Interviewing four or five people on the same topic is pretty standard for journalists. In my case, the topics are usually so painfully niche, it feels like you’re drawing information out of the eye of a needle. Financial regulations, SaaS partnerships, stock price movements … and all that thrilling stuff.
So, it’s always surprising how INCREDIBLY different interviews can be. Same topic. Same information. TOTALLY different vibes 🤷🏻♀️.
Here are 21 things I can usually tell about your personality from our interviews together…
1. The longer you take to introduce yourself, the less of an expert you are 🥱
BRUTAL. I know. I know. I’m sorry. But true. Test it out one time!
2. If you apologise straight away for under-preparing, you’re probably underpaid ❤️🩹
Oh God. This totally destroys my heart. Ok. I’m going to bet that you’re a woman. And, I’m going to go further. A woman in her 30s or above, who’s been shouldering a lot of the work of the whole team alone for a long time. Ironically, you usually HAVE prepared, like really really well. Much better than others. But you think you haven’t.
Honestly, if this sounds like you, based on what I’ve seen, I’d suggest that you ask for a pay increase. You’re usually the unacknowledged pillar of the team.
3. Electric guitars hanging in the office? You’re a dreamer 🎸
Fintech guy! I see you in your black t-shirt and vibrant yellow or red sneakers. Hair as long as you can get away with. Bet you’re chugging back speciality coffee and staring out at a garden full of plants every so often… dreaming that you really could be a rockstar. Honestly, the closest thing you’re going to get to The Rolling Stones lifestyle is a nauseant coke habit and occasionally pissing yourself in front of VCs… But you never stop dreaming! And I kind of respect that. 🤘
4. If your background is blurred out, you’re probably in your bedroom 🛌
You’re totally recording this from your bedroom! 😆 As soon as this call is done, you’re going to flop on your bed and stare at the ceiling for a minute, doom scroll through instagram, put some trousers on then get back to boring emails from your boring manager.
5. Your video background is your corporate office 😬 … Boss alert!
Ok, so… either your boss is lurking in this call, or there is a chance that it will be recorded and shown to them later.
6. Vinyl roll-up behind you? 🏡 … You’re the countryside corporate commuter
You live outside of London (ie, you have space for things like this), but you commute in a lot with that roll-up for financial conferences and events. Going to predict that you’re a parent with a garden, who lives a short drive away from a train station like Reading or Bristol.
7. You’re pretty senior (but a bit incumbent-mindset) when a PR joins the call too 🥸
Oh helloooo plus one…. you work for a big bank or a big law firm, and you’re VERY important! I can go a little off-piste with my questions. But if I stray too much, your PR friend will do the dirty for you and reel it back in.
8. Extra cautious compliance police! You kick my transcribing robot out of the call (read.ai) 🤖
Incumbent banker. For sure. Compliance is probably on the call. Ready and posed with their serious faces and questionable suits like a Swiss Guard keeping watch over tourists trying to pry into the Vatican.
10. Your answers are concise 🎯… You’re a legend
Love youuuuuuuu. You’re an expert. Dream to work with.
I will explain a bit…. For an article, I usually need to research a tonne, plus interview about 4 or 5 people. Everything needs to be squeezed tight into around 800 words. If you can make your point in less than 5 words… Mate. You’re deffo in. Easy. But if you ramble on for hundreds of words, you make it hard for me. Also costs a lot more time and money to sift through your transcript (sometimes I pay like £12 for a long interview to be transcribed with Temi. If I have to do five of them, and I’m only getting £200 an article, you can see how that’s a financial pain, right?).
11. I know you’re a confident blue personality when you calmly tell me one of my questions is stupid 😂
AHAAAAA!!! 😂😂😂 I kind of love you! (This actually happens sometimes, normally with blue personalities, people skills aren’t their strength). But you have to give me a good reason why, and I will not move on easily.
There are two variations of blue personality that I see in finance a lot (getting this from Thomas Erikson’s book “surrounded by idiots” btw, it’s such a godsend for understanding how to work with different interviewees). There’s the type that is not usually in charge, but really really anal. I mean like, they will insist on writing the answers, then they want to proof read their written answers, then they want changes post-publication, then they call you up… it’s hellish honestly. Extremely high maintenance, and they give super cautious answers anyway. Then there is the type that is in charge. I see this with Eastern European female leaders a lot. They come across as very cold, but they are actually ice hot at what they do. These are the ones who tell me my questions are stupid sometimes.
12. You’re an independent thinker if you change my question AND TELL ME WHY 🙏
Good! “Yes, I see why you’re going there because of [insert intelligent reasons here] but I think the real focal point should be [even more intelligent thing here]”.
