the hidden challenges are. Ask the AI to argue against the company to find potential risks. This helps you enter the meeting ready to ask thoughtful, problem-solving questions.
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Find Out the Real Frustrations Talk to people in your network to find out the actual daily headaches the team is dealing with: the things not in the official job description. Mentioning these specific problems shows you care much more than just saying you want a "fresh start."
Changing How Experts Approach Interviews
Most career advice tells you to be very energetic and eager in an interview, like you are starting completely fresh. But for someone experienced, thinking about a "fresh start" is the wrong way to think. According to Resume Genius's 2025 Unfiltered Hiring Insights Survey, 29% of Gen X hiring managers cite lack of enthusiasm as a top red flag. Yet if you act overly excited like a beginner, you don't show you have talent; you show you lack authority. This creates a delicate balance for senior professionals.
This creates the Experience Problem: the more you try to prove you want the job by being typically enthusiastic, the more you look like someone who just follows orders rather than a leader who takes charge. You get stuck between wanting to show you have the drive to fix things and needing to seem powerful enough to lead the room.
To fix this, you need to stop trying to show interest as a fan and start using Empathy for Operations. This means moving from admiring a company’s reputation to proving you deeply understand the exact problems and difficulties the hiring manager is dealing with right now.
Instead of praising their goals, you ask smart questions to find their pain points. This guide is a Toolbox for taking high-level action, helping you avoid looking weak by being overly eager, which sometimes happens when experts try to hide their status. Here, we replace the audition with a smart discussion, making your interest a strong tool for solving problems.
What is Operational Empathy?
Operational Empathy is the practice of demonstrating deep understanding of the specific challenges and pain points a hiring manager faces in their daily work, rather than simply praising a company's mission or values.
Unlike traditional interview enthusiasm, which focuses on why you admire the company, Operational Empathy shows you've researched their actual operational difficulties (like managing a complex merger, scaling infrastructure, or navigating regulatory pressures). This approach positions you as a problem-solver who already understands the job's complexity, not just an applicant hoping for approval. It proves your interest stems from professional capability, not flattery.
Stop Treating Your Interview Like a First Date
Stop acting like you are on a first date, hoping for a second one. If you want to be seen as a leader, you must stop acting like a simple fan.
Here are the three things you need to get rid of in your approach right away:
You look up their company history and spend the first part of the meeting praising their values or brand. You think this shows you fit in, but to the manager, it makes you sound like a supporter who is just happy to be there.
Leaders focus on fixing things, not just cheering. Use Empathy for Operations. Instead of saying, "I love your goal for the environment," say, "I see the changes you've made to your shipping process, and I understand the huge pressure your team is under to meet these new quality levels without losing money." Show interest by proving you understand the actual challenges they are dealing with.
You come in acting overly happy and eager to please. You smile a lot and try to seem very motivated. You think this shows energy, but for a senior role, it makes you look like someone who waits for orders instead of an executive ready to lead.
Trade "Excitement" for Curiosity to Diagnose. Your energy should show as a deep, quiet focus on the company's friction points. Ask the tough, important questions others are too polite to ask. A leader's "passion" is seen by how hard they look for the truth behind a problem, not by how wide they smile.
Because you fear looking too eager, you act too distant. You give short answers and wait for them to try and convince you to take the job. You think this makes you look powerful, but it actually makes you look bored or stuck-up, and makes the manager think you won't work hard when things get difficult.
Show Hunger for Knowledge. You don't have to be obsessed with the company, but you must be obsessed with the work. When you lean in to plan a solution or look at data, you aren't begging for a job; you are showing you are already thinking like you have the job. You earn respect by caring the most about finding the right solution, not by caring the most about how you look.
Steps for Executive Interview Success
Experienced professionals often mistake "doing their homework" for being a "super-fan," which makes them look like they are just seeking approval instead of offering solutions.
Change your preparation from learning public successes to figuring out the company's internal "problems." Focus on finding the exact pressures and risks the manager is dealing with so your interest looks like you are curious about their pain, not just being emotional. For more on effective preparation strategies, see our guide on questions you should always ask in an interview.
Focus your research on what truly bothers the hiring manager, not on what the company writes about itself.
Being overly energetic can make an experienced person look like a junior "doer" instead of a calm leader who can handle high-pressure situations.
Show your interest by acknowledging the real difficulty of the company's current situation, like a hard merger or fast growth. Instead of saying you "love the mission," say you understand the "weight" of the challenges they are facing. This proves you are keen to fix the problem without losing your executive calm. Body language also plays a role here; learn how to express enthusiasm authentically on camera during virtual interviews.
True confidence comes from proving you see the mess they are in and showing you aren't scared by it.
Many experts stay too reserved because they worry that asking very engaged questions will make them look like they are "begging" for the job.
