Telling stories
You’re in the interview. Your inquisitor wants to find out all about you... whether you can do the job... and importantly whether you’ll fit in.
S/he’s heard all the simple answers from other candidates. Boring! Zzzzzzzzz!
But YOU know all about telling stories, not lies, but stories. And stories have bewitched people from the beginning of time...
”And your weaknesses?”
“If you’d asked me that a year ago I’d have said presentationphobia, but I forced myself to volunteer for every possible one and I’m so much better now!”
”And what’s your greatest achievement?”
“Are you sitting comfortably, then I’ll begin...”
- Category: True Stories Told As Fiction
10 comments add one below
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VerityAlways 10 months ago
That's a great outlook, beginning with a story!
Well the answers to SWOT are quite mundane, a story should help. -
Neville Hunt 10 months ago
Thanks Verity. I aim to start with a story and carry on with them. It’s a magic formula. Engage your listener and if you stumble, they’ll forgive you. In interviewing junior executives I always asked them to tell me a joke at the start. One guy asked me “Do I have to?” I replied “No, not at all, it won’t affect you chances, but how else can I get to hear new jokes?” It got its own laugh... QED! It was then on a really comfortable interview and I hired him (he never was any good at jokes though!🥴)
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VerityAlways 10 months ago
If that would be me on the other end, the joke is probably on the sock color and I would be straight out of your hair;)
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Neville Hunt 10 months ago
I doubt it! I always looked for the ‘Will s/he fit in here?’ Rather than resumé details which would have been carefully crafted. In advertising, the HR people would’ve screened out the dunces, and I reckoned if they had bucketloads of that key ingredient of enthusiasm, and a ‘what can I do for you?’ (as opposed to a ‘what can you do for me?’) attitude, then I was probably onto a winner! Sock colour, or even odd sock would probably make a candidate more interesting! I would probably say first off “I love the socks. I want some! Where did you get them?” That would probably lighten the mood!
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Christopher 10 months ago
Great advice. I was always funny, which they say is a no-no in an interview. But I figure they may as well know what they're getting into if they hire me.
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Neville Hunt 10 months ago
Too right Christopher!
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VerityAlways 10 months ago
Very wise stuff, Neville. Can we subscribe to your newsletter?!
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Neville Hunt 10 months ago
Certainly, Verity, but I’ll have to start one first!🥴
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VerityAlways 10 months ago
I'll be the first to subscribe 😁
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Neville Hunt 10 months ago
Yippee, thanks Verity! Now I’ll HAVE to start one. What sort of stuff would you like me to cover?
