Success Stories Part 1

Once you know what the hiring manager is looking for, it is time to point out how you are the best qualified candidate. How? Share your success story. Challenger, Gray and Christmas- among others- teach that there are three basic elements in a good success story. First the situation, then what action did you take, and finally what was the result .

S-A-R

S – Situation

A – Action

R – Result

Success Story

I believe that the success story needs to be short, sweet, and told in a way that allows the hiring manager to see you doing the same for them. Short and sweet is so important especially in telling the first two elements S & R. Most people have a short attention span today. Just think about the average TV commercial for the Super Bowl. Ads are sold in 30 second spots― why? because average Americans can focus their attention only that long before their minds begins to wander.

The situation is essential to keep brief since it sets the stage. Be general in terms of the problem. State the situation so that it is clear that the company had the problem not you. Don’t be too specific. Don’t confuse the interviewer with a lot of needless data. Believe me, the data is more important to you than it is to the interviewer.

The action should be brief as well as spoken in terms of “I.” What did you do to solve the problem? Again, keep it general and brief. You want the interviewer envisioning you doing something similar for the company. You want to share just enough info so that the interviewer understands that you really are experienced.

The result is the coup-de-grâce of the success story. This is where you want the interviewer to be because this proof in numbers of your ability to do the job. It’s the story’s conclusion. Here you can go into more detail and tie in numbers, dollars earned, time saved, happy customers, or team accomplishments. The terms and numbers you share depend on the interviewer’s need or problem. This is where they see you doing this for their company.

The goal of all good storytelling is to bring the audience into the story. Get them to identify with the narrative and see you doing the same for them. When you are general and not detailed the listener- the interviewer- is then able to fill in the elements of their situation and the action in terms that fit their world. Don’t disturb this by talking too much or using too many particulars.

Next time we’ll talk more about how to build and practice your stories so that you are prepared for the interview. We’ll also look at specific examples and how to know which stories to use.