4 Reasons Why You Should Prepare Stories for Your Job Interviews

#1 Stories will make your life easier

Once you have your stories and your big picture "in speed dial" you won't have to prepare for an interview from scratch again. You’ll only need to refresh your memory and you are ready to go to your next interview.

#2 Stories make a bigger impact than facts, figures, or diplomas

Certificates, diplomas, PhDs, facts, or figures alone won't get you the job offer. If that was the case, then there wouldn't be a need for an interview in the first place.

The decision of who a company will hire is much more than just about your hard skills. They need to know what type of person you are, and what you are willing to do for them.?

The easiest way to communicate that is by telling stories, from your work and your personal life. Make sure to prepare stories that show how you have used your unique set of skills and personality traits to achieve something when you were under pressure or did something extraordinary.

#3 The interviewer is not always the decision-maker

It is much easier for him or her to remember the stories than some cold hard facts.

During the interview make sure you paint the big picture for them so that they have a satisfactory image of you that they can later pass on to the decision-maker.?

You want them to sell you to their superior as the best candidate and essentially get you the job. You want them to advocate for you.?Make it as simple as possible for them to sell you.?

So, you need to accomplish 3 things:?

1. Help them understand who you are
2. Help them comprehend what you can do for the company
3. Help them sell you to their boss as the best candidate

By selling yourself to them you are literally “putting words” in their mouth. The way you sell yourself is the way they will sell you to the decision-maker.?

Make it easy for them to achieve all three and you will likely win this job offer.

#4 Personal benefit

You will:

• Get the confidence that you need to step up your game and go to interviews knowing that you can’t mess up.
• Start seeing interviews as conversations rather than an interrogation.
• Stop worrying and enjoy those conversations more.
• Eradicate the fear of interviews.
• Start enjoying interviews.

Do you use stories at interviews?