There are 4 job interview stories every graduate must be ready to tell. Master them and you’ll rarely find yourself stuck for words during a job interview.
An unexpected question can throw you off balance during a job interview. Most of such questions are behavioral questions that you probably aren’t prepared for and they often involve storytelling. But how can you tell a good story if you’re caught off guard?
We all tell stories: dinner party stories, stories of overcoming difficulties, stories when dating, stories of when this or that happened. In the same way, every graduate should have a set of stories to tell at interviews or any place where they have to sell themselves.
Your best bet is to have your stories handy even before you walk into the office building. To make it easier for you, we’ve compiled three interview stories you should be ready to tell at any job interview.
Job interview stories you should be ready to tell
Let’s get started!
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Stories that depict your problem-solving capabilities
Almost every job requires solving at least one problem or the other. This is why some of the questions you’ll be asked during an interview will revolve around your ability to solve problems.
So, now you have to look back down memory lane to remember any moment where you had to solve a problem creatively even without the necessary resources. Consider a story that portrays your drive, creativity, ingenuity and how you succeeded in solving a problem.
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Stories of how you worked with a team to achieve a set goal
Almost every role in a company involves working with at least one team. In fact, you have to be a team player to thrive in today’s business world. So, interviewers are interested in people who are comfortable working with others. As such, the ability to collaborate is one of the key skills interviewers’ look out for during any job interview.
So, now you have to dig deep to find a suitable story of when you had to work as part of a team to achieve a specific goal or objective. Don’t forget to mention your specific role and highlight how you contributed to the entire team efforts.
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Stories of how you handled a mistake you made
While you might be working really hard to appear perfect in front of the interviewers, they know you’re human and humans make mistakes! They will ask questions to find out how you handle mistakes you’ve made in the past while working on any task.
So, think of a story that won’t make you look incompetent. Tell the interviewer what happened and the steps you took to fix the situation. The interviewer is more interested in what you did to remedy the situation. So, explain precisely, step by step, how you reacted to the mistake and then solved it.
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Stories of why you want the job
At some point during the interview you’re going to have to explain why you want the job you’re going for. Of the 4 Job Interview Stories Every Graduate Must be Ready to Tell, this is the only one that requires a bit of projection into the future! The interviewer wants to know how genuine you are about the job position and company: you’ll need to come across earnest without sounding desperate!
So, put both your head and heart into it. Your story must have a past, present and future. First, describe how you chose your present career path. Next, highlight a key moment in your present role (when you felt super about something you achieved). Finally, tell the interviewer how you want to build upon and use your experience and skills in the future. Close off by saying that the job you’re interviewing for will help you to do this.
Bottom line
Whatever story you tell must inspire the interviewer, so include vivid details and plenty of action!
Don’t forget that the interviewer is only concerned about how you can replicate the good outcomes of your stories in the new job position and company. That’s what he or she is looking for in your stories, as past success is a good indication of what you can achieve in the future.
Finally, remember, be true! Lies always get found out and never result in a happy ending!
Good luck!
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