When the best job search strategy is letting go

Q. I just finished a job interview. Everything went well. But I can’t get excited about the job. The people were nice but frankly, I got bored.

Should I withdraw my application or hang on to see what happens?

A. Let me share a secret. I love country music ­ especially the classics. Your question reminds me of Kenny Rogers’s big hit, The Gambler. I can’t quote even a line due to copyright laws, but you can Google the song. Know when to stay. Know when to put down your cards. And above all, recognize when it’s time to walk away and time to run.

Be able to let go of a customer who’s a pain and a job that’s creating pain. Be able to recognize a business opportunity that’s all wrong for you, to say, “That’s not a good fit.”

Feeling bored sounds like a signal. If you (or your interviewer) has trouble staying awake, that’s like a red light flashing and a big siren screaming, “Go away!”

That actually happened to me once at a job interview for an academic position. My interviewer started nodding off. I’m a pretty dynamic interviewee so either he was stone cold bored or had been partying too late the night before.