Mastering the Art of Storytelling: How Jobseekers Can Captivate Hiring Teams

Mastering the Art of Storytelling: How Jobseekers Can Captivate Hiring Teams

Navigating the job market requires a keen ability to highlight one’s versatile talents, so we’ve gathered insights from CEOs and marketing experts on how to effectively communicate transferable skills. From utilizing the STAR Method to emphasizing similar situations and skills, discover ten strategies that have proven successful for jobseekers in the hiring process.

• Utilize the STAR Method
• Research and Align with Company Goals
• Showcase Skill Application with Examples
• Ask Insightful Interview Questions
• Feature Overlapping Skills Prominently
• Demonstrate Applicability in Interviews
• Create a Skills-Focused Resume
• Practice Interviewing and Eye Contact
• Tailor Stories to Job Descriptions
• Emphasize Similar Situations and Skills

Utilize the STAR Method

The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) provides a framework to present your achievements and experiences in a convincing manner.

1. Set the scene: Describe how you used your skills, whether it was to resolve a complex problem, lead a project team, or drive innovation in your previous role.
2. Task: Describe the specific challenge or objective you were facing. What was your task, and what did you want to achieve? Clarity sets the tone for your actions.
3. Action: Detail your actions to overcome the obstacle or task. You can highlight the transferable skills that you used, like problem-solving or adaptability. Your actions played a key role in successfully navigating the situation.
4. Result: End by highlighting the results of your efforts. What was the impact of your actions on the project, organization, or team? When possible, quantify your accomplishments to show concrete proof of your contribution.

The STAR method allows you to not only demonstrate your transferable skills but also provide tangible evidence about your abilities to potential employers. This method allows you to create compelling narratives that resonate with hiring managers. You will be a standout candidate.

I have found that job seekers who use the STAR method in interviews make a positive impression on employers, and their chances of landing the position are significantly improved. Whether you are transitioning from one industry to another or advancing in your current field, the STAR method will help your job search.

Muffetta Krueger, Entrepreneur and CEO, Muffetta’s Housekeeping, House Cleaning and Household Staffing Agency

Research and Align with Company Goals

The truth is, the ability to effectively communicate is a skill, one that not too many people in the professional world have been able to master. However, during the course of my career, one of the most pointed lessons I have learned about communicating to a potential employer is that without researching the company well enough to understand its goals, values, and interests, it would be next to impossible to show in communication how your acquired skills make you a better candidate for a job role because they are transferable. 

Speaking from my personal experience as an interviewee, one strategy that has always yielded positive results for me, when it comes to communicating my transferable skills to my interviewers, is researching the company and making sure that my career goals align with the visions and interests of the company. 

The point is, by finding common ground—our shared interests—I have always been able to show the relationship between my skill sets and the company’s goals, helping my potential employer see how and why I am a better candidate for the job.

Umeadi Grace chisom, Marketing Manager, Express Dentist

Showcase Skill Application with Examples

Job seekers who have a transferable skill should ‘show’ instead of just ‘tell’ how their skill can be applied to the position they are interviewing for. That could mean giving a concrete example of using the skill in the context of the position, providing data on the impact the skill had in the previous role, and explaining the expectation of the impact for the new role (and how it differs, showing an understanding of the differences in the roles).

For example, in a previous B2C marketing position, the candidate used the skill of market research to segment their consumer audience into three segments, providing a lift of 20% in ROI on their ad campaigns. Interviewing for a B2B position, the candidate should now outline how his market research skills can be applied to researching and understanding businesses to lead to better customer segmentation. He should also outline the differences in market research between a B2C and a B2B audience (e.g., psychographics are less important in B2B, whereas company stakeholders should be prioritized for B2B).

Hanna F, Marketer, Niceboard

Ask Insightful Interview Questions

The key to any job interview is to remember, we, the candidate, are interviewing them more than they are interviewing us. We want to work for good companies and good leaders. If we ask the right questions during an interview, we will stand out compared to all of the other candidates they speak with, and we can get a real sense for the company culture and their specific leadership style.

Here are two questions I always recommend, and they work on getting you short-listed or getting the job every single time.

1. Mr./Ms. Hiring Manager, aside from me doing my job as described in the job description, what else could this employee do to support your own professional goals?

This question shows you are interested in more than just the day-to-day function of your job and that you are committed to a bigger picture. And in addition to that, what hiring manager doesn’t want someone to help them accomplish their bigger picture goals?

2. Mr./Ms. Hiring Manager, if you could snap your fingers and three things would improve overnight, what would those three things be?

After they answer, you then ask this, “So, what’s preventing those things from getting done now?”

