(That Every Professional Should Learn) A working stand-up comedian walks onto a stage with about ninety seconds to figure out who they are talking to. Not the demographics — the room. Are they tired? Skeptical? Already loose? Did the previous comic crush, or bomb? Are people leaning in or checking phones? By their first real…

It’s 9:47 a.m. The candidate has been in the room four minutes. No substantive questions yet. And the hiring manager already knows. Not for certain — but she’s leaning. And the rest of the hour will mostly confirm it. Hiring managers rarely admit this publicly, but they’ll say it over a coffee or lunch: most…