Connect the gap by asking questions that treat you as an equal consultant, not just an applicant. Instead of saying, "I’m very excited about this job," say, "I’m interested in this role because of how you are handling [Specific Project A] versus [Specific Constraint B]." This shows deep interest while keeping you in the position of a leader who already has experience.
If you feel the need to "act cool" to look important, remember that the most powerful person is often the one brave enough to ask the hardest questions.
The Real Issue: How to Show Interest Without Seeming Too Desperate
Many experts are afraid to look "too eager." According to a 2013 Harris Interactive study, 92% of U.S. adults experience anxiety about job interviews, with nervousness being the top concern. We are taught that in life, including job hunting and making deals, the person who cares the least has the most control. There is a worry that if you show too much excitement, the company will think you have no other choices, or worse, they will think you are too agreeable, someone who wants to please but lacks the "edge" or "status" of a top leader.
Because of this fear, people try too hard to be reserved. They put on a "poker face" or act professionally distant to protect their own sense of value. The result? You seem bored, stuck-up, or robotic. You aren't "playing it cool"; you are actually pushing the job away because the hiring manager doesn't believe you actually want to be there.
Trying too hard to look cool often makes you seem bored, arrogant, or unfeeling, telling the hiring manager that you don't really want the job.
"To stop worrying about looking too eager, stop trying to show excitement about the job offer* and start showing excitement about the *actual work. Act like an equal partner, not someone asking for a favor."
Instead of using big, excited words ("I am so incredibly thrilled!"), use Specific Curiosity. Link your energy to your skills by starting with a "Because," showing you’ve already thought about their specific problems.
How to Compare:
- Avoid saying: "It would be a dream come true to work for this company!" (Sounds like a fan.)
- Instead say: "I am genuinely interested in this role because of how you are handling [Specific Task A]. Most companies do [The Usual Way], but your choice to do [The New Way] is exactly the kind of problem I have been looking to solve."
Tools to Power Your Career Strategy
Phase 1 Tool: Spotting Issues
Job Analysis ToolFind the company's actual problems by comparing "Skills Needed" and "Skills You Have," going deeper than the company's general marketing talk.
Phase 2 Tool: Branding Yourself
LinkedIn Profile BuilderWrite in a way that shows you understand the complexity of the job ("Operational Empathy"), moving away from sounding like a junior person who just wants to be nice.
Phase 3 Tool: Closing the Deal
Interview Practice ToolPrepare to ask tough, expert questions while staying friendly. Practice answering questions by focusing on solving problems like a peer consultant.
Common Questions Answered
If I'm not super "high-energy," won't I seem rude or too serious?
No, there's a big difference between being cold and being calm. You can be friendly and engaged without being overly cheerful. Real leadership shows in how calm you are when things are hard.
When you swap fake excitement for curiosity about the problem, you show you take the company’s issues seriously. An expert who asks a difficult, smart question is always remembered better than a candidate who just smiles a lot.
What if the hiring manager really just wants someone who is excited about the company culture?
Many people confuse "culture fit" with just matching personalities, but for leaders, it’s about fitting the goals. You don’t have to cheer for their office coffee.
Instead, show excitement for the results you can help them get. If they want someone enthusiastic, be enthusiastic about the actual results you can deliver. This proves you are a good addition because you bring real experience to the team.
How can I show I'm still eager to work hard without looking like a junior employee?
Change your eagerness from "needing a job" to "needing to fix a specific problem." A beginner is eager for money or a title. An experienced person is eager to solve a specific business issue or grow a successful project.
When you use Empathy for Operations, you show you are ready to work on the right problems, which proves both your dedication and your leadership.
Should I send a thank-you note after the interview?
Yes. Send a brief thank-you email within 24 hours. Reference a specific challenge you discussed to reinforce your Operational Empathy. Keep it professional and concise. Avoid gushing or repeating everything from your resume. For more guidance on post-interview communication, see what not to ask in a first interview.
How do I research a company's real problems before the interview?
Start with recent earnings calls, press releases, or industry news about challenges they face. Use AI to analyze these documents and identify tension points.
Talk to people in your network who work there or in the same industry. Ask about the friction points teams face daily. This gives you specific, relevant insights you can reference during the interview.
What's the right balance between asking questions and answering theirs?
Use the 2:1 Inquiry Rule. For every statement about your excitement for the role, ask two detailed questions about specific challenges they face. This keeps the conversation focused on solving problems, not just selling yourself.
Your Experience is the Solution
Stop seeing your years of experience as something that makes you "too much" or "stiff." See your background as a protective barrier: a collection of wisdom that stops the company from making costly mistakes.
When you shift from trying to "get the job" to offering a "consultation," you use Empathy for Operations to prove you aren't just looking for a position; you are looking to clear the way for them to succeed. You don't need to prove you fit in; you need to prove you are the solution.
Look at your next interview list and decide on one "problem" for each company that you will try to understand in your meeting.
