In the USA, every four years there is a mega reality show called “Let “s pick the President rdquo;. The vast majority of us are the spectators , a small number of actors gradually is getting even smaller, and today we have only two people left to play the main parts.

What do they want? They want the job. No, they want THE Job. They want the job #1.

We, mere mortals, periodically are looking for jobs too. Ours are not #1,#2, or even #3. But if you think about it, in our job search we should learn from the presidential candidates.

In my e-book, “Enterprise Software without the BS rdquo;, I wrote that looking for a job is not the one, but three separate processes ndash; getting the interview, passing the interview, and considering the offer. It “s a game, you have to play by the rules and present yourself the best you can.

Just skimmed through the book on programming in Java? Call yourself Java expert. They are looking for person who can work in a fast paced startup-like environment? This is exactly what you “ve been dreaming of. May need to work long hours? Great, you are an workaholic. Yes, I ‘m sure, I know who to make your project a success!

Does it mean that you have to be a bullshit artist? Yes, all of us are to some extent. But if you are a go-getter, you need to achieve the goal ndash; get the offer. After you get this job, you “ll have time to look around, and will find an excuse for not working long hours, and hey, you don “t have to know everything about Java ndash; Google is ready to help. All this will be AFTER AND IF you get the job.

The presidential candidates are the people who have the best job interviewing skills, otherwise they would not be able to survive as the only two job applicants for the most desirable job in the country.

If you accept my premise that each of us bullshits a little while looking for a job, you should agree that two people who were able to be selected as main candidates for the job #1 are the best bullshit artists in the country. To take it one step further, the one who wins the job is the best BS artist.

On the other hand, I “ve seen BS artists in our profession who were able to memorize typical interview questions and answers, got the job and were fired on the second or third day because their poor programming skills quickly became obvious.

But there is a big difference between our job, and the job #1. The president of the United States is allowed to build a team of advisors, which will allow him to survive for four, or sometimes even eight years. These people are survivors, and whoever is selected, will build the right team. Hence, it doesn “t really matter who wins.

But I “ll still be voting for the McCain/Palin duo. She “s so sexy!