Hi <<First Name>>,
Answering Interview Questions.
It seems so simple, doesn't in. Walk in and just give honest answers, but we all know it isn't as easy as that.
So how do you actually do it? And how do you know if what you are doing is even the right thing to do! It can be very frustrating.
I've interviewed A LOT of people so I know what works and what doesn't work. But let's back it up for a second.
In an interview the interviewer needs to walk away feeling like you can do the job but they also need to walk away feeling like they know you and like you. So how do you do all of that in one simple answer?
You tell stories.
A story is a great way to create chemistry and build a relationship. Think about when you are with your friends and family, you probably aren't giving them information in bullet points, you tell stories. So by telling stories in an interview, you are right off the bat relaxing the atmosphere and it can begin to feel more like a gathering of friends.
A story is also a great way to leave the interviewer confident you can do the job because a story about how you perform, or about an achievement or how you go about a specific task leaves them with the understanding of who you are and what you did, even if you miss a small detail.
Now, we all have those people in our lives whose stories are all over the place and in an interview the interviewer, just like you with that person, is fighting a sigh or looking at their watch. So we do need some structure to those stories.
My favourite way to structure an interview answer is the following acronym:
Background
Action
Result
As it makes sure the interviewer knows what you are talking about, knows about what YOU did and knows about how it made a difference.
That is what works - a great structured story teller.
FYI - I'm writing some November articles, what do you want me to write about?
Thanks,
Sara
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