I walked into the interview feeling like I had nothing left to give. Months of rejection had worn me down. I was broke, tired, and running on sheer willpower. The job? Sales manager. The final test? The classic: “Sell us this pen.”
It was the third time I’d heard that challenge that week, and frankly, I had no clever pitch left in me.
I looked at the pen, then at them, and said quietly, “This pen is worthless—until you have a reason to write.”
The room fell silent.
I continued, “Maybe you’re signing your daughter’s college tuition check. Or writing an apology to someone you’ve hurt. Maybe it’s the deed to your first home. The pen doesn’t matter. The moment does.”
One interviewer smiled. “Not the pitch I expected.”
I shook their hands, thanked them, and left—not confident, just exhausted.
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