The Power of Storytelling in Job Interviews: Stand Out from the Crowd
Got a big interview coming up and need to stand out? Good news! A story can make that happen. Stories are, by default, the most memorable form of human communication. Whether it’s a story that plays out on film, a story in the news, or a story told by a friend, stories are what humans remember. Logic therefore suggests that if you want to be remembered in a sea of potential candidates, tell stories in your interview.
Here are the steps to effectively use storytelling in your interview:
Identify Key Messages
First, determine the most important messages you’ll need to communicate. Are they interested in your previous experience? Will they need to know if you can manage a team? Are there potential weaknesses in your resume that you’ll need to explain? By identifying these messages (or, in other words, the answers to the questions they’re likely to ask) in advance, you can start to look for stories that illustrate them.
Find Relevant Stories
For each key message, think back to a moment in your career or life that illustrates your answer in action. These are the stories you can tell. For example, if you need to illustrate your managerial skills, think back on a time when you led your team through a challenge and it ended in success. If you think they’ll be concerned that you don’t have experience in their specific industry, choose a moment when you exhibited one of the qualities essential for this new industry in your previous work.
Craft Your Stories
Once you have these moments identified, use the method spelled out in "Stories that Stick" to craft those moments into compelling stories. This method will help you structure your stories in a way that is engaging and memorable.
Practice
Finally, practice telling the handful of stories you’ve created out loud to a few trusted friends or family members. This way, you’re not telling it for the first time during the interview. One of my favorite emails to get from people is the, “I told a story and got the job,” emails.
If you want to stand out in your interview, come prepared with stories and rise above the rest! By following these steps, you can make a lasting impression and increase your chances of landing the job. Happy storytelling!