Asking this question helps you understand the internal workings of the company. It can inform you of the culture and ability to get things done. And based on the way the hiring manager answers the question, you can get a sense of their style and leadership skills.

Richard Harris, Founder, The Harris Consulting Group

Feature Overlapping Skills Prominently

When job seekers are trying to highlight their transferable skills during the hiring process, they should review the job description and determine what skills they need for the role, and where those skills might overlap with their experience. 

Be sure to feature these overlapping skills in your cover letter and during the interview. Additionally, it’s helpful to share specific examples that demonstrate soft skills, as soft skills are transferable across industries and in many roles.

Julie Lindgren, Vice President for Marketing and Sales, Whitman Associates, Inc.

Demonstrate Applicability in Interviews

As a marketing professional, I’ve hired several team members with limited direct industry experience. The ones who truly impressed me went beyond highlighting transferable skills on their resumes—they demonstrated their applicability during the interview.

One powerful technique is to approach the interview as an instant marketing consultant. Before the interview, top candidates took the initiative to delve into our company’s publicly available marketing materials, such as our website, social media presence, and downloadable content (e.g., eBooks). 

They provided thoughtful suggestions for improvements that could make a real impact. This proactive approach not only showcased their skills but also their genuine interest in contributing to the company’s success.

Trendy Tan, Marketing Lead, Kepler Search

Create a Skills-Focused Resume

One powerful strategy job seekers can employ is to revamp their resumes to become “skills-focused” rather than purely chronological. This means highlighting your transferable skills upfront, making them the star of the show.

Here’s how to create a skills-focused resume:

Analyze the Job Description: Circle keywords, required competencies, and the most desired skills for the role.

Master List: Create a list of ALL your skills (soft and hard), even those from previous jobs seemingly unrelated.

Skills Spotlight: Create a dedicated “Skills” section at the top of your resume, emphasizing the skills most relevant to your target job.

Weave Skills into Experience: Rather than dry job descriptions, use accomplishment statements. Quantify how you applied these skills to deliver results.

Jyoti Tewari, Director HR, Webuters Technologies Pvt Ltd

Practice Interviewing and Eye Contact

First, interviewing is a skill that must be learned. Prepare beforehand for possible questions that may be asked and your hypothetical responses. Practice interviewing with someone you trust and have them throw random questions at you to prepare for on-the-spot questions. 

While many people think they must answer the question correctly based on the interviewer’s expectations, many forget the importance of non-verbal answers, specifically eye contact. Eye contact can have an even stronger impact on the interviewer than your verbal response as it communicates conviction and confidence. 

Darting your eyes around the room and looking everywhere except at the interviewer does the complete opposite and can easily undermine what you’re trying to communicate verbally. It also allows you the opportunity to build a one-on-one connection with your interviewer, who is arguably the most important person in determining whether you get the job or not. 

If you have a hard time maintaining eye contact, then focus on practicing with a trusted person and get more experience under your belt until it doesn’t feel as awkward or contrived anymore.

Megan Thiriot, Strategic Communications Manager, Visa

Tailor Stories to Job Descriptions

One strategy I’d recommend to job seekers for showcasing their skills during the hiring process is to tailor the stories they tell in their resumes and cover letters. This means customizing these documents for each job you’re applying to, aligning your experiences with what the job is looking for. Use specific examples to bring your skills to life.

Take someone with bartending experience in the hospitality industry, for example. Instead of just listing out tasks like serving drinks, why not highlight how you’ve created memorable experiences for customers, managed busy nights with ease, or boosted sales with your upselling tactics? This doesn’t just show you can do the job; it shows you add real value.

Be specific about your wins. For example, introducing a cocktail that flew off the shelves or when revamping the inventory system to cut down on waste. This really paints a picture of your creativity and drive. This approach isn’t just effective in hospitality but across all sorts of fields, from warehousing and logistics to events and aged care. It’s all about demonstrating you understand what the employer needs and that you’ve got the practical solutions to meet those needs.

Thomas Amos, CEO, Sidekicker

Emphasize Similar Situations and Skills

Job seekers should be transparent about lacking direct industry experience, yet emphasize how they’ve encountered similar situations or tasks in their current roles. It’s crucial to detail a specific example and tailor the explanation to resonate with the interviewer and their industry. Avoid using complex jargon from your previous field—after all, the goal is to transition into a new area, so demonstrate your understanding of what the new job entails. 

For example, I’ve used this technique to successfully help a candidate transition from nursing to sales. We focused on the candidate’s skills in communicating difficult, complicated, and intricate information to various stakeholders in a high-pressure environment. It became apparent that her skill sets are relevant, transferable, and much needed.

Vivian Chen, Founder and CEO, Rise