The Science of Storytelling: Turning Interview Answers into Career-Defining Moments
Storytelling lets you share facts in an emotional context. Attaching emotion makes stories memorable and impactful.
Sharing stories while answering interview questions is essential for success. What you’ve done isn’t as important as how you explain what you’ve done and its organizational impact.
For instance, you might be asked to describe a time you disagreed with your manager. If you respond, “I told my manager they were making a foolish decision,” you likely won’t get hired. However, you could advance in the hiring process if you say, “I respected my manager’s opinion even though it differed from mine. I soon realized they were unaware of a critical piece of data and shared it with them. My manager thanked me for the information, reconsidered their decision, and decided to go in a different direction.”
Connecting with Interviewers
Answering questions through storytelling lets you connect with the interviewer. For instance, helping them feel the challenges you experienced increases engagement. Also, showing how you solved the problems demonstrates your organizational value. These activities help the interviewer visualize you as an employee.
Creating Lasting Impressions
Storytelling during interviews makes your information interesting, dynamic, and memorable. For instance, stories evoke emotions, memories, and personal associations that help the interviewer remember you and the information you shared. These activities encourage advancement in the hiring process.
Phrasing Interview Answers
How you share interview answers can make complex tasks sound simple and simple tasks sound complex. Therefore, focus on providing interesting data points, more detailed context, and your personal experience to help the interviewer understand your answers. Show you’re a valuable employee who completes complex tasks and would be a great hire.
Storytelling Tips for Interviews
These tips support storytelling during interviews:
- Determine the most important facts.
- Build a narrative that wraps the facts in an emotional context the interviewer can relate to.
- Use names and specific details to build an emotional connection.
- Concisely share your story.
- Include small moments that illustrate the facts already shared.
- Use bits of repetition to strengthen remembrance and recall.
Steps to Craft Interview Stories
These steps support storytelling during interviews:
- Consider your audience. Include what the interviewer wants, what they do and don’t know, and what they need to know.
- Begin with the end in mind. Focus on what you want the interviewer to do or think when you finish.
- Identify key facts and messages. Remember that the interviewer likely will remember two or three things you say.
- Identify which brief story moments will illustrate the facts. Consider which statement will encourage the interviewer to ask you a question.
- Focus on revealing important parts of yourself. Inspire trust, compassion, stability and hope.
- Include a moment of reflection. Connect with the interviewer through logic, emotion, credibility, character, or a combination of these elements.
- Limit each story to 30-60 seconds. Ensure the story feels natural and transparent.
Get Help Securing a New Job
PrideStaff’s experienced recruiters can match you with job opportunities and coach you through the hiring process to help you land a new role. Contact your local PrideStaff office to begin your job search today.
Related Posts
