Employers Will Remember You For Weeks; Stories have Impact
Using anecdotes to describe job skills is a highly effective interview technique. In less than
three minutes, you can tell a powerful story that will make interviewers remember you
favorably for days, weeks, or even months after the interview. Since employers know that
the best predictor of future success is past success, tell stories which vividly describe
your successes as well as your character.
A candidate once described a time when he had his appendix removed on a Thursday
and was back in the office on Monday.... to the dismay of everyone. His explanation was
that work was piling up and he might as well do everything he could, even though he was
unable to work a full day for the first week. The story provided strong evidence that he
was a driven, hard-working person. The memory he created was that he was "the
appendix guy."
Using anecdotes to describe job skills is a highly effective interview technique. In less than
three minutes, you can tell a powerful story that will make interviewers remember you
favorably for days, weeks, or even months after the interview. Since employers know that
the best predictor of future success is past success, tell stories which vividly describe
your successes as well as your character.
A candidate once described a time when he had his appendix removed on a Thursday
and was back in the office on Monday.... to the dismay of everyone. His explanation was
that work was piling up and he might as well do everything he could, even though he was
unable to work a full day for the first week. The story provided strong evidence that he
was a driven, hard-working person. The memory he created was that he was "the
appendix guy."
Show How You Overcame the Problem
When telling stories that demonstrate how you've solved a problem or overcome an
obstacle, create before and after pictures that highlight your impact on the situation.
Paint the before picture as bleak as you can. Make the employer feel how bad the
situation was. If you were dealing with a quality control problem, you might describe how
angry your customers were and describe how some threatened to stop buying from your
company or how some actually did. Don't exaggerate, but give the employer the full
sense of the problem. As you complete your story, describe how smooth or effective
things became. Create the strongest contrast possible without exaggerating.
How To Tell A Story
Begin by describing the situation as you entered it. If the situation was something that
existed before you became involved, describe all of the negatives. If you are describing a
project that you oversaw, describe the problems or challenges in the most graphic terms
possible. Describe your analysis of the situation and whatever research you applied to it.
Then describe your recommendations or the conclusions you came to. Next, explain what
you implemented and developed, and paint a picture of what things were like after they
improved. If it was a project, concentrate on describing those parts of the project which
met or exceeded objectives.
When telling stories that demonstrate how you've solved a problem or overcome an
obstacle, create before and after pictures that highlight your impact on the situation.
Paint the before picture as bleak as you can. Make the employer feel how bad the
situation was. If you were dealing with a quality control problem, you might describe how
angry your customers were and describe how some threatened to stop buying from your
company or how some actually did. Don't exaggerate, but give the employer the full
sense of the problem. As you complete your story, describe how smooth or effective
things became. Create the strongest contrast possible without exaggerating.
How To Tell A Story
Begin by describing the situation as you entered it. If the situation was something that
existed before you became involved, describe all of the negatives. If you are describing a
project that you oversaw, describe the problems or challenges in the most graphic terms
possible. Describe your analysis of the situation and whatever research you applied to it.
Then describe your recommendations or the conclusions you came to. Next, explain what
you implemented and developed, and paint a picture of what things were like after they
improved. If it was a project, concentrate on describing those parts of the project which
met or exceeded objectives.
Complete the story by describing how your work benefited the company.
As you end the story, remind the interviewer what skill or strength the story
demonstrates, and you might add another two or three skills as well. This could be done
by stating: "So I really do believe that experience demonstrates my ability to manage
projects effectively (the originally stated strength), as well as motivate employees and
find solutions to really difficult problems. "The interviewer will readily agree that
motivating employees was fully demonstrated. Through one story you can often sell half
a dozen skills.
Key Points For Telling Stories
Most people speak in generalities when asked about their strengths. Five minutes later,
the interviewer will not even remember what was said. When you take advantage of the
opportunity to tell a story, you will create impact and cause the interviewer to know a
great deal about you. Your challenge is to share stories whenever they are appropriate.
Any time a question is asked about a strength or asset, back up what you say with an
example. If you've never done exactly what they are asking for, you might start with
"That's not too different from what I did at..."
To tell effective stories:
As you end the story, remind the interviewer what skill or strength the story
demonstrates, and you might add another two or three skills as well. This could be done
by stating: "So I really do believe that experience demonstrates my ability to manage
projects effectively (the originally stated strength), as well as motivate employees and
find solutions to really difficult problems. "The interviewer will readily agree that
motivating employees was fully demonstrated. Through one story you can often sell half
a dozen skills.
Key Points For Telling Stories
Most people speak in generalities when asked about their strengths. Five minutes later,
the interviewer will not even remember what was said. When you take advantage of the
opportunity to tell a story, you will create impact and cause the interviewer to know a
great deal about you. Your challenge is to share stories whenever they are appropriate.
Any time a question is asked about a strength or asset, back up what you say with an
example. If you've never done exactly what they are asking for, you might start with
"That's not too different from what I did at..."
To tell effective stories:
 | Provide all of the key information. | |
| Describe the situation as you came into it, problems and challenges included. | |
| Describe your analysis and recommendations. | |
| Describe what you implemented and the results you obtained. | |
| Create vivid images. | |
| Provide interesting details, but keep the story concise. | |
| Make the story interesting. | |
Sharing Key Experiences Will Make The Difference
Aloof as they may seem, employers are actually begging you to get them excited. Show
that you can make or save them money, solve their operational problems, or ease their
workloads, and they'll be thrilled to hire you. Merely saying you can increase productivity
or get staff members to work as a team isn't enough. You must support your claims with
vivid examples. People are visual, paint them a complete picture.
People remember best those things that are stored in their minds as pictures. In fact, the
latest brain research reveals that memories are stored as holographs, or 3-D pictures.
That means that if words pass from your mouth and do not create any images or
emotions in the minds of employers, those words will literally pass through one ear and
out the other.... there will be no impact or long-term memory.
Interview Techniques
