THE IT INTERVIEW GUIDEBOOK:

IT resourcesIT resources

DOUGLAS PAULO

THE ART OF STORYTELLING AND CAPTIVATING YOUR AUDIENCE

/02

If someone asked you to tell them about your favorite movie, could you?

Chances are, you’d easily be able to summarize the plot in a couple of sentences.

Now consider why it’s so easy for you to do so.

The obvious answer is, of course, that you were drawn into the story and enjoyed the

movie—which isn’t surprising, since movies are carefully crafted by master storytellers

to be engaging and memorable.

The secret to a successful interview: great storytelling

INTRODUCTION

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

In this eBook, you will learn:

• How to research a

company so you

know your audience

• How to create engaging

stories that a hiring

manager won’t forget

• What you should never

do when telling a story

in an interview, and what

you should do instead

So how do movies pertain to a job interview?

Well, as a jobseeker in today’s competitive IT job market, you need to make yourself as

memorable as possible to hiring managers. No matter how good your education, how

impressive your experience, or how extensive your computer skills, what will really set

you apart from other candidates with comparable skills is your ability to articulate how

you can bring value to an organization.

Going to an interview and simply reciting your résumé isn’t going to engage a hiring

manager or interviewer. To really stand out, you need to know how to tell your story

in an authentic manner that resonates with your audience. And that’s where the art of

storytelling comes in.

The art of storytelling can be applied to interviews to make a greater impact on your

listener. In an interview in Harvard Business Review, Robert McKee, an award-winning

director, and writer and author of Story, Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of

Screenwriting, instructs that a powerful way to engage people is to unite an idea with an

emotion. In an interview setting, this translates into providing information about yourself

in a manner that your listener can relate to emotionally, making you and your story more

memorable in his or her mind.

INTRODUCTION /03

The greatest story I ever told...

/04

PART I: RESEARCHING YOUR AUDIENCE

/05

Every answer you give, every question you ask, and every anecdote you recount during an interview combines to tell a story about you.

So in order for your story to be memorable, you need to take control of it. As Robert

McKee says, a successful story unites an idea with an emotion—in other words, you have

to craft your tale so it strikes a chord with the audience. To do this, you first have to

establish common ground and engage your listener’s emotions. And that’s where

researching your audience comes in.

To determine what you need to research, ask yourself, “Who is my audience and

what is my goal?”

Your audience is, of course, the hiring manager—both as an individual and as a

representative of his or her company. Your goal is to convince the hiring manager that

you’re the best fit for the job.

To establish common ground, you need to understand the company’s objectives,

circumstances, and reason for hiring a candidate with a specific skillset for this particular

position. You also need to know the hiring manager’s own background. So the more you

know about both the company and the hiring manager, the better you’ll be able to tailor

a story to your audience’s frame of reference.

THE MORE YOU

KNOW ABOUT

BOTH THE COMPANY

AND THE HIRING

MANAGER, THE

BETTER YOU’LL BE

ABLE TO TAILOR A

STORY TO YOUR

AUDIENCE’S FRAME

OF REFERENCE.

PART I: RESEARCHING YOUR AUDIENCE

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Pre-interview research

Forbes reports that hiring managers often complain candidates lack knowledge about

the companies they’re applying with. Having knowledge of the company not only shows

you’ve done your homework, it also puts you in a better position to tell a story that’s

relevant to the interviewer’s situation.

Set at least a couple of hours aside to gather information about the company and the

hiring manager. What follows is a list of the most important pieces of information you

need and where to find them.

The company’s product or service: Look on the “About Us” page on the

company’s website.

The company’s history: Check the “About Us” page, or the company’s LinkedIn or

Wikipedia page. You can also conduct a Google search on the company’s name.

The bios of the leaders of the organization: review the “About Us,” “Management,”

“Leadership,” or “Investor” page on the company’s website.