I LOVE THIS. Take me beyond my own research please!! Usually a sign of a real expert and independent thinker. Will probably come back again.
13. You’re kind of a slimy politician if you change my question AND TRY TO HIDE IT 🤨
Mate no. You’re not Houdini, you’re a banker. You can’t magically make the question disappear and hoodwink me into thinking you’ve answered it when you haven’t.
I’ve got the question written down in front of my face. My pen is poised for your answer. Know where I got the question from? My editor. If I don’t get that answered, I don’t get paid. So I am waiting for it like a hawk, and I will fight you for it. If you can’t answer, just be honest, and I will find someone who will.
Ok, so what does this say about you? Ummm… you try to hide that you don’t know things? That you give me 2020s Tory politician vibes? Not a great look.
14. Calling me by my first name a lot? You’re trying to control the interview and put me in my place 🤮
Yes I get it. You’ve been media trained. But after the third time, it kind of gives me the ick. People usually do this to try to manipulate you. Or they think that you like it or something. I don’t know. It’s weird.
Red flag.
15. You laugh a lot, but you’re in a dark room with bags under your eyes 🥺 … You’re a founder
Oh babes. I feel bad. I think this interview is the closest thing you’ve had to a break all day. I think you’re a sleep-deprived founder, drowning in funding rounds. I hate to break to to you, but this isn’t what fun is. Me asking you about the Synapse collapse for a regtech article shouldn’t be the highlight of your week. Go outside for a bit mate.
16. We get on super well 🙌 … We will see each other again sometime!
Ahhhh we’re from the same world. Lemme guess. You started out in something like wealth management, became disillusioned and started your own thing? You hate nonsense corporate rules, and feel bad about carbon emissions? Probably we’ll meet again at a fintech conference and end up steaming drunk over the free drinks. We’ll dance to the cringiest music, and one of us will loose the entire contents of our handbag. Before the night is done I’ll be bawling my eyes out to you about how much I love my grandparents and my guilt about leaving Wales. You’ll be slamming your fist down about the state of banks today. I’ll end up being your bridesmaid. We’ll get matching tattoos. It will be a whole thing. And yes, this happens. ❤️
It’s kind of a weird one, because I need to ensure that my articles are totally unbiased. That’s my first priority. And adoring one of the interviewers risks that. So honestly, it’s a very delicate balancing act. For opinion pieces, its fine and for very technical articles too. But you know, it gets murky. That’s one of the lonely things about this job.
👉 Check out my article for friendship in fintech for a proper soppfest 👈
17. You get angry? 😳 You’re used to getting your way.
This happens sometimes too! Like twice in five years, but still. Ok, let me paint the picture: You’re (probablyyyy but not always) a middle-aged man in a position of authority who’s never been questioned. Like… oh I don’t know it’s so hard to think of one … Prince Andrew, Jeremy Clarkson, Ricky Gervais, Boris Johnson, Simon Cowell, James Cleverly, Piers Morgan, Jacob Rees-Mogg …
I do something totally despicable, utterly unsupportable, like challenge one of your points, and you FLIP.
Like FLIP.
Obviously, I have to stay super professional, while you call me names and threaten to complain to every editor I work with. After a barrage of insults, you hang up the call. That’s nice. What a joy! No doubt the grumbling continues after we’ve hung up, probably to a long-suffering spouse who’s heard it all before. And then, I guess mega mood begins, like the world’s most miserable garden gnome.
Meanwhile I have to try to recover what I can from the disaster of an interview and brace myself for a loss of income for upsetting your so very easily bruised ego.
This is why good editors are so important btw. They usually ask to watch the call, and then stand by you.
18. You throw in every day examples to illustrate your points, you’re a good communicator 👍
You’re an excellent communicator, and empathetic to the experiences of others. I like you.
19. World events and news stories come up a lot, you’re a big thinker 🌎
Big thinker. You’re a visionary. I usually get quite good sustainability answers from you.
20. Aha! You ask me my opinion 💡… and I know you’re a curious person.
David Brear and Richard Theo both do this really well. This is the sign of someone who’s curious, so usually they have quite nuanced and well-balanced industry views.
21. Table turner? You ask me how I’m enjoying Spain ☀️
Someone did their homework!! This person either usually follows me on LinkedIn or did a little LinkedIn stalking beforehand. There are two ways this could go… If you tell me that you went to Barcelona three times, it’s kind of a bummer because you used the question to show off about yourself. That gives me an instant clue about you … not to be rude to brokers, but it’s kind of a broker move.
But if you start talking about my more nichey Andalusian city of Granada, you’re kind of a legend. Because it’s not that much of a tourist destination but it is wildly cool. A million points if you’re been to Jerez. And if you ever dated a Andalusian… mate, let’s go out for drinks!
