The expression – this is not a dress rehearsal – absolutely applies to interviews in more ways than one. Yes, interviews are the time when you are center stage. What you say then and there matters. You may not get a second chance.
What you may not know is that, like an actor, your interview responses will be better when you have opening lines and closing lines. In addition to helping you speak with strength, this approach will sharpen your stories and capture the attention of interviewers. You always want to be thinking about what they will remember: strong opening and closing lines reinforce your message!
Try these tips when creating your opening lines:
- Start your story with the Outcome/Benefit/Result and then back-fill by telling how you accomplished that outcome.
- Make sure you have clear messages. Make a list of what you want the interviewer to remember about you and then think about stories that illustrate each point.
- Make your point exceedingly obvious: I’m going to tell you a story about how I … (and then close by saying that’s how I …)
- Preview what you’re going to tell them.
- Start your story as if you both agree about what’s important. “in xx field, or as a job title, you know how important it is to do … “here’s how I did that”. This approach tells them that you know what’s important and also presumes you are both on the same page.
- Start with these phrases– I’m the person who … People that work with me … I’m known for … I was responsible for ..
- Try out metaphors and visual images that show contrast. For example, I took a project from x to y.
- Tell stories to others and ask them to give you a headline and tell you the key elements that stood out.
- Learn to bottom line. At essence, here’s what I did … here’s what changed…
- Make sure to tie your opening and closing lines together so you start with a statement and conclude by reminding them of that key point.
- Lastly, when developing stories, work on your opening and your closing. Don’t try to memorize all the details!