“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be
forgotten.”
~ Rudyard Kipling
~ Rudyard Kipling
People,
including hiring managers, have a seemingly insatiable need to be entertained. When job seekers arm and use that vital piece
of information during the interview process, the stories they tell and the
experiences they share morph into memorable illustrations that create stronger
emotions between themselves and the interviewer than the next candidate.
As some
point during the interview process, the hiring manager will ask the job seeker
to tell them a story, i.e. “Tell me about….”
These words are the job candidate’s cue to take the hiring manager on a
ride that will stimulate their senses. When
the story is delivered effectively, the hiring manager will be able to virtually
feel, smell, touch and see the experience through the voice of the storyteller.
The
elements of the story are straightforward:
- Be earnest in the delivery – Sincerity and whole-heartedness are keys
- Be enthusiastic – Use a proper tone of voice to emphasize important facts and pause for dramatic effects
- Be animated – Use gestures and facial expressions to ‘sell’ the experience
When it
comes to the interview process, job seekers should know that there are 7 elements
to a compelling story. These elements
include the following:
·
Job
relevance – How does your (the job seeker’s) direct experience relate to the
position?
·
Communications
skills – How have you, the job seeker, demonstrated your ability to communicate
effectively?
·
Leadership
skills – Have you, the job seeker, ever been in a position of authority?
·
Problem-solving skills – Can you give an example of your problem-solving ability?
·
Expertise
– Can you, the job seeker, demonstrate/illustrate your skills, knowledge and/or
proficiencies in any particular area?
·
Pedigree
– Do you have any credentials that can support your claims?
·
Impact
– Can you, the job seeker, articulate the, ‘Who, What, Where, When, Why and How’
X was affected in a positive manner?
The bullets
listed above are guidelines intended to help the job seeker build their story. It should be noted that compelling stories
can be extracted from your educational, professional or personal
life. If you happen to be a job
seeker who may not have as much work experience as your competition, it may be
necessary for you to lean more upon your personal and educational
experiences.
“Be amusing: never tell unkind stories; above all, never tell long ones.”
~ Benjamin Disraeli
~ Benjamin Disraeli
Copyright © 2013, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Show you care and share this article with your colleagues, coworkers and friends. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2013, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog authored by Mary Salvino, the Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com. It is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future career opportunities. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please send an e-mail to Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca.
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My story: I have been out of job for a while now, and the employment gap on my resume is getting bigger, and just in the past month 4 US & international ranks firm has not return my email request for update on my application. When I finally got hold of 1 HR manager by phone, she casually told me the position had been filled, and I did not make their short list of candidate because of I have gap in my employment. My reaction to this is: Seriously? For you HR type folk, you might say Yes. But here's the thing, this job is not a store sale associates; is not data entry type job. This position require 15+ years experience designing research laboratory architect. This is a small niche specialty job. On the list of job skill that this 1 firm listed, I'm sure that my resume is very competitive with about top 5% if not 3% of architect in this field in the US and Canada. How does a 20 architecture/engineer firm in the world let their front line HR folks behave like this think is good for business
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous,
DeleteI would love to tell you that your story is the exception rather than the rule. But unfortunately, that is not the case.
In terms of lending my support to your quest to find suitable employment, I would like to offer the following thoughts:
• Assuming that your document has cleared the Applicant Tracking Software used by recruiters, in-house HR departments and job boards that allow people to post their résumé on-line, and you are qualified for the position, the people who will be reviewing your documents will fall into one of two categories:
A. Those who know what they are looking for because they have actually done the job and have intimate knowledge of the required skill set; and
B. Those who are looking to fill a laundry list of requirements that have been given to them from “A”. [Recruiters and those in the HR department of larger companies usually fall into this group.]
• Companies often advertise opportunities that do not ‘actually’ exist for the following reasons:
A. They are fishing to see what kind of talent is out there;
B. They are anticipating future needs;
C. They already have someone in mind to fill to position but want to make it look like there is a competition to fill to position <~ The position is being filled internally [promotion, lateral move by a current employee, nepotism, or highly recommended by a current employee];
D. Company restructuring wherein the job has been chopped up so that current employees each absorb part of the job; and/or
E. The company’s needs have changed <~ Budget changes, loss of client[s]
Given that, you, as a job candidate, will RARELY be able in the position of finding out the real reason as to why you did not get the job, it makes sense for you to strive to get the contact information of the hiring manager and/or the person to whom you will be reporting and ask permission to send your documentation to them directly.
I know that this is not what you wanted to hear, but it may help you to know that you are not alone. The young often fear mature workers with a healthy depth of experience.