You’ve got to show employers that you deliver results. Results, benefits, impact. In interviews, in cover letters and resumes. And you have to get people’s attention in an interview.
That’s why I recommend that you BEGIN with the impact of your good works and then backfill the story.
Yes, I’m talking about turning the age-old “Problem-Action-Result” structure on its head, and I’ll tell you why. I’ve been listening to lots of interview stories and I notice that many people get lost in the details of what they’ve done (and if they get lost then it’s likely the interviewers are nodding off). Of course it’s important to communicate the skills and actions that you took to address an issue, resolve a problem and all that. But make sure that the interviewer gets the headline first.
Here’s a simple structure to try out:
Write down your “PARS/Problem-Action-Result” story in an outline form. The bare bones. No details except when it comes to outcomes.
- Issue/problem addressed
- Why important to the employer
- Skills/actions you took to address the problem
- The outcomes of your action (list them)
Now comes the fun part. Get a recording device (your phone) or better yet a good listener. Tell the story out loud following from the outline. And when it comes to the outcomes, start riffing. And then listen to the recording or talk with your listener. Listen for the most important, biggest impact.
What most all of us tend to do is to stay focused on the small part of what we’ve done and not the big picture. We miss the headline, the thing we want to start with, the “wow.”
When we speak out loud and when we have an audience, that’s when we learn about whether we’ve communicated our impact. Or not.
Here’s the difference between a small result and a big impact:
It wasn’t that you designed an effective recycling program. You helped a major city comply with Clean Water Act regulations and avoid major fines.
It wasn’t that you designed a user interface to implement a workshop. You helped five colleges coordinate to put on a new program.
It wasn’t that you helped off-shore teams perform better. You turned around a low-functioning team and delivered a new product on time. Customers satisfied. Profits made.
If you need an audience or want more interview practice, come to the Interview Club. You’ll get lots of 1-2-1 interview time, you’ll get to try out different interviewing techniques, and constructive feedback you can use right away. Join us!