PART I: RESEARCHING YOUR AUDIENCE

/07

Who the organization’s competitors are: The company’s website is unlikely to include

this information. The best way to find it is to conduct an online search on the company’s

name, as well as a search for its competitors. You can do this by typing in “Competitors

of [company name]” and making sure to offset the words by quotation marks.

The organization’s recent activity: Check the “News,” “Press,” or “Media” pages

on the company’s website, and look for recent press releases. You can also check the

company’s blog, as well as perform searches and news searches on the company’s name.

The background and communication style of the hiring manager: Look on the

company’s website and see if the hiring manager has a bio there. Then take a look at the

hiring manager’s LinkedIn profile and read it carefully. Make note of any interests, group

affiliations, college alma mater(s), and connections. Study the LinkedIn bio carefully, as

well as all endorsements, to gain an understanding of the hiring manager’s background.

What is this person like? What does his or her profile tell you?

PART I: RESEARCHING YOUR AUDIENCE

Putting it all together

Review the information you’ve collected, and synthesize it to form a picture of the

company and the hiring manager’s situation. What do you imagine is the hiring

manager’s biggest problem right now? Are the company’s IT systems failing to keep up

with the organization’s growth? Does the company want to design custom systems for

clients, but it lacks the personnel with the right combination of expert programming

language skills and well-honed interpersonal skills? Use your talent for analytical thinking

to gain an overview of what’s important to the company and the hiring manager at this

point in time.

Spend some time considering what you and the hiring manager have in common in

order to know how to strike a chord with him or her. Consider aspects such as education,

work experience, and interests. By understanding the hiring manager’s situation and

having a common point of interest to draw him or her in, you can ensure your story’s

meaning comes across with clarity and power. Then you can work on honing all of your

interview answers into a comprehensive story that carries maximum impact and makes

you a memorable candidate.

/08

BY UNDERSTANDING

THE HIRING MANAGER’S

SITUATION AND HAVING

A COMMON POINT OF

INTEREST TO DRAW HIM

OR HER IN, YOU CAN

ENSURE YOUR STORY’S

MEANING COMES

ACROSS WITH CLARITY

AND POWER.

PART I: RESEARCHING YOUR AUDIENCE

/09

PART II: BECOME A GREAT STORYTELLER

It’s important to understand that simply rehearsing a couple of anecdotes to share during an interview isn’t a guarantee you’ll be a memorable candidate.

After all, you won’t be the one leading the conversation, so you can’t be sure when

you’ll have the opportunity to tell your story. You need to be able to participate in the

conversation and roll with it. That’s why you need to craft an authentic, engaging story

that communicates your message throughout the entire job interview—no matter what

questions are asked.

The way to do this is by knowing what the company wants, what the hiring manager’s

situation is, and how you can bring value to the organization. You’ve already worked

on gathering background information in Part I.

Now we’re going to discuss how to deliver your story throughout the course

of the interview.

PART II: BECOME A GREAT STORYTELLER /10

A “STORY” SHOULD

LAST FOR AT LEAST

THREE TO FIVE

MINUTES, WHILE

OTHER TYPES OF

ANSWERS SHOULDN’T

BE LONGER THAN

THREE TO FOUR

SENTENCES.

REMEMBER:

OVER-ANSWERING

WILL GIVE THE

IMPRESSION THAT

YOU LACK FOCUS

AND AREN’T A GOOD

COMMUNICATOR.

Lessons from TED Talks

When it comes to in-person storytelling, many of us struggle to get our words across in

the right manner. Fortunately, we can take some lessons from TED Talks, the presentations

given by professionals who share their enthusiasm for their passions in a—typically short—

speech. The best TED Talks go viral and are seen by millions of viewers around the globe.

In Inc., TED organizer Kelly Stoezel shares some advice to make you appear confident

and your story sound natural. She advises preparing yourself and your audience by

making small talk ahead of time; telling the story in your own manner instead of relying

on a scripted structure; and knowing that you’re providing a service by sharing this

information with your listeners.

