Tell a Great Story, Get a New Job!

Looking for a new job? As unemployment stays high and job growth remains slow, employers will continue to hold the advantage in the hiring process. By implementing effective storytelling techniques, you can hold the advantage over the other candidates. Before I dive right into storytelling, however, let’s briefly review the basic components of an effective Job Search Preparation List (from my previous blog posts):

• A weekly schedule with specific times blocked for conducting online job searches, networking, and follow-up;
• Fresh, updated resumes that are customized to specific job titles and industries;
• A completed LinkedIn profile that is professional, interesting, and inviting;
• Positive energy and enthusiasm, knowing that a new job is just around the corner;
• Ability to immediately respond to any employer extending the opportunity to interview;
• Readiness to make a high-impact, positive first impression that sticks!

How do you make a “high-impact, positive first impression that sticks?” This is a very important element to consider as you are exploring your next great role in the workforce. Per Doug Stevenson (Author of The Storytelling Method), “If you want to make a positive impression at the same time you’re making a point, you’ve got to use stories.” Doug also asks this question, “Have you ever heard someone tell a story so well that you were transported? For that moment in time, you were completely mesmerized, caught up in the magic by someone who didn’t just make you hear it, but who helped you SEE It, FEEL IT, and LIVE IT?!”

The stories you must be ready to tell are about things that took place in previous jobs, things that back up the skills and qualifications you wrote about in your resume. Since hiring managers have plenty of good candidates to choose from, expect them to ask tougher interview questions as they try to reduce candidate pools and ensure they hire the right people. If you’re not a natural storyteller, start practicing immediately. Why? Because when the hiring manager asks a behavioral-based interview question (e.g. “Please share an example of a time when you used a particular skill…”), you want to respond smoothly and confidently, ultimately triggering an internal emotional response within the interviewer.

The Bottom Line: If the interviewer(s) visualize YOU in the role, the probability that you will become their next employee (or advance to the next step of the process) increases significantly!

Fortunately, Doug Stevenson will be delivering a live presentation of his renowned “Storytelling For Business” workshop during the Pikes Peak Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development’s annual “Day With A Master” event on Tuesday, October 9^th in Colorado Springs. This workshop will blend perfectly with anyone needing to improve his or her interviewing and/or presentation skills. For more information or to register, please visit http://PikesPeakASTD.org today!