Feeney 1

Michael C. Feeney
Professor Thomas Ingram
MBA 517
07/17/2019

Module 2: Case 2

1. What about Amanda’s comments in the interview suggest that she is narcissistic?

Many comments from Amanda’s interview suggest that she is narcissistic. Particularly of note is how she
continually refers to herself as her “brand called Amanda”. When she makes these statements, she’s
projecting an inflated positive view of herself. Prior to the interview she makes puts her “brand called
Amanda” in the same conversation as iconic brands such as Coca Cola and Mercedes. Additionally, when
Amanda responds to Sonya’s question of “tell me again why you would like to join our
telecommunications company as a customer-care specialist” she alludes to her being too good or more
qualified for the position. The culmination of all Amanda’s comments has a condescending tone. An
interesting comment made at the end of the case peaked my interest. Amanda states “With my
outstanding people skills and technical problem-solving skills, I am sure that customers will be feeding
me ideas for improving the company. I will then pass on some of these suggestions to company
management.” Of note in this comment is the final part where Amanda states she will pass some
suggestions to company management. When she says this, she implies that not all suggestions are fit for
management and slyly uses this statement as another way to boost her own personal image and degrade
that of the company. While the analysis of this final statement may be a bit critical, I feel as though the
implication is crucial in the overall context of the interview.

2. What evidence do you find for any other personality trait that Amanda exhibits?

Throughout the case study Amanda exhibits signs of extraversion. Amanda is very talkative and jumps at
the opportunity to talk about herself. In addition to being talkative, Amanda is very assertive and speaks
her mind to Sonya. For example, when asked why Amanda was interested in being a customer-care
specialist she responds bluntly by saying that she doesn’t want to be a customer-care specialist. Amanda
blatantly tells Sonya that this position is a mere stepping stone for her.

3. What recommendation can you offer Amanda to make her a more effective interviewee?

While there may be some good intentions related to the way Amanda carries herself, she comes off very
abrasive. To improve Amanda’s interviewing skills, I would recommend that she study emotional
intelligence, more specifically social awareness and relationship management. Over the course of the
interview Amanda makes no attempt to form a connection or a personal bond with Sonya. The interview
transcript conveys a strong signal that Amanda lacks interest in furthering the company’s agenda.
Amanda seems more focused on her own goals. An effective interviewee would come to an interview
with passion and motivation for the position which they are interviewing for. Amanda’s lack of passion
and pure disinterest reflects extremely negatively on her during the interview. All-in-all Amanda would
need to make drastic changes before she would be considered an effective interviewee in my opinion.