In his TED Talk, filmmaker and Toy Story writer Andrew Stanton says you can create a

great story by using what you know, capturing a truth by experiencing it, and expressing

values you deeply believe in. He also advises avoiding explicitly stating something about

yourself (e.g. “I’m collaborative”) and instead allowing your listener to make his or her

own deductions about you based on your story (e.g. “I worked with two colleagues to

build the database in record time”).

/11PART II: BECOME A GREAT STORYTELLER

/12

PART III: LANDING THE JOB YOU WANT

/13

Six storytelling tips to improve your interviewing skills

According to Stanton, a well-told story hooks, thrills, and captivates the listener. The

following six tips for storytelling will help you improve your storytelling skills and apply

them to interview situations.

1. Prepare to make the audience care. Using the research you did in Part I about the

company, identify key points that describe how you could make a difference in the

organization, as well as how you would fit in with the company culture. Come up with

compelling reasons for why your skills are exactly what this employer needs right

now to achieve its goals. For example, if the company needs somebody with in-

depth knowledge of programming languages as well as interpersonal skills, prepare

to explain that you’re proficient in four programming languages and were named

“Employee of the Month” at your customer service job during your college years.

2. Establish a connection. Before the interview starts, use the opportunity to establish

a connection with the hiring manager. Make small talk about something you have in

common, such as, “I noticed we’re both (name of college) grads. Did you go to the

most recent alumni event?” or, “I saw you’re also a member of (name of group) on

LinkedIn. Do you find it useful?” By establishing a connection, you’ll create a more

relaxed setting, which makes it easier to engage the interviewer.

PART III – LANDING THE JOB YOU WANT

Make the audience care

Be likeable

Be clear on your intentions

Show your enthusiasm

Delight the listener

Establish a connection

/14

3. Show your enthusiasm. Gain the interviewer’s attention by sharing information that

clearly demonstrates your enthusiasm for what the company does, as well as your

eagerness to bring value to the firm. For example, “I really like what you’re doing

by offering custom-built systems, and I’m excited about the opportunity to bring my

knowledge of C# and Java, as well as my customer service experience, to the job.”

4. Be clear on your intentions. Everything you say and do during the interview should

convey that the job you’re interviewing for is your first choice. Being informed as to

the company’s needs and enthusiastic about the position goes a long way, as well as

communicating that you like the company culture and think you’ll be a good fit for

the team. It’s also a good idea to draw upon your knowledge of the company’s values

and history to support the fact that this organization is your first choice employer, not

just one in a series of applications.

5. Be likeable. The more people understand you, the more likely they are to feel

empathy for you. Since you’ve already established a connection during the small

talk at the beginning of the interview, you can build on this by discussing things you

have in common. So ask questions and find opportunities to establish more common

ground. Moreover, being interested in the hiring manager, as well as the rest of the

team at the company, will make you even more likeable and show how good a match

PART III – LANDING THE JOB YOU WANT

AVOID BEING

DISAPPOINTED IN YOUR

JOB BY BEING REALISTIC

IN YOUR JOB SEARCH.

TO BE REALISTIC, YOU

NEED TO EVALUATE

YOUR REQUIREMENTS

AND SKILLS IN RELATION

TO A DESIRED ROLE.

/15

you are for the team. For example, if you ask, “What do you like best about working

here?” and the answer is, “The work’s always cutting-edge and interesting,” you

could go on to say how much you enjoy challenging yourself and accomplishing new

things. This shared emotion creates a rapport that can make you stand out from the

rest of the candidates.

6. Delight the listener. Have one or two good anecdotes that clearly demonstrate the

qualities you want the hiring manager to know about. The stories should be short

and truthful and show you in a positive light. For example, you could tell an anecdote

about how you had just started with your previous employer when your supervisor

fell ill during a high-priority project, so you filled in as team leader and managed to

complete the project on time and within budget.

The interview is your opportunity—and might be your one and only chance—to connect

with the hiring manager, so use the conversation to tell a candid story that shows how

invested you are in the company’s needs and highlights how you could assist the hiring

manager in achieving his or her goals. Most importantly, be honest and always be yourself.

