Unlock the power of Poe to master every stage of the interview process, from initial preparation and mock sessions to delivering flawless responses that secure the final offer.

What can a 19th-century literary master teach modern professionals about interviewing? In this thought-provoking course, participants will explore how The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe anticipated key principles of non-verbal communication and behavioral perception long before they were formally studied in psychology and behavioral science.
Designed for professionals who rely on effective interviewing—including investigators, HR practitioners, counselors, compliance professionals, and intelligence analysts—this session examines how attention, perception, and behavioral “normalcy” influence what interviewers notice, overlook, or misinterpret. Through the lens of Poe’s narrative, attendees will gain practical insights into reading interpersonal dynamics, recognizing concealed information in plain sight, and improving observational awareness in high-stakes conversations.
Key Topics Discussed:

Owner - President | Successful Interviewing Techniques - a Division of Highly Motivated Inc.
Don retired as Deputy Director Western Campus, North Carolina Justice Academy, and was formerly manager of the Investigations Center of the North Carolina Justice Academy. Don has law enforcement experience in rural and municipal law enforcement agencies and instructional areas including Interviewing, Detecting Deception, Rapport Building, Interrogation, Persuasion, Audit-Related Interviewing, Investigations, and Investigative Discourse Analysis. For over a period of 35 years, his interviewing instruction and investigative assistance has been provided to related professionals in 46 U.S States as well as Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Belgium, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Trinidad, Barbados, Singapore, Ireland, and England. In addition, he has provided training to Federal, State, and Local Criminal Justice Personnel, NATO Counterintelligence Personnel as well as private sector investigative and corporate security personnel. Don has his A.A.S. in Criminal Justice, from Davidson County Community College and a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration, from East Tennessee State University. He has performed advanced studies at Eastern Kentucky University and has military experience with the US Army. He is a published author of 4 texts: Interviewing and Interrogation 2nd edition; Investigative Discourse Analysis 2nd Edition; Persuasive Interviewing; Fraud Related Interviewing and is editor of the interviewing focused newsletter, Hamlet’s Mind.
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