The Key to Landing Your Next Job? Storytelling (HBR) Flashcards
In ‘Brain Rules’, what surprising insight does molecular biologist John Medina share about why one job candidate’s application gets them noticed, while another land’s them in the reject pile?
EMOTION is key!
When it comes to recruiting, what is the importance of emotions?
Recruiters may think they make decisions based purely on logic, but in reality, their feelings play just as large of a role.
Emotions drive how connected we feel to other people, hence whether we perceive them in a positive or negative light.
What is the quickest way to land on the “positive” side of the recruiting equation?
Tell a good story!
What can the right narrative help you achieve?
It can make anyone you want feel great - about you.
What is storytelling a powerful tool for?
Influence and persuasion.
What feel-good hormone does Medina point out in his book Brain Rules, that you should aim to “trigger” in your listener’s brain?
Dopamine, which greatly aids memory and information processing. It creates a Post-It note that reads, ‘Remember this.’
What are the four tips to help one weave storytelling into their next job application?
- Begin with your audience in mind
- Have a theme, and promote it throughout your job hunt
- Context, context, context!
- Be the hero, ending your story with a clearly stated resolution
When it comes to your “audience” in job applications, who are you actually trying to influence?
Both the robot recruiter and the human recruiter.
You need to “walk in the recruiter’s shoes”
What does tailoring your resume consist of?
PRIORITIZING the information that will be most relevant to recruiters.
“You don’t want to seem like a ___________ applicant, you want to seem like a ________________.”
You don’t want to seem like a cookie-cutter applicant, you want to seem like a real human.
What questions can you ask yourself, to understand your audience?
- What is their role?
- What is their level?
- What is going on with their business and industry?
- What current challenges are most important to them?
What do recruiters look for?
More than skills and experiences! They want to hire a candidate with both technical and soft skills.
What “people” skills are essential?
- Authenticity
- Communication
- Mindfulness
- Inclusivity
- Ability to bring new perspectives to a team
What does having a theme mean, as a job applicant?
To consider ONE thing you want your prospective boss to remember about you above everything else.
The “Big Idea”.
This should encapsulate precisely what you will bring to an organization, and should be woven into all your written and verbal communications.
What are the two “goals” (the purpose) of having a theme?
- Helps you take control of your narrative
- It is a tool you can use to influence the memory a recruiter associates with you