PART III – LANDING THE JOB YOU WANT

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PART IV: DEADLY SINS OF STORYTELLING

To make your story and yourself even more memorable, avoid these “deadly sins of storytelling” during the interview process.

Writing for the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Professor of Marketing Jennifer Aaker

addresses frequently made storytelling errors that result in dry, unexciting stories.

Structuring stories chronologically. A tale that simply recants events from start to end isn’t

nearly as interesting as a carefully crafted story in which risks and consequences build to a

satisfying—and oftentimes surprising—conclusion. Make sure your stories are founded in

ideas linked to feelings and passions, and show logical connections between each event in

the story. For example, you could tell a story about how when a previous employer needed

to streamline its data collection in order to meet an important deadline, you went above

and beyond the call of duty to design a function that allowed database users to edit within

the system, minimizing the time needed for corrections and maximizing sharing efficiency.

As a result, the company met its deadlines and showed improved capacity from then on.

Using clichés. Avoid general categories and terms when speaking about yourself. By using

descriptive language that evokes images instead, you can engage your listener and make

yourself more memorable. So in place of saying, “I’m very organized,” you could say, “I like

my workspace to be organized. I always make sure to label files and folders correctly so I

or anybody on the team can easily find them.”

PART III: DEADLY SINS OF STORYTELLING /17

WRITE DOWN WHAT

GOALS MAKE SENSE

FOR YOU BASED ON

YOUR PRIORITIES

AND END GOAL.

Using jargon. Though the hiring manager is most likely an IT professional, it’s possible

that you’ll also interview with others in the organization who aren’t. In this case, bear

in mind that sprinkling the conversation with jargon that’s too technical or limited to a

specific population is a surefire way to lose most audiences. For example, if part of the

interview process for an IT job at a company includes meeting with the CEO who doesn’t

have an IT background, you should probably steer away from terms like “mainframe,”

“bridge,” and “QoS.”

Fabricating details or events. Untruths and half-truths undermine your credibility.

While it’s fine to show enthusiasm and passion, never exaggerate the facts.

Remember: an employer can and will check your references, so stick to the truth,

no matter how enticing embellishments might seem.

Being too general. Anecdotes that make your experiences interchangeable with

those of many other candidates aren’t going to make you memorable in the eyes of an

interviewer. Avoid being too general by selecting stories that are unique to you, and

showcase them by means of YouTube videos, blog posts, and/or your personal website.

If an accomplishment was shared, give credit where credit is due. Make sure your stories

are tailored to your audience and contain messages that highlight your best qualities as

they apply to the industry.

/18PART III: DEADLY SINS OF STORYTELLING

Playing the blame game. Sharing information about past experiences and shifting the

blame to your previous employer, supervisor, or team members will trigger a red flag

with the hiring manager that you’re not a good fit—even if you preface the story with the

statement, “I’m not blaming anyone.” Instead, present the story as a learning experience

that’s helped you develop, or steer away from it altogether.

Claiming to be perfect. When asked about a mistake or failure you made in the past,

don’t immediately answer that you can’t think of any. This is another red flag for hiring

managers, since nobody’s perfect. In fact, not sharing a story here might make it seem

like you aren’t willing to take responsibility for your actions. Make sure to prepare a good

story that shows what you learned from your mistake and how the experience improved

your ability to deliver in your job.

With the points above in mind, spend some time practicing your stories. Write them

down, record yourself telling them, and present them to friends. Ask for feedback and

keep practicing until your stories are engaging and memorable.

/19

AVOID THE

“DEADLY SINS OF

STORYTELLING” TO

MAKE SURE YOUR

STORY IS UNIQUE,

EXCITING, AND

MEMORABLE.

PART III: DEADLY SINS OF STORYTELLING

/20

PART V: INTERVIEW CHECKLIST

COMMONLY-ASKED QUESTIONSTHE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE COMMONLY ASKED AS PART OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.

