Management Tip of the Day: Prepare Stories for Your Job Interview

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   TIPS   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile APRIL 30, 2013 Prepare Stories for Your Job Interview Don't show up for a job interview without a stockpile of good stories. These narratives should be parables with a moral at the end, showcasing the skills that are relevant to the position you're applying for. Make your stories do double duty: They should illustrate the good job you'll be able to do for the company. And they should show that you're loyal, trustworthy, or hard-working — some personal quality you need to get across. Be sure to have a failure story at the ready. Don't cheat and talk about your tendency to "work too hard." Pick something real that you were able to learn from. This will magnify you in the interviewer's mind, not diminish you. There's a good chance the interviewer will ask you to talk about a weakness or a failure, anyway — it's better to be prepared than to come up with a unpolished response off the cuff. Today's Management Tip was adapted from the HBR Guide to Getting the Right Job. Buy the book and learn how to find a career that fits » Share Today's Tip: FEATURED PRODUCT HBR Guide to Getting the Right Job HBR Press Trying to figure out where you want your career to go — and get a job that'll take you there? That's no easy task in a fiercely competitive market. How do you clearly and convincingly define what you've got to offer to an organization? And how do you dig up realistic opportunities that match your skills and passions? Even if you've discovered exciting possibilities, you may face other obstacles: Perhaps you're finding it difficult to compete with more-seasoned professionals. Or maybe you're struggling to show a logical progression in your job history because you've hopped around. With challenges like these, it can be hard to get any job at all, let alone something that's satisfying, stable, and a good fit. But you can find and land the right job for you, even in a tough economy, with help from the experts in this guide. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Tip: PREVIOUS TIPS Walk at Your Next Meeting 3 Elements of Great Communication Before Your Next Salary Negotiation, Do Your Homework Don't Bore Your Audience with Your Writing Give Up Email Altogether Keep Innovation Jams Small and Focused Avoid Visual Clichés When Presenting Find Out How Skilled a Job Candidate Really Is Aim for Smart Failure How to Connect With a Remote Colleague All Previous Tips BEST SELLERS HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations Ebook + Video Case Study HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done Introducing Mobile ManageMentor Powered by the proven content of Harvard ManageMentor™ iTunes >> Android >> UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "Management Tip of the Day" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every day. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2013 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)