Want to stand out during your interview? Tell better stories. Here's how-
One of the hardest things when you are looking for a job is finding a way to differentiate yourself from the other candidates. One of the best ways to be sure that the hiring manager remembers you is to tell a good story.
When an interviewer asks you to tell them about yourself, instead of listing facts about your work history and experience, tell them a story about who you are. The point is to not have them tune out when you start listing facts and dates. As humans, we all can remember a good story and it gives the person we are talking to a personality. The challenge is that many of us just aren't very good at figuring out what the “story of us” is. Here are some things that can help:
- Get a pen and a sheet of paper and write down what your passions are – For this part, it doesn't matter if they are related, but it might be easier if you think about the things that are important to you about your career. Your motto or deeply held belief.
- Write down why you are working in your field – Because you want a paycheck might seem like the obvious answer, but even if you were just looking for a job to pay the bills, there is a reason why you chose a certain industry.
- List your skills – No matter what you do for a living, there are bound to be things that you are especially good at. Write them down.
- Look for the common thread in your experience – Even if you have worked a variety of, seemingly, unrelated jobs, there are bound to be some common threads that can connect them all together.
- Think about what connects the position you want to your history – Write down why you want this job and how it relates to your previous experience and skills.
After you have written down all of these things, look over them and try to find a way to connect the dots into a great story about who you are. For example;
“I have always thought that doing business doesn't have to mean trying to make a buck or landing the sale or even taking customers for all you can get. I honestly think that you can make money by offering the best products and the best service. Ever since I entered the workforce, I have been trying to work with companies that also feel this way. I had a lemonade stand when I was about twelve and went to great lengths to be sure that I was selling the very best lemonade in town. That commitment is something that hasn't changed about me. I received a undergraduate degree in business administration and started out working for (company name) as a (position). Most recently, I have been working with (company name) as a (position name).”
Granted, this story isn't as interesting as some, but I wanted to illustrate that even a work history that seems dull can be made into a story. The story should touch on your experience, your skills and your work history. Practice your story in front of a friend or loved one and see if it makes sense and shows a cohesive theme.
What do you think about telling a story? Let me know in the comments.
Are you looking for a new job in Customer Service, if so, visit CustomerServiceJobs for the best Customer Service job listings.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for CSJobsBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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