How to Talk About Your Strengths in an Interview Without Losing Your Soul
Here's a way to talk about your strengths in an interview (or anywhere else) that will make you stand out without selling your soul.
People make this mistake all the time.
They just list them out rapid fire. "I'm dependable, trustworthy, a team player, and detail-oriented."
Thank you Robot Joe/Jane.
The list thing is so awkward and boring, no one talks like that in real life. Imagine being at a party with someone just listing out their accomplishments like they're Siri... it's just strange.
And WORSE, it's forgettable.
Do this instead.
Tell them a story.
The human brain is wired to remember stories. It's how we've learned and remembered things for millennia.
Don't think you are a storyteller? You are simply because you're human. (Have you hung out with little kids or old men lately? - ALL of them natural storytellers - because they don't give a rip), but you've probably forgotten how or it's been cultured out of you.
The human brain is wired to remember stories.
Here's how to start.
WELL BEFORE you interview, grab a cup of coffee some Saturday morning, and start writing about some REAL (non-fictional) events that illustrate why you're a great employee.
Or ask around like, "Hey, can you think of a time that I really stood out at work in a good way?" Then write it down, and tell it to anyone who will listen so you can practice.
Here are some prompts to get you started:
"We were going to miss the deadline, and I knew I could help"
"An example of small things I do to build my team"
"The time I went out of my way to help a coworker succeed"
If you can combine your strengths into a story that gives them the experience of working with you and makes them laugh, you've hit Narnia genius level five.
Helpful? If you'd like more interview tips, I wrote a FREE guide just for you. It's not your "what to wear and what font to use on your resume" kind of guide.
This is the inside scoop that true professionals know and you don't.