A picture is worth 1,000 words

📷You've heard the expression, "a picture is worth 1,000 words". If I translate that to an interview then a story is worth 1,000 words.

👩‍🦰Every day I talk to clients who tell me they can't convince the employer they have the skills, talents and abilities to do the job. I always ask them the same question. "Did you tell them your stories?" Inevitably, the response is always "no".

🕰Long gone are the days when you could go on an interview and say, "I'm dedicated, I'm hard working, give me a chance, I can do anything." Nowadays, employers want to know how you handled the situation in the past, because past behavior is indicative of future performance.

📕Instead of telling them how you WOULD handle a difficult customer, co-worker, or client, they want to how how your HAVE handled it. This is where you tell your story.

👍Of course, it should be succinct, to the point, and ALWAYS have a positive ending. The good news is, even if you're a Stay at Home Mom and haven't worked in many years, you can give an example from your volunteer experience, or even from life situations.

🌉One of my favorite client stories is from a woman who told me in the aftermath of a hurricaine several years ago, when the city was devasted, and there was no mass transit and roads were closed to cars, she WALKED 2 hours, each way over a bridge to work. I asked her if she ever mentioned that during an interivew, and she told me, "no, it never came up." That's the type of story you NEED to bring up. Imagine telling a Hiring Manager that you are punctual, dedicated, and never miss a day of work, OR tell the hurricaine story. Which one do you think makes her STAND OUT and speaks volumes about her commitment and reliability?

❓Prepare a "novel" of about 5 stories for common behavioral based interview questions and have them easily accessible. (I like to say, keep them in your back pocket.)

✨During the interview, find ways to tell the stories that sign radiantly of your accomplishments. This will signifcantly improve your interviewing skills!