Tell a good story. It’s the way to stand out in an interview.
One of the most common requests we get these days is to help people prepare for their upcoming interviews. You don’t need to go far to find interview prep advice around knowing your strengths, being clear about your relevant experience, researching the organisation and the interviewers, and having some killer questions up your sleeve. But if I had Harry Potter’s magic wand, I would cast a spell for story telling.
As humans, we are wired for stories. Earliest humans used stories to convey information essential for survival, where the lions are sleeping, where food can be found. Various brain regions activate when we are engaging with a story, allowing listeners to experience the story as if they were part of it, creating shared experiences that foster empathy. And crucially, because stories activate many parts of our brains, all those connections formed during the story strengthen memory formation.
Mastering the art of storytelling for interviews is my No.1 piece of advice for a host of reasons:
A well-told story captures attention and keeps your interviewers interested, making the conversation more dynamic.
Your stories are much easier to remember than dry facts or lists of achievements. A compelling narrative sticks in the interviewer's mind, helping you stand out from other candidates. And it’s a much more interesting way to demonstrate your skills than a dry list. Showing how you've applied your skills in real-life situations provides concrete evidence of your capabilities.
Through your stories you reveal your values, work ethic, approach to challenges, and problem-solving processes, all of which helps the interviewer understand your character and fit within the company culture.
They don’t all have to be instagram-perfect stories either. Sharing anecdotes of the challenges and the failures demonstrate your resilience, self-reflection and personal growth. Interviewers appreciate candidates who show vulnerability as it reflects maturity and a willingness to learn from past experiences
Good interview storytelling needs tales that are short and concise, and answer the interviewer’s question.
How to tell stories that showcase your superpowers
All good stories have an arc. A beginning (a brief description of the challenge or conflict or difficulty you were facing), a middle (options you considered, how you went about addressing the challenge - all of which demonstrate your skills and competencies in action), the ending - what happened after all your hard work, and ideally, an epilogue (what you learned from it all). Old hands at this will recognise this is the S/TAR technique (Situation/Task, Action, Result)
Include emotion - Were you nervous, confused, unsure at first? Gutted when your first attempt failed? How did you feel at the end? Proud, relieved, excited? We all love to get on board with the ups and downs of a tale - but keep it real and authentic.
Stick to the essentials - Avoid going overboard on details that will bore your listeners. Skilled storytellers whittle their narrative down to just the essentials needed to convey the scope and scale of the situation, the important actions, and decisions that demonstrate skills and experiences, and how it turned out. Ideally a ratio of 25 (beginning) /60 (middle) /15 (end/epilogue)
Practice, practice practice - You can absolutely guarantee a compelling speaker’s effortless, easy delivery has come about because they PRACTICED!!! They wrote down their ideas, said them aloud multiple times, and eliminated the fluff, so that in the moment they could deliver their message with comfort and ease - and confident in their ability to adapt their story in the moment, because they know it so well.
Mastering storytelling in job interviews is not just about narrating your experiences; it's about creating meaningful connections that resonate with your interviewers. By preparing engaging stories that align with the job requirements and showcasing your unique skills and value, you enhance your chances of making a memorable impression and securing the position.
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