What sets you apart from a sea of applicants? Maybe it’s a fine-tuned portfolio. Perhaps even a perfectly-executed interview. For People Operations Head Enzo Cruz, it’s simple: being yourself.
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From practicing interview answers and composing your resume to wondering if you can measure up to recruiters’ expectations, the job hunt can be quite the stressful experience.
But there’s actually a lot to get excited about in this chapter of your life. And amid the nerves and the self-doubt, there are people who remind you that the job hunt isn’t all doom and gloom, but also an avenue to grow, evolve, and learn more about yourself. Enter Enzo Cruz, the Head of People Operations at GrowSari, a tech platform that helps sari-sari stores thrive by providing them with affordable products and financial services. “I think I’m always excited about everyone’s potential,” he shares. “I feel like a career that is mapped out well and that is well-supported can help unleash everyone’s full potential.”
It’s easy to assume that, for an HR professional, most applicants sort of just blur into the background. But for Enzo, certain people tend to stand out — and it’s not just because they’re a perfect fit, work-wise. Instead, it’s due to them having lived what Enzo calls “full lives” by traveling, reading, and curating rich experiences outside the office. He goes on to reveal that “Sometimes [I] remember people for who they are outside [of work] and the other aspects of their life as well.”
In other words, “Stay true to yourself” isn’t just an (overused, albeit sincere) adage. When it comes to job hunting, it can actually be a potent strategy to get to where you want to be. Your life, interests, and values are all part of the package you present to recruiters, and there are moments where they can matter even more than what your resume says.
BEYOND THE 9-5
According to Enzo, where you choose to work is a reflection of your values and who you are. No, it’s not just a paycheck, and it’s definitely more than a way to chase clout. With that in mind, it becomes essential to find a role that aligns with your growth, your curiosity, and what excites you to come into the workplace.
He also emphasizes the importance of giving yourself the space and grace to grow. “If you believe that you are constantly evolving as a human being — you’re learning new skills, you’re becoming a better professional — then your second job interview will be better than your first, “ he asserts. “Your third job interview will be better than your second.”
Enzo shared all these hard-hitting insights and more as one of our featured speakers during the Ateneo de Manila University stop of this year’s MMGI Career Fair, where we also got to sit down with him for a deeper dive on why exploring the world and living fully can make all the difference in your career journey. Read his full interview with NYLON Manila below.
As People Operations Head of GrowSari, what would you say is your favorite part of working with people and helping them navigate their careers?
I think I’m always excited about everyone’s potential. I feel like a career that is mapped out well and that is well-supported can help unleash everyone’s full potential. And I love doing that, right? I love talking to people — it’s very exciting for me. All of these careers have people behind them that have dreams and people that they support. It’s very, very exciting to be part of [their journey].
Could you share your most memorable job interview, either with you as an interviewer, or with you as an interviewee? And what would you say was the biggest lesson you took away from the experience?
I remember I was interviewing someone for this role, I think it was a business growth role. And it was very hard for us to find someone that had the experience but was a culture fit as well. There was one person I interviewed who, aside from having a very clear communication style, also had a lot of [work] experience. But what was exciting for me was that even though he had an impressive work resume, it felt like he lived a full life.
He [mentioned] so many places that he was able to travel to. He could talk to me about what he enjoyed about each city. He could talk to me about all the shows he watches, all the articles he [reads], even all the games he plays, right?
It’s just so exciting to get to know personalities like that, and to feel the energy, even though the interview was just a phone call, actually. It was such a good interview for me because, aside from his really good answers, it just felt like I got to know who he was in those 30 minutes. And I realized that there’s really nothing that can replace experience, right? If you don’t travel the world, if you don’t discover yourself, if you don’t consume media, if you don’t read, you will really not be able to experience the world enough wherein you can give the best answers or share who you truly are. I think a successful [job interview] for me would really be where I feel like I got to know a person after their interview.
So it’s more than just presenting yourself as a good worker. You can also let your personality shine through.
Yeah, yeah. I think especially now, there are a lot of startups — there are a lot of smaller companies, right? And [these small companies] really want a hire that will help them build the culture of the company. Then it becomes important that the person that you bring on kind of reflects the values of the company, reflects the culture of the company. It’s great if they have their own personality and they bring in something new to the company as well.
Interviews are, in a sense, exercises in presenting your best self. Do you have any pointers for interviewees who want to balance being attractive to companies and recruiters while still staying true to themselves?
The first thing I want to say is that being true to yourself is attractive to companies. Companies nowadays don’t really want someone who will be a cog in the machine, right? They want someone who knows what they want. They want someone who can bring value to the company.
Usually these are people that, again, have lived full lives or follow their interests. I think now, more and more, it is becoming a little bit more acceptable to show who you are in interviews — even in resumes. As long as you show what you’ve learned throughout all your life experiences, and you show that your life experiences continually shape you and enrich your perspective in life, then I think that does make you attractive to companies.
I like the fact that you have to live life. The job interview isn’t just always about the job. That’s amazing to me.
Everyone has a career at some point, right? Everyone will be able to talk about their jobs and the good results that they’ve [achieved], right? But usually, if you go through a lot of interviews and resumes in a day, then sometimes you remember people for who they are outside [of work] and the other aspects of their life as well.
For a lot of applicants, the interview is the most stressful part of the job hunt. Why do you think this step is so anxiety-inducing and how do you personally conquer pre-interview nerves?
I think it’s anxiety-inducing because a lot of people are nervous to talk about themselves. I think sometimes they get conscious that they will get judged — and it’s a natural feeling. I think everyone goes through it. Aside from that, it’s like — you have to expose yourself and [the interviewer] will decide whether they like you or not enough to give you a job, right? So there’s so much riding on self-exposure. It’s really nerve-wracking and that’s okay. It is what it is. It’s nerve-wracking because it’s an important event and it can be even more nerve-wracking the more valuable the job is to you, right?
I think the best way to deal with it for me is really to come in prepared, know the company, know why you want that job, and be very clear with your talking points. Be very clear with why you want that job, why you’re a fit for that job, why you believe this job can add to your life and what you can add to that job as well.
Everyone has a less-than-stellar job interview experience at some point. So what advice do you have for young professionals on trying again after a rough interview and not tying their self-worth to that rejection?
I guess the thought that I would share with people is, “If you like that job or that company enough, then it will be worth it once you get it.”
It’s okay to face rejection. It’s okay to say, “Okay, this time it wasn’t for me.” But a year from now or six months from now, you realize that “That’s still the company I want, that’s still the job I want, and it should be okay to try again. I know better now.”
You have to believe that you constantly learn and you constantly develop, and it’s always going to be better the more you try. If you believe that you are constantly evolving as a human being — you’re learning new skills, you’re becoming a better professional — then your second job interview will be better than your first. Your third job interview will be better than your second. And if you just believe in that constant improvement, then at some point, you will be ready and you will get that job.
Any final words for young professionals who are embarking on their first job interview and their first forays into the job market?
Well, what I hope for everyone is that you find a job that you enjoy. It will be a big part of your life. And I hope that you wake up every day and you’re excited to see your coworkers, you’re excited for that job.
Not every day will be great. But if you truly believe in what you’re doing and if what you’re doing excites you, then you will be able to get through those days and really look back and be happy with what you achieve. So I hope everyone gets a career that is fulfilling for them and makes their lives enjoyable and exciting.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Photos by Joshua Navato, edited by Gelo Quijencio.
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