How A Story Can Help You Get The Job

By Ruoro Kairu 

Two years ago, I was called for an interview as an editor in a publishing firm. I had applied for the job despite not having all the qualifications. When I got the interview invitation call, I was very excited.

I went over my CV to ensure I wouldn’t forget anything.

On the interview day, I woke early, prepared myself, and headed to the interview.

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There were many other candidates who’d come for the interview. At first, I was nervous because this meant more competition. When we began speaking, however, I realized most of them had come for different positions. There was just one other lady who had come for the same position as me.

The lady was first to go in, she stayed in the interview room for over 45 minutes, and when she came out, she had a huge smile on her face.

When I walked into the interview, it didn’t even last ten minutes. When I left, I was worried because I had not stayed as long as the other lady.

I started imagining what the other interviewees would think, so when I was walking out, I did so with my head looking down.

When I got home, I had regained some of my confidence, and I believed there was a chance I could get the job. The publishing house had told us they would call those who had been successful, and everyone else would receive an email.

Over the next week, I kept looking at my phone anxiously. I was expecting a call, and hoping I wouldn’t get a regret email.

Two weeks after the interview, I still hadn’t gotten a call or the email. I decided to call back for feedback.

When I called, the interviewer could not remember me at first. I spent two minutes trying to remind him who I was. Clearly, I had not created an impact on the interviewer.

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He told me I had not gotten the job, and they had decided to go with the other lady.

When I heard that, I was very disappointed. I thought I was done looking for a job.

Afterward, I decided to speak to a friend of mine who is an interview coach.

When I asked him how to make a lasting impression on an interviewer, he told me that telling a story is one of the most effective ways to achieve this.

You still remember most of the stories you heard as a child.

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In the interview room, we sometimes have the urge to share all our qualifications and past experience. This is what almost every other interviewee will do. How do you then ensure you leave the interviewer impressed? By being different, and that is with a story.

However, he also shared there were guidelines for giving the best story in an interview situation.

Here are the guidelines;

Read on to discover the guidelines for a great story in an interview setting.