Job Interviews and the Art of Storytelling
Recently my child asked me what I do when I'm at work. You see, my six-year old knows that policemen take bad people to jail, firemen put out fires, and astronauts travel to outer space. So, how do I explain to him what I do for a living? I paused for a moment and said I'm a storyteller, I tell stories. This brief conversation got me thinking, are the same qualities that make for a good story the same for a successful job interview? I would have to agree.
Employers use interviews to better understand where you have been in your career, what types of roles you held, levels of responsibilities, and examples of key challenges you faced. The best stories have a strong theme, a fascinating plot, a fitting structure, unforgettable characters, a well-chosen setting, and an appealing style.
So, what makes a good story? Well, according to writer Aaron Shepard, a good story contains the following elements:
Theme
A theme is something important the story tries to tell us€"something that might help us in our own lives. Not every story has a theme, but it's best if it does.
Plot
Plot is most often about a conflict or struggle that the main character goes through. The conflict can be with another character, or with the way things are, or with something inside the character, like needs or feelings.
Story Structure
At the beginning, jump right into the action. At the end, wind up the story quickly.
Characters
Before you start writing, know your characters well. Your main character (i.e., you) should be someone listeners can feel something in common with, or at least care about.
Setting
Set your story in a place and time that will be interesting, familiar, or relevant.
Style and Tone
Use language that feels right for your story. Wherever you can, use actions and speech to let listeners know what's happening. Show, don't tell. It almost never hurts to use simple words and simple sentences. That way, your story is easy understood. Always use the best possible word€"the one that is closest to your meaning, sounds best, and creates the clearest image.
One Final Thought
To be most effective, an interview story needs to be results-based (i.e., what was achieved as a result of what you did) and provide qualitative examples of your success. Put simply, hiring managers are looking for results and want to know that you have solved problems similar to theirs. Candidates who get the job offers are effective in showing the results of their work efforts.
Employers use interviews to better understand where you have been in your career, what types of roles you held, levels of responsibilities, and examples of key challenges you faced. The best stories have a strong theme, a fascinating plot, a fitting structure, unforgettable characters, a well-chosen setting, and an appealing style.
So, what makes a good story? Well, according to writer Aaron Shepard, a good story contains the following elements:
Theme
A theme is something important the story tries to tell us€"something that might help us in our own lives. Not every story has a theme, but it's best if it does.
Plot
Plot is most often about a conflict or struggle that the main character goes through. The conflict can be with another character, or with the way things are, or with something inside the character, like needs or feelings.
Story Structure
At the beginning, jump right into the action. At the end, wind up the story quickly.
Characters
Before you start writing, know your characters well. Your main character (i.e., you) should be someone listeners can feel something in common with, or at least care about.
Setting
Set your story in a place and time that will be interesting, familiar, or relevant.
Style and Tone
Use language that feels right for your story. Wherever you can, use actions and speech to let listeners know what's happening. Show, don't tell. It almost never hurts to use simple words and simple sentences. That way, your story is easy understood. Always use the best possible word€"the one that is closest to your meaning, sounds best, and creates the clearest image.
One Final Thought
To be most effective, an interview story needs to be results-based (i.e., what was achieved as a result of what you did) and provide qualitative examples of your success. Put simply, hiring managers are looking for results and want to know that you have solved problems similar to theirs. Candidates who get the job offers are effective in showing the results of their work efforts.