From Kent Lee, CEO of Perfect Resumé
Long after you’ve left a job interview, how will you be remembered? It’s something you may not think about before your interview, but you should.
The key to leaving a lasting impression is using a technique called 3 Reasons/3 Stories.
In a nutshell, it’s simply about telling stories about yourself that are relevant to what hiring managers want to hear.
Here’s how it works:
Before your job interview, write down a list of the top three reasons why you are a great fit for the job. If you can, look at the requirements listed in the job description and use that as a guide.
Your goal is to get your interviewers to remember these three things about you.
Next, prepare three stories that back up each of your reasons.
Let’s take Leslie’s story as an example. (To learn more about how we helped Leslie go from unemployed for 3 years to hired in less than 30 days, check out the video on the Perfect Resumé homepage.)
Leslie was interested in a sales management position. The three reasons why she was great for the job were:
1. Her 7 years of sales management experience.
2. She had a proven record of sales success in multiple industries.
3. She had skills building strong relationships with customers.
It’s important to note, Perfect Resumé came up with these three reasons because they were relevant to the desired skills of the job to which Leslie applied. We know they were important factors in the minds of the hiring managers.
Next, we collaborated to determine her three stories to back up each of these items. They were:
1. A story about managing sales reps and her 20 direct reports.
2. A story about winning numerous sales awards in multiple industries.
3. A story about a great customer relationship she built.
With these 3 Reasons/3 Stories, Leslie performed brilliantly in her interviews and was remembered as a highly-relevant, talented candidate. And yes, she got the job.
The other great part about these stories is their flexibility. Once you have them prepared, you can use the stories throughout your interview, at any time, regardless of what question is asked.
For instance, if you’re prompted “So, tell me about yourself,” you can list your three reasons.
If you get asked about your strengths, you can use one of your three stories.
If you’re asked situational questions, odds are you can weave one of your stories into that answer.
Another benefit to this interview technique is that by telling your three stories, you are taking control of the interview. You’re guiding the conversation down a road that you want it to go down — one that highlights your three most relevant strengths.
It’s important to keep each of your stories to 1 minute or less. Interviewers hate it when people ramble, so it’s key to practice your story. You must be able to articulate your value and your stories in a clear, concise manner.
This 3 Reasons/3 Stories technique has worked for hundreds of clients. With practice, I’m confident it will work for you, too.
If you have questions, please leave me a comment below and I’ll follow up with you.
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