Public Finance Blog

There is a very well-known expression about how your eyes are the windows to the world.  In South Africa, when you toast, you always have to look in the eyes of the other person.  This can make some people extremely uncomfortable.  When you have to look at the person you’re communicating with, and I mean really look at them and not just glance at the other person, it can feel overwhelming (sometimes positively and sometimes negatively).

Your Facial Breakdown

How does this translate to an interview?  Our eyes are so important in the interviewing process.  Your eyes create your focus.  Without focus, you’re giving off a vibe of lack of interest in the subject matter being discussed, and in this case, the subject matter is you.  Your eyes cause the rest of your facial responses, like your smile.  We’ve all heard the comment or similar sentiments to, “What beautiful and responsive eyes you have.”  And what’s your natural response to that statement?  It’s a grin, showing your teeth, and bursting into a great big smile.  That smile is what shows how you really feel.  

Your Smile Isn’t Silent…

So… I can hear some of you saying, “But why does this matter?  My interviews are mostly over the phone, and no one can see my eyes or my smile.”  I’m here to share that your eyes and smile can be heard through the call.  The hiring manager or the person interviewing you can feel that connection when you are present with your eyes.  When you’re not, you become distant and detached from the interview.  I cannot tell you how many times this one characteristic is brought up to me.  A hiring manager saying, “He (or she) just wasn’t into it.  I don’t know why I feel this way, but I do.”  The answer is you were not happily applying your other senses in the interview, and that was what was picked up on.

Visualize Your Future

Lastly, having your eyes wide open always brings new opportunities, while your eyes metaphorically shut do not.  You should always be scanning your environment for new opportunities, whether within your current firm or starting to look outside your company.  As I was talking to one individual recently, who I know quite well, “My eyes are always open for new opportunities.”

Conclusion

You don’t need a resume to chat with us! If you would like to discuss your options, please reach out for a confidential conversation at 760-477-1284 or email at harlan@hfriedmansearch.com. He can also be reached on LinkedIn. Harlan publishes a blog every Thursday here. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter here, which is a compilation of our weekly blogs, so you never miss one. We have also been mentioned in 2025’s Forbes, click HERE to read more.  

About Harlan Friedman, JD & Founding Member, H. Friedman Search LLC. Harlan is a thirty-year veteran Public Finance Banker turned recruiter who specializes in the placement of all levels Public Finance Bankers, Healthcare Bankers, Municipal Advisors, Compliance Officers, Issuers, and Bond Counsels.