Author: Tyson Murakami

A time I acted based on the motivation of compensation was when I decided to do door to door sales. Door to door isn’t an easy job because it involves relocating, long hours, rejection, and a commission-based structure. However, my first summer was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I still do it till this day.

Why it mattered

I’m originally from Hawaii, so going to school out of state left me without a car to get around in Corvallis. Also, I didn’t want to have much debt after I graduated due to out of state tuition. So, I decided to try door to door because of the high potential in income. Previously, I would have never even considered doing a job that mentally draining, but I wanted to be able to provide for myself, get a car in the states, and pay for schooling.

I was told stories of others making a $20,000+ in one summer and I knew if I was able to do this, I’d be able to buy a car in Oregon and start paying off my debt. So, I moved to St. Louis, Missouri for three months over the summer to do the job. However, I didn’t make the $20k like I expected. I ended up taking home $36,000 in commission over that period.

The experience completely changed my life in the ways I wanted and more. I bought a car for Oregon, started a fund for my future debt, and advanced in the company being able to double my income the next summer.

It wasn’t the money itself that motivated me to do the job. It was the potential to acquire the lifestyle I wanted for myself and the desire for change.

Through my 16 years of education, I’ve taken classes that still serve me to this day, and many that don’t. The difference is how impactful and tangible these courses are to my life outside of school. I think it’s important not necessarily to dwell on the coursework itself, but the lessons I can apply to positively change my life.

What makes a class effective?

If you were to ask me, “what was the most impactful class you’ve ever taken?” I’d say it was definitely AP public speaking my senior year of high school. In this class, I learned deeper concepts on active listening, human psychology, social awareness, and proper communication. Each of these are skills I use every day. Due to the tangibility of the lessons, I didn’t simply show up to this class to pass tests but actually learn and use the information given to me.

Growing up, I was a pretty social person, but I would struggle with understanding others and their motivations. Over time, this left me with a lot of friends, but I had a hard time maintaining deep relationships. Using the concepts I learned from that class, I was able to better understand myself and others. This left me with an awareness of how to navigate all types of relationships whether it was personal or professional.

What makes a class ineffective?

On the flip side, I’ve taken many more classes that I don’t think benefited me in any way. An example of one is my geology class freshman year of college. I don’t necessarily think the class itself was useless, but in terms of career and personal alignment, it had nothing to do with my life. In it, I was taught about the different types of rocks and I’m sure a lot more, but I really just don’t remember. I think rocks are cool, but I don’t see any reason why I had to take that class other than checking off another box of my prerequisites. So ultimately, the class objectively was decent, but it had no weight in my life which overall made it pretty useless.

It’s up to the taker

Looking back at the two experiences, it made me realize that courses are only as effective as the person taking it makes of it. Despite the public speaking course changing my life, it could have been a bore to another student, and vice versa with the geology course. So, I don’t think the content matters as much from a broad perspective, but really the intention of the person and how much they hope to gain from the class.

After, experiencing many interviews these past seven years, I realized they aren’t all the same. While some are structured and felt meaningful, others felt as if it was just another thing on a checklist for managers to do. Overall, it came down to the topics covered which are reliability, validity, and utility.

When Interviews went well

The best interviews I had were put together in a way for both parties to understand each other and see if there was a cohesive fit. Those typically involved open ended questions that asked stories about times I dealt with certain challenges and how I overcame them. Questions like those improved the validity of the interview because it got to actually measure my candidacy. Same goes for the opposite perspective, where I was able to ask questions and understand more about the company and team to see if the culture was a fit for me.

When Interviews didn’t go well

On the other hand, I’ve had interviews that weren’t exactly the most productive. Either they felt too much of a casual conversation and didn’t have structure, or it seemed like a mere questionnaire with no depth. These interviews lack utility because the information exchanged doesn’t really help either party when it comes down to the hiring decision. Also, it lowers reliability of the interview because candidates aren’t being evaluated in the most consistent way.

Improvements for Employers

If I could give feedback to employers to better their interviews, I’d treat it more like a system than a simple conversation. Having a consistent, standardized structure helps to lower bias and improve the overall reliability and validity of the interview process. Also, implementing scoring guides or scales can help to lower bias. Plus, training on recognizing bias can be helpful to train interviewers not to hire people based on having similarities,

The Bottom Line

Overall, a good interview doesn’t just boil down to getting to know a candidate. It’s about actually forecasting whether or not a person is suitable for the job, company, and culture. The more structured and consistent the process is, the better the result of who’s welcomed in.

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Companies

Hilton, Cisco, and American Express are three companies that stood out to me after looking at the 2025 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Each of these, have evidence for strong workplace practices that support employee satisfaction.

Practice of HR

Hilton practices HR through inclusion, development programs, and strong benefits. They highlight paid time off, health and welfare plans, travel discounts, debt-free education, and overall well-being support. I think it’s important to be at a company that actively works towards providing its workers with the resources and capabilities to live a balanced life.

Cisco practices HR through heavy investment into its employees. This includes focus on physical, mental, and financial well-being, while also supporting life outside of work. The aid for one’s personal life is huge because it can drastically increase production and happiness while at work.

American Express practices HR through leadership advancement, development, and inclusion. They emphasize long-term growth, flexibility and well-being, providing mentoring, professional community, and education. This is important for those who value expansion and being a part of a culture that actively practices growth.

Type of Manager I Want to Be

I want to be a manager that is able to direct my people but also have them trust me. I hope my employees are able to work towards the vision we collectively build and are able to thrive both professionally and personally. My vision is to be the type of manager that is both warm and competent.

Most Challenging for Managers

I’d imagine the most challenging job for managers is to sustain that balance of efficiency and well-being among employees. Often one comes at the cost of the other, so it must be difficult to empower workers to perform at a high level while also having work-life harmony.