How can you use storytelling to answer interview questions?

Stories have the power to communicate emotions more than any other thing. When someone hears the encounters you had as a teen that made you choose your career. It hooks them in immediately. Wow, so you went... You did.... You started.... Their brain begins to kick into work and action

Stories are the currency of human connection. Storytelling in interviews isn't just about sharing experiences, it's about creating a bond with the interviewer.

First of all, your life is a story and it's worthwhile remembering that for all the things you have done in your career previously, it's nice to paint a picture of a person heading in a specific and particular direction, which effective storytelling does marvellously.

When selecting a story for an interview, focus on highlighting relevant skills, achievements, and experiences while demonstrating problem-solving abilities, leadership qualities, teamwork, or any required skills. Choose recent, concise stories with positive outcomes. When telling a story, structure it using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Set the context, explain the challenge faced, describe the actions taken, and conclude with the positive outcome. Engage the interviewer through eye contact, body language, and enthusiasm. Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture and emphasize the impact and lessons learned. Improve storytelling skills by practicing stories in a structured manner. #storytelling #interview

Stories are like bait for the brain. They create an immediate connection, because they create an *experience* which produces an emotion. When we attach an experience to an emotion - stories become memorable. This naturally creates a more interesting tone for the interview. You've gone nowhere, but everyone in the room should feel like they have been somewhere.

I take up a random CV from my replacement masterclass and weave an experiential story around this. We all have so much to tell. People just do not know what to tell and where. Crafting a story with the truth as the base and removing the unwanted and unsolicited edges is the name of the game. After this exercise, individual aspirants can weave a story around the facts. This is so interesting to watch as a mentor.

Don't tell a story just for the sake of telling a story. Make sure it's relevant to the question and is adding value to your answer. A good story told at a bad time, is a bad story.

My one suggestion is to start the story in the middle. Setting the scene isn't always necessary and by the point it gets interesting, you may have lost the interviewer's focus. Start strong - where there's action and it feels exciting. Then you can backfill some of the earlier key points if necessary.

I start with a sentence which people generally miss. Then based on the facts, a story is woven around which roams experience and what they did in that situation, which set them apart. Finally that story connects with around area/ language/ parents/ siblings/teachers and the original sentence is uttered again and that starts making sense. People never forget this; When a story makes them cry, makes them laugh, and may be makes them cry again.

The hook is the most important part of a story, this is where you draw them in and they decide to invest their time into this story. Learn how to create good hooks, not just for telling stories but also for writing stories.

I took an amazing course called “The StoryTelling Leader” a few years ago. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to level up on how to tell a great story!

Situation, Task, Action, and Result is a very methodical way. Add creativity to it with a local anecdote and people fall for it. A popular belief also works. The acceptance of the society works. and... How to practice? Smile and Practice Practice ...and Practice

I agree that storytelling is one of the best methods to answer interview questions as it allows candidates to effectively illustrate their skills and experiences. By framing their responses in the form of a story, candidates can provide context and detail, making their answers engaging and memorable. Storytelling allows candidates to showcase their ability to handle real-life situations, demonstrating problem-solving skills and resilience. Additionally, researching the company culture and the interviewer's background, for example, on LinkedIn, can help in connecting the story with the interviewer, making the approach even more effective.

Let it be Data cleaning, analyzing, and dashboarding but the final one is storytelling. Storytelling is interpreting the data to the interest of the target audience, your juniors, your colleagues, or your seniors. While you convince your boss with the same, encourage and motivate the juniors, or have fun with colleagues and friends; Storytelling is the crux. Here, you connect all the dots to encapsulate the entire width and breadth of your understanding. Well! you must read a lot about different subjects if you wish to be a master storyteller. Have a great story telling experience!

Storytelling is a journey, not a destination. It engages the right hemisphere of the brain responsible for imagination, creativity, intuition, feelings etc. (for you and the interviewer) In our world, most people find their left brain more active. Storytelling gets under the surface to activate a sense of wonder. This is truly what forms the connection.