In one of the large companies that announced a job opening for a manager position, a young man named Karl applied for work. This young man was able to pass all the written exams successfully and also the group interview that was held for all applicants. He began preparing for the final interview with the company director.
When the young man entered to interview the company director, the director welcomed him and said to him: Please sit, Master Karl. Then the director began looking at his resume and examining it carefully. It was truly good, for the director saw that the young man had done excellent work throughout his academic life. The director began looking at him with interest and asking him: Did you receive any scholarship at your school or college?
Karl: No, I did not receive any scholarship. Director: Did your father pay your school fees regularly? Karl: My father died when I was 3 years old, and my mother was the one who paid the fees. Director: Where does your mother work? Karl: Sir, my mother works as a clothes and fabric cleaner. Director: Have you ever helped your mother in washing clothes?
Karl: No, I have never helped her in washing clothes. She refused that and always wanted me to study and learn, and she can wash clothes faster than me. Director: When you return home today, you must go to your mother and clean her hands. After that, you can return tomorrow to know whether luck has favored you to obtain the job or not.
Indeed, when Karl returned home, he asked his mother to allow him to clean her hands. She was surprised at the request, but when she heard it, she was very happy, with many mixed feelings. The mother presented her hands with love to her son Karl, who began cleaning them slowly. He noticed the wrinkles that time had drawn on his mother’s hands, and tears began to fall from his eyes for the first time.
Her hands were completely wrinkled and had many bruises, some painful to the degree that she was suffering from those wounds while he was cleaning them. At that moment, Karl realized that his mother had been suffering while washing clothes every day to enable him to pay school fees. Those bruises and this pain cannot be estimated with any price. He asked his mother to forgive him, but she embraced him, wiping his tears.
In the morning of the next day, Karl went to the director’s office. The director noticed tears welling in his eyes and asked him: Tell me, what did you do yesterday? Karl answered: I cleaned my mother’s hands and finished washing the remaining clothes. The director asked him: Please, Karl, tell me, what is your feeling now?
Karl said: Now I realize well that without my mother, I would not have been able to stand before you today. Also, through helping my mother yesterday, I realized the difficulty of accomplishing things and learned from her to appreciate the value of family and its sacrifices for me.
When the director heard this from Karl, he smiled and said: This is what I was looking for in my new manager. I want to employ a person who can appreciate the help of others and understand their sufferings to accomplish things. Congratulations, Karl. You have obtained the job.
Value Learned from the Story: A person who does not realize the amount of difficulties the family sacrifices for his comfort and attention to him will not be able to appreciate the value of what others do to succeed in work. The person who appreciates others’ efforts is the one who can lead successfully, and this is what the employer seeks.
The story is translated from: Inspiring Interview Conversation