Commonly-asked Questions

The following questions are commonly asked as part of the interview process.

Prepare concise responses and practice

them aloud so your answers sound natural:

• Why are you interested in working with our company?

• Why are you looking to leave—or why did you leave—

your last position?

• What’s important to you in a work environment?

• Why should we hire you, or what makes you the best candidate for the role?

• Describe an accomplishment of which you’re proud.

• How do you handle conflict at work?

Story-telling topics

Prepare concise responses and practice them aloud so your answers sound natural.

• Why are you interested in working with our company?

• Why are you looking to leave—or why did you leave—your last position?

• What’s important to you in a work environment?

• Why should we hire you, or what makes you the best candidate for the role?

• Describe an accomplishment of which you’re proud.

• How do you handle conflict at work?

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STORY-TELLING TOPICS

EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL:

• Guidance or mentorship

you’ve provided

• Conflict resolution experiences

• Team- and peer-inclusive

accountability measures

• Approachability anecdotes

• Examples of complex problem-solving

SENIOR PROFESSIONAL:

• Objective-oriented strategy forming

• Ability to drive change

• Application of company strategy to

your specific domain of expertise

• Relationship nurturing

• Risks and failures

• Influence on team culture

• Ownership of decisions and actions

• Description of your leadership style

HERE ARE SOME TOPICS FOR STORIES YOU CAN PREPARE PRIOR TO YOUR NEXT INTERVIEW:

NOVICE PROFESSIONAL:

• Any study or research you completed

that would be relevant to the

company and/or hiring manager

• Experience at getting up to

speed quickly on a project

(cite a specific example)

• Coaching you received in previous

environments that helped expand

your knowledge and experience

• Transferable experience or

knowledge (products, certifications,

methodologies, etc.) that is relevant

to the position and compensates for

a lack of exact qualifications

SOURCES:

http://hbr.org/2003/06/storytelling-that-moves-people/ar

http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/5-tips-to-boost-confidence-for-a-job-interview/

http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2014/05/01/desperation-is-not-a-marketable-soft-skill/

http://www.myfuture.com/careers/articles-advice/acing-the-interview

http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/interviews/a/aceinterview.htm

http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2014/06/02/10-things-that-must-be-said-in-every-job-interview/

http://criticalfinancial.com/how-to-take-control-of-a-job-interview-and-why-you-should/

http://www.careerealism.com/ace-interview-ask-questions

http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2014/04/17/what-are-the-top-5-job-interview-mistakes/

http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2013/11/22/10-really-bad-job-interview-answers-and-10-good-ones/

http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2013/09/10/the-top-25-questions-to-ask-during-a-job-interview/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2014/01/15/how-to-ace-10-of-the-most-common-interview-questions/

http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/6-tips-to-making-a-positive-first-impression/

http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2013/10/17/win-or-lose-5-defining-moments-of-every-job-interview/

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/02/24/the-most-common-job-interview-questions-and-how-to-answer-them

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorieclark/2014/01/02/how-to-give-a-ted-worthy-talk/

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DOUGLAS PAULO is director for the Americas Information Technology (IT) product group, an IT

staffing solutions business unit of Kelly Services, Inc. He is responsible for solution development,

product strategy, pricing, brand messaging and positioning, as well as service development for

the IT product services portfolio.

Prior to joining Kelly Services in April 2012, Mr. Paulo spent 18 years with HP Enterprise Services

(formerly EDS) progressively advancing his management and leadership skills through experience in ITO & BPO

operations, business development, project and client management both domestically as well as internationally.

In his previous role, Mr. Paulo developed an offering that enabled clients to maximize return on customer value

as well as the management of the overall end-to-end customer experience.

Mr. Paulo received the Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP), Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)

Foundations and the Zachman Framework for Enterprise Architecture (ZIFA) certificates along with completing

the Cornell University—S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management Executive Education for Product

Management. He is multilingual in English, Spanish and Portuguese.