Fifty resumés sit on my desk waiting to be reviewed. Fifty hopeful people are waiting for my call.
I sit here staring at them, knowing full well that I will disappoint forty-nine people. Only one person will get the job, forty-nine will not. Some of them (maybe 10 or so) will get their hopes raised even further when they’re invited for an interview. But then 9 or so will have those hopes dashed.
They’re probably all wonderful people, those 49 – with skills, abilities, and personalities. Several of them could probably do the job equally well. But in the end, only one will get the chance. Only one will rise to the top. It may not be the best one – it may only be the one who’s managed to impress us the most. That’s the way it goes, though, you can only make choices based on your own impressions.
That’s alot of weight on my shoulders. It’s why it’s not always fun to be a manager.
To those 49 people – I apologize in advance. Try not to take it personally.