How to use the power of storytelling for a better job interview

No matter how quickly communications change, one thing remains constant…

…the power of storytelling. Great communication is built on great stories, and so is getting a new comms job.

When recruiting in the Marketing & Communications sector, we’ve noticed that the successful job interviews are the ones that feature concise, focused stories that demonstrate your skills, knowledge, or personality.

Interviews, and particularly panel interviews, are an opportunity to tell your story, to add another chapter to the overarching narrative, the point of which is: “I’m right for the role”. These days interviews are usually structured around open-ended questions. For example, “Tell me about a time when….”. The best preparation for these types of interviews, and to showcase your abilities, is to develop stories that are tight, interesting, and informative.

A lot of elements go into successful storytelling but strip it right back. Effective stories are built around three elements: what needs to be achieved; the obstacles to achieving the goal; and what you do to overcome the obstacles.

The STAR technique

In an interview setting, this structure translates into what is often called the STAR technique. STAR is an acronym for:

• Situation: the context that leads to the challenge or opportunity
• Task: the required response to achieve the goal
• Action: what you did
• Result: what happened.

STAR is not a magic formula. But it provides an adaptable structure to distil your extensive experience into easily understood nuggets. By making it easy for interview panels to understand what you offer you will be well on the way to getting that job you want.