Job444 - Interview Tell Stories

At the Interview, Don't Answer Questions, Tell Stories Instead

Many years ago when I hated what I was doing for a living I was encouraged by my career coach to write several short stories about times and events in my life when I influenced the outcome. I was stumped at first, but after a few days, I came up with over 15 pages of stories of times in my life when I influenced the outcome and either grew myself and/or bettered the existence of others or myself.

So what does this have to do with a job interview?

If you read other books on job interviews, you'll notice they feed you a ton of interview questions to learn answers to. The big problem is that an interview is not an interrogation. It's a conversation. To make it that way you need to come armed with a multitude of small stories about both your business life and your personal life.

When you go into an interview, you need to leave your nerves at the door. The best way to prepare is to be yourself. You do this by telling your own story (or stories). Have your stories ready to go.

Here's Why

Competency-based interviewing is being used more often today. In a traditional interview, the interviewer will ask you questions focused on whether you have the skills and knowledge needed to do the job. A competency-based interview goes further by asking you additional questions about your character, soft skills and personal attributes that can better determine whether you fit their corporate culture. These are called "behavioral competencies".

About half of a competency-based interview will focus on your job skills, and about half on your behavioral competencies. The interviewer will be looking for evidence of how you have acted in real situations in the past. Having your stories ready to go plays very well for this type of interview.

Here is What a Company Wants to Find Out About You:

1. Are you an asset or a liability? Will you either make money or save money for the company?

2. Are you a team player? Will you fit into the corporate hierarchy or be like sand in the gears? Can you take and give (if appropriate) orders?

3. Will you fit into the company culture? (They don't want loners or prima donnas)

Take the initiative and have several personal stories that you can tell, taking maybe 30 to 90 seconds each.

Start by developing your stories around these areas:

Several times where you either made money or saved money for your current or previous company.

Focus on a crisis or two in your life or job and how you responded or recovered from it.

A time when you functioned as a part of a team and what the contribution was.

A time in your career or job when you had to deal with stress.

A time in your job when you provided successful leadership or a sense of direction.

What failures in your job did you face and how did you overcome them?

What seminal events happened during your career that caused you to change direction and how did this work out for you?

An interview should not be an interrogation. It should be a conversation between two equals. When you accomplish this you come away a step closer to your goal of landing the job you really want, because…

It’s the conversation that wins an interview, and
It’s the conversation that wins the job

To have a conversation, have your stories ready.

Professional Resume Consultation

Could an improved resume WIN YOU MORE INTERVIEWS?

Most resumes crash and burn at the 20-second barrier. That's about how long they last before they're tossed onto the "discard pile".

See how your resume stacks up in today's market with a private resume consultation with the "Job Search Guy".

Click here for details.

Are You Still Using Yesterday’s Methods to Win a Job Today?

Catapult Your Job Search Using the Latest Cutting-Edge Strategies for Success.

(Listen to Joe)

Over 9 million workers are unemployed in the U.S. That means fewer jobs and stronger competition. Are you going to compete and win or just fall in defeat along the wayside?

Paycheck 911 will:

Show you how to rethink your role in the marketplace and talk the language employers want to hear.

Describe the major changes you need to turn your lackluster resume into a "selling machine" to win that phone call rather than being passed over.

Help you develop that all important personal branding statement to help break the "20-second barrier" most job seekers today are encountering.

Demonstrate how to repackage and promote yourself in this challenging environment. Learn to use the major social media and proven direct marketing techniques to reach the "hidden job market" and move beyond the "Monster".

Show you how to cut through the fluff to really prepare for that interview and avoid the minefields that trap the unwary to answer those critical questions and ace that interview against stiff competition.

And much, much more to help you win a good job in today's economy!

Click here for full details

Normal selling price for Paycheck 911 is $59.95

Purchase today for only $29.77!

That's a 50% savings