The HACK method
I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead as I stared at my computer screen in the darkness of the night. My stomach churned as I watched the timer count down and I thought Will I make it in time?
Was I doing some top-secret hack against an alien spaceship to save the world?
No—I had simply procrastinated in writing some papers for my classes, and I now had less than an hour to write three lengthy papers.
Besides, I didn't have my hoodie and gloves on, which we all know is a requirement of any successful hacker (just google it if you don't understand the joke here).
With a few minutes left, I submitted all three papers and received an excellent grade on all of them.
What was my secret? Did I hack into the professor's computer to change my grades? In hindsight, that might have been a good option, but instead, I had learned a long time ago how to hack myself.
In a similar fashion, you can learn to hack yourself for job interviews using the simple HACK method.
Have a look at the following definitions of the HACK method:
- How
When applying for jobs, think about how your life is impacted by getting this job. Many people will just focus on the money here, but also ask yourself how this job fits into things such as your long-term plans. What sacrifices do you have to make (missing birthday parties, long commute to the office, and so on) for this job?
Here are a few things I used to always think about:
- How long is the commute? I once had to commute 4+ hours each way for a job, so I'd spend much of the week just sleeping in my car near the job site.
- How much earning ability do I have? Is this just a base salary, or is there an option to earn more with stock options, sales commission, and so on?
- How much time will I really spend on this job? Because most of us are paid for 40 hours a week in the US, but work 60+ hours each week.
- How does this job benefit my 1-, 5-, and 10-year goals?
- Analyze
The next part of HACK is analyzing yourself. There are a number of self-assessments out there on the internet, and all sorts of personality and aptitude assessments, and so on.
Those are fine to take, but the low-cost route is to get a piece of paper (or your phone notes) and write down what you think is important, how you work through problems/projects, how good you are at time management, and so on.
This is important, so be honest with yourself.
As an example, I do the self-analysis monthly and I know that I am willing to go without eating, sleeping, and entertainment so that I can finish a project. I have no hesitation in sacrificing to complete the mission, which is how I was able to write those 20+-page papers in a short period of time. I also know that I can complete projects quickly, so I sometimes procrastinate until the deadline.
- Collect
It's important to collect information about yourself on a continuous basis. The good news is, you'll likely secure that information better than the large companies out there.
It's also important for you to collect information about the job you are applying for, the company itself (as mentioned earlier in this book), and what your long-term goals are.
- Know
You need to know what success looks like for you. For example, one cybersecurity professional I know makes a lower salary but is able to get off at 5 p.m. every day to have dinner with the family. He's happy with his job, and that is success for him.
Another cybersecurity professional I know is single and working at a major tech company working 80+ hour weeks but making close to a million in total compensation. This is the definition of success for her.
It's crucial to know what success looks like for you and not what people on social media tell you success is.
If you built a life that you never had to take a vacation from, what would that life look like?
