𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬

𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬

According to hashtag#LinkedInCreators, March 20th was hashtag#worldstorytellingday, but when you are in the job search, every day is an opportunity to tell your story.

I once coached an Ortho Surgeon who had 11 interviews in one day for the same position.

He stated his problem(s):

“The area that I would like the most help with is learning to answer all questions concisely and with confidence. Specific questions that I think I would need some coaching with are the “Tell me about yourself”, “What makes you stand out from other applicants”, and the “Why should we hire you” questions. I think if I have a strategy for answering all types of questions that this will probably put all my nerves under control. My goal in the interview is to give thoughtful answers to their questions and come across confident in doing so.”

The answer to his concerns: STORYTELLING!

💡In today’s competitive job environment, storytelling has not only become a central theme in the job search process and a powerful way to communicate, but it’s also an effective tool for executives and senior leaders to use.

💡Executives need to become masterful storytellers if they wish to advance their careers. They need to create compelling stories that can engage, persuade, and evoke action.

💡Some senior leaders brush off their accomplishments by saying “It’s no big deal; it’s all a part of the job”, instead of using the opportunity to tell their stories that will communicate value, build credibility and demonstrate impact.

💡Storytelling is not only important in interviews, but when you are delivering your elevator pitch, at networking events or developing your job search documents.

💡Storytelling is quite effective in a resume, because accomplishment stories can be weaved throughout the document
rather than using ‘responsible for’ statements.

💡Although there are various storytelling acronyms used
in the job search (STAR, PAR, CAR), I place a lot of emphasis on 𝐀𝐈 – 𝐀ction and 𝐈mpact – when coaching senior-level clients. What action(s) did you take, and what was the impact? This strategy helps them focus on and get to the heart of their stories.

When the Ortho Surgeon heard that the competition was down to two people, we met again to prepare for the final interview. Soon after, he received the good news that he got the job.

Storytelling works! You don’t have to be an executive, senior leader or an ortho surgeon for storytelling to be an effective strategy. It allows you to paint a vivid picture of your achievements and confidently articulate it to others.

One last thing: When you engage in storytelling, it piques the interest of the interviewer, alleviates your nervousness and boost your confidence.

It’s your story…tell it!