Job interview for the presidency: Show up, prove your worth

The job interview is one of the ways through which the employer gauges your potential for the job you are applying for. Employers have their own methods of choosing their candidates besides the interview. For others, though, it’s the bare minimum.

Your willingness to attend the job interview is a reflection of your eagerness to get the job. So, if you refuse to speak to a potential employer, you are not willing to show them how worthy you are for them to invest their resources in you. That would be a big question mark on your end.

This relates to the recent issue of presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. refusing to be interviewed by one media personality from one media giant.

Sir, you are applying for the highest position in the country and the most difficult job there is. The country’s citizenry is eager to know more about their potential chief executives, and you owe it to the people to show them why you are worthy of their precious vote. You cannot expect to be absent from an interview and still qualify for the job, at least in the minds of the people.

Whenever there is media involvement, there will always be room for bias and the question of credibility. Note, however, that bias and credibility are relative terms that may vary from person to person depending on their inclinations. You are saying that this certain media platform is biased. Okay, granted that they are, but don’t you think this is a great opportunity for you to rise above the bias, establish your strong points, and prove your detractors wrong? That way, you will gain the respect even of those who oppose you. Standing your ground even in the midst of humongous adversity is a good test of character. Courage should be one strong trait of someone who is to be president.

The questions posed by this media personality may seem mocking, but these are the very questions these candidates need to answer. The questions are hard because the president’s job is hard. Every decision you will make while you are president will have a rippling effect on all the people you serve. You will be barraged with questions from all sides. If you cannot answer the questions in this kind of presidentiable interview, how do you expect to answer the people about the government’s stance on pressing issues?

That being said, this media-sponsored interview is just one of many ways for us to know our presidential candidates better. You have to factor in other metrics like educational background, track record, etc., in choosing whom to vote for.

As for the candidate who refused the interview with that media giant, it seems to me that he let his supporters down and annoyed his detractors even more. So, I think he definitely deserved the backlash that resulted.

You have to do better than that, Sir.

Jose Dante Valenzuela dela Merced, delamerced.dansen@gmail.com