The Intentional Product Manager Podcast Controlling the First Impression: Take Back Your Power in Interviews
Interview success isn’t luck. It’s control.
In this episode, Shobhit Chugh, CEO of Intentional Product Manager, reveals Principle 1 of the Intentional Job Search: The Split Second Principle.
Learn how to take back power in your interviews by mastering the first impression, the moment that decides whether you’re seen as a leader or overlooked as just another candidate.
Discover why recruiters and hiring managers decide almost instantly whether you’re a strong candidate and what you can do to control that impression. Through real client stories and practical strategies, you’ll learn how to position yourself with clarity, signal leadership right away, and stop “leaking” opportunities in those critical first moments.
Whether it’s your resume, LinkedIn headline, or opening lines in an interview, this episode gives you the tools to transform the way people see you, fast.
What You’ll Learn
- The neuroscience behind why decisions happen in seconds.
- Why many strong candidates still feel invisible in interviews.
- How shifting your positioning changes how others see you.
- Real-world client transformations that led to job offers.
- Why clarity matters more than charisma in your job search.
- Simple ways to fix your “first impression” across resume, LinkedIn, and interviews.
Episode Breakdown
00:00 – Welcome & the path to elevating your product career
00:52 – Principle One: The Split Second Principle explained
01:26 – How the brain decides before you do
02:34 – Why you feel invisible in interviews (and how to fix it)
03:22 – Case Study: Sarah’s shift from “safe choice” to multiple offers
04:34 – The power of clear positioning in your job search
06:08 – Case Study: Akash’s journey from no traction to six interviews a week
07:04 – Why clarity beats trying to impress
07:28 – Practical steps to fix your first-second signal
08:04 – Wrap-up & what’s coming in the next episode
Connect with Shobhit Chugh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobhitchugh/
www.intentionalproductmanager.com
www.intentionalproductmanager.com