W.I.I.F.M, Storytelling, and the Job Interview

When interviewing for a job, you are just one of multiple candidates that the firm is meeting for the opening.  Regardless of the position or interview process, you have to be memorable to the interviewers.  Being able to tell a compelling story or stories to answer common interview questions is a great way to create a memorable experience for your interviewer and set you apart from others that give generic answers to the same questions.

When I was at a large company and interviewing candidates for an opening, I met a candidate from a smaller company interviewing to join our larger organization.  I posed the question to him on why he would want to join a large company where he might get lost working around so many people, as compared to his boutique organization.  

 His answer: 

“When I was growing up, as a hobby I kept an aquarium.  What you learn if you have fish is that they will grow to the size of their tank.  If you have a small aquarium your fish will stay small.  But, if you take those same fish and put them in a larger aquarium, then they will begin to grow to their surroundings.  That’s how I view my career, I feel that I’ve grown as much as I can at my current company, and want to test myself at a larger company, where I can continue to grow my skills and experience, much like my fish would grow when they were moved to a bigger aquarium setting.”  We ended up hiring this individual, and part of the reason we called him back for a second interview was this story.  When we reviewed the multiple candidates we interviewed, the other manager and I would always come back to the ‘fish guy’ as someone that we wanted to meet again as a possible fit. 

How do you tell a good story in an interview?  Here are a few ways to prepare to be memorable in an interview by telling your story:

1. Examine your resume, and look at a list of common interview questions.  Brainstorm about memorable experiences that you’ve had that you could share in an interview.  You don’t have to write an exact script out of the stories that you would tell, but you could certainly make notes in an outline of what you’d like to convey. 
2. Add specifics and details in order for your listener to have enough visual description to understand your illustration.  For example rather than answer a question by saying “Our team had a really tough goal that we had to accomplish…” you should be specific:  “Our team had to redesign our company logo.  Our logo was 30 years old and the Partners had asked us to come up with something that could be cutting edge but also incorporated their history, and they gave us three days to accomplish this task.” 
3. It has a beginning (setting up the situation), a middle (the problem or obstacle you had to overcome), and an end (the result). 
4. Your story is true.  This might sound like a no-brainier but I have had candidates tell me an anecdote, and when I became interested and probed them on details, it was apparent to all in the room that the story was fiction.  If you doubt whether you have interesting stories to share then have a friend sit down with you and ask you questions about what they see on your resume in a comfortable setting, and stories will surface that you previously hadn’t thought of.

The listener will be thinking about W.I.I.F.M throughout your telling of your story, so make sure it’s apparent by the end of your description.  What is W.I.I.F.M?  It stands for ‘What’s IN It For Me?” Anyone that has interviewed others for a job and is tasked with listening to an interviewee speaking, is doing this either consciously or subconsciously.  The best storytellers are ones that keep this question in mind as they tell their story, and most importantly they will make sure the listener has a good understanding of what is in it for them to keep their attention throughout the tale.  When preparing for your interview and examples you would like to share, make sure it is clear what is in it for them.

Preparing for your interview should include some basic groundwork of anecdotes and stories to share, so remembering a few of these suggestions should help you in this preparation.  Many times these stories are what your interviewer will remember best about your meeting, and I can tell you from first-hand experience that after you are hired your future coworkers will want to know more about these narratives for years to come.

Getting Feedback After an Interview

A frustration for many candidates is when they not only do not get the job, but also do not receive any type of meaningful feedback on why they weren’t chosen for the opening.  Getting feedback after your interview sometimes can feel just as difficult as getting the actual job!  Many candidates walk out of an interview unsure of how they did and wondering if there are any changes they could’ve made in their answers or style to help them improve their interviewing technique, but many times it is really difficult to receive true or substantive feedback from an interviewer or hiring manager at a company.  Why is this?

Most companies will prefer for their HR and Recruiting contacts to take the safe route when communicating to a candidate that they didn’t get the job.  “We thought you were great, we just had a candidate that the hiring manager selected that was slightly ahead of you” is a frequent response given.  Even if this isn’t true, a company doesn’t want to expose themselves to any type of liability by giving real, honest feedback about what someone did or didn’t do in an interview, or why they weren’t selected. 

Just because you might not get feedback, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still ask.  If you look for feedback in a positive manner, it is a great way to leave a good impression with a firm, and also you could use any valuable information that would help you on your search, and in your next interview.

Here are some ways to get feedback on your interview:

Keep it future-based.  When you ask for feedback, instead of asking about what you could’ve done differently, instead focus on what things they think you could do over the next 6 months to two years to be right for this role.  Is there any specific experience that the hiring manager thinks would help you?  Certifications?  Business focus?

Have an ally. Try and have an ally inside the company that will give you real and honest feedback about your candidacy and how you compare to the others interviewing for the same position.  This person might be a friend who has insight into the firm or hiring even if they’re not directly involved.  Many times your recruiter (both internally at the firm or an external recruiter) will be getting feedback from the hiring manager along each step of the process.  They also have a vested interest in hiring the right person for the role, so keep your communication open and inquisitive.

Ask for feedback along the way:  If you are able to have an open dialogue with the company as you are still in consideration, then ask the question during the interview when you are meeting with the hiring manager.  “Is there anything that you have specific questions about regarding my background and how it relates to this job?  Any concerns?” 

Write a thank you note regardless: I’ve informed candidates that they didn’t get the job, and they immediately drop their professionalism when hearing the news.  A general rule is to think that you never want to burn a bridge with a company, even if they have decided to hire someone else.  Consider writing a thank you note even if you get turned down for a position.  Thank them for the time and the consideration, and hope they might consider you in the future.

Ultimately you still might be frustrated with the results if you end up not being the person chosen for the job, but by asking for feedback you can rest easier knowing that you’ve done everything in your power to earn the job.  Take those lessons learned along with you on the next interview!