Storytelling is an art that takes practice. This stand-up comedian talks about the anatomy of a joke. Structure can be taught, so don't feel bad if you don't always nail your answers. Or judge yourself for nervously laughing after the terrible punchline that was meant to be your career highlight. Keep practising, knowing that the goal is never over-rehearsed perfection, delivered with extreme confidence. Skilled interviewers can tell when you're going through the motions or if you're more confident than competent.
Think about the last boring person you met. They either babbled endlessly with no substance, had no interest in their own life or the world around them, or didn't show enough interest in you. Humans are all selfish, want you to show interest in them and are impatiently waiting for their turn to talk. Give the interviewer space to move things along. They want to like you, and they want you to be the one so they don't have to type up any more interview notes. You need to bring your CV to life and reassure them that you're not a walking red flag of a future teammate 🤡
Flaws are fine. Everyone loves honesty and transparency and it makes people naturally gravitate towards you. Our inner chimp feels less threatened when someone else shows us their imperfections. Your weaknesses can be endearing if you are self-aware and open enough to share them. The interviewer is trying to find the human connection hidden behind your technical skills.
This Notion guide may seem like a lot at first, but it's a logical flow that we hope will help walk you through this preparation process. Nothing is new here, so we tried to keep things light with some random analogies. Preparation is the only thing you can control, and it is boring. Practice and consistency are dull, but you know it's the only path to success. There aren't any shortcuts, and you need to put in the work to make it seem effortless.
Come back to this guide as a reference point before every interview. Reflect, refine, and go again with added fire to tell your story even more compellingly. If you're not excited to tell your story, why should anyone be interested in listening? Think about your audience rather than the fear of needing to sell yourself. You're just telling a series of short stories you want them to enjoy.
<aside> 👉 An interview is a social exercise. You just need to practice being interested, interesting, and concise. If you can only manage one, pick concise. We all have a goldfish-like attention span. It's the main reason people get rejected, so help the interviewer stay focused. They might be in endless interviews all day, and it's all becoming a blurry sea of candidates. They are Dory, and you are Nemo. Help them remember who you are.
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<aside> ⚙ How to use Notion:
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<aside> <img src="/icons/flash_gray.svg" alt="/icons/flash_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Upload your CV
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<aside> <img src="/icons/flash_gray.svg" alt="/icons/flash_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Upload the Job Description
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Start with your why. Quickly scan through the job description and compare it with your CV. Remind yourself why you applied for this role and why you think they want to meet you.
Assume that the interviewer is meeting at least four other people with backgrounds similar to yours. Sometimes, interviews can feel like a Mass sermon. Nothing is technically wrong with anything the person is saying. It's a nice story if you can pay attention long enough and don't feel attacked. But you can leave the room and quickly forget the long list of your potential saviour's achievements. Or even question if some of it is make-believe 🤷♂️
The only way to avoid this is to be authentic. You can't fake authenticity and what makes you uniquely you — your motivations, goals, and fears. You can stand out by being clear about your why and injecting more personality when constructing your answers in Step 2. They might not land with every audience, but at least you tried to turn that generic, watery competency answer into wine. The interviewer will appreciate you for it.