Clients tell me that one of the hardest things about job interviews is answering questions in a way that’s persuasive, but also feels comfortable and natural. They want to know how to authentically communicate what they have to offer - and stand out. The task feels even more difficult with open-ended questions. Questions like: “Tell me about yourself.” “Tell me about your last job.” “Tell me about a time when you handled a difficult client or customer.” “Why should we hire you?”
The Challenge
Questions like these can leave you confused about what to say, and how to say it. Too often the answer’s too generic, regurgitates things you’ve already covered in your resume, or takes you down the proverbial rabbit hole because it lacks structure and direction. And unfortunately most interviewers won’t spend much time and energy trying to reign you in, or draw out the details you failed to cover. In the end the interview feels flat, and you haven’t effectively communicated what you bring to the table.
But here’s the thing, you can learn to bring more life and structure to your answers, and effectively highlight your skills and abilities. And you do this by perfecting the art of a good story - stories about yourself. Stories are effective and impactful because we’re naturally drawn to them. Research demonstrates that our brains are more active when we’re listening to a story, and we’re more likely to relate to the story teller: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/brain-wise/201411/your-brain-stories. So the better you are at telling your stories, the better you’ll be at forming a connection with your interviewer, and communicating what makes you unique. So how do you tell a good story about yourself?
It’s All in the Delivery
As a listener, we expect a story to follow a certain flow or format - one that we’re hard-wired to listen to. At a basic level all good stories have four parts, so your stories should too. What do I mean? Think about what happens when someone launches into the guts of a story without enough context to follow along? You’re confused, and don’t know what the point is. What’s your reaction when someone hasn’t piqued your interest, and given you a reason to want to know more? You’re disengaged, and uninterested. Who hasn’t been disappointed and unsatisfied by a bad ending?
One way to learn to distinguish the four parts of a story, and how they flow together in your own story-telling, is by thinking about a favourite book or movie. I expect you’ll agree it followed a format something like this:
The Scene
Before launching into the story, they gave you context to understand what comes next. Think of an introduction we’re all familiar with, “Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a…”
When you’re asked a question in an interview, it’s up to you to briefly set the scene.
The Obstacle or Problem
This is why you know the story’s going to be interesting. We want to find out what happens next when we learn the wicked queen wants to get rid of the princess. We can’t wait to see if Luke Skywalker will learn to use the force, and defeat the dark side.
What’s your hook? It’s your job to let the listener know why they should want to hear what you’ve got to say.
Action!
This is why you continue to be interested. It’s a page-turner. The princess runs away through a dark forest, meets dwarves, and falls into a deep sleep when she’s poisoned by the evil queen. Luke Skywalker travels across the galaxy, meets his mentor, and battles Darth Vader.
In an interview, this is where you get a chance to shine and illustrate your character, skills and qualifications. Talk about what you did, and the actions you took.
It’s a Wrap
In the end the princess is rescued, Luke defeats the dark side, and they all live happily ever after.
Don’t forget the result. Wrap things up by letting your interviewer know what happened. Discuss the impact you had, or what you learned.
Of course there’s more to it than understanding the structure of a good story. But it’s the first step. After that it takes practice to get good at it, and feel natural. But it’s worth it. When we’re done, my clients are confident they can tell their own stories authentically and persuasively, and I’m confident they’ll successfully handle any question that comes their way. And with any luck, we all live happily ever after…