Interviewing: Tell Your Story But Don't Bore Them

When you hear "Tell me about yourself" early on in an interview, and later "Tell me more", what do you say? Trying to "win" in a job interview - getting a potential employer excited and eager about the amazing value of your brand - centers around being able to answer these requests in a compelling fashion.

The interesting thing is, the best responses are more about them (employers) than about you. Sound like a contradiction? Not so, says Jill Konrath in "Passing the 'Tell Me More' Test" found in a recent issue of Management Consulting News. Although Ms. Konrath writes the article from the perspective of a business, like a consulting business, the points she makes are absolutely applicable to an employment candidate. After all, you are "The Brand YOU" as Tom Peters has been reminding us for 10 years now - your career and your branding are your business.

For tips on the nine types of stories people like to talk about and hear, check out Guy Kawasaki's article "What People Talk About" on the AlwaysOn Network. He summarizes these story types from Lois Kelly's book Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word-of-Mouth Marketing. Use some of these as you tell your brand story, and you'll capture the employer's attention and interest - and perhaps even a job offer.

Cross-posted at Career Goddess Blog