Storytelling in Interviews

I do interviews on a daily basis

My number 1 tip that separates the pack:

Do you ever see on TV when veterans are sitting around sharing war stories?

These are stories they can rattle off like it happened yesterday

They recall every event, every second, every detail They've told the story many times

Yet they still feel the emotion, memories, and feelings each time

And if someone comes up to them and asks for a story

They know exactly what lever to pull without missing a beat

As a jobseeker, you need your own "war stories"

Many interviews, while different, share the same questions

-Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem last minute

-Tell me about a project that you worked on

-Describe a time where you had to adapt, disagree w/ a coworker, etc.

-Give me an example of how you accomplished "x"

-How do you handle stress?

-Tell me about a time you failed

-Tell me about a time you had to manage multiple priorities

As a jobseeker, your goal is to have your war stories ready

These are examples you can pull from with each behavioral question

You can tell me the situation, task, action, result, and key learning(s)

It's relevant to the position You can say it without fumbling through it It's authentic

It puts us in the situation with you as almost if we're watching it happen

It doesn't have too much detail

It keeps us engaged and wanting to know more

The bottom line:

Every interview asks the same questions without asking them the same way

We want to know

-How do you work with others

-How do you solve projects

-How do you adapt

-How you go above and beyond

-How you've been successful in your previous work -How you manage time

-Strengths and weaknesses

Ask yourself: "Can I create a war story for each of these?"

If you can, you're on the right track

If not, maybe it's time to take a moment to think about your war stories

Story tellers are story sellers

What's your favorite war story that you've used in interviews?

Shared by Jordan Hallow on LinkedIn.

Q1 achievement for the year 2024🏅

Achievements in 2024!

Becoming @LinkedIn Top Voice and being verified at @topmateHQ

But the real achievement is helping a single parent new immigrant in #Canada get a 6 figure salary after her 7 month struggle. The climax of this story unfolds with an emotional reunion, one that had been awaited for over a year. The new job, with its six-figure salary, opens up a realm of possibilities previously deemed unattainable. It promises not just financial security but the chance to reunite a family torn apart by economic necessity. The prospect of bringing her daughter and parents to Canada, to live together, to rebuild a home in a new land, marks a victory not just for the individual but for mentorship as a transformative force.

This narrative serves as a powerful reminder of the ripple effect that mentorship can have, extending far beyond the immediate bond between mentor and mentee. It touches lives, rebuilds families, and forges pathways to dreams that seemed forever out of reach. Let this story be a beacon of inspiration, a testament to the fact that in the world of career development, the most significant achievements often lie in the impacts we have on others' lives.

#MondayMotivation #CareerTips101 #RealLifeStories

www.topmate.io/sajithkumar_swaminathan

A Data-Driven LinkedIn Strategy for Landing Your Dream Job

Here is a LinkedIn strategy you can implement to grow your network and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry:

1. Study the Top Creators

• Identify LinkedIn Top Voices in your field and analyze their content. Pay attention to the topics they cover, the formats they use (e.g., infographics, videos, carousel posts), and how they structure their posts to grab attention with strong hooks.

2. Go Broad and Then Niche Down

• Aim to reach a wider audience initially with high-quality content on relevant industry topics. Then, gradually shift your focus to a specific niche within your field where you can establish yourself as an expert.

3. Craft Compelling Hooks

• Start your posts with strong hooks that capture the reader's attention and make them want to learn more. Ask questions, share surprising statistics, or use other creative tactics to stop the scroll.

4. Post the Right Content Types

• The algorithm favors certain content formats over others. Experiment with different post types, such as infographics, carousels, videos, and text-based posts with high-quality images, to see what resonates best with your audience.

5. Optimize Your Profile

• Ensure your profile has a professional and eye-catching profile photo, a clear and concise headline that highlights your value proposition, and a strong cover image (banner) that reflects your personal brand.

• Include calls to action (CTAs) in your posts to encourage viewers to follow you for more valuable content.

6. Leverage Your Existing Data

• Analyze which of your past posts performed well and repurpose them into new content. This can save you time and effort while still providing value to your audience.

7. Warm Up and Nurture Your Posts

• Before posting, engage with yesterday's post for 15 minutes. Spend another 30 minutes engaging with new posts and responding to comments to increase the reach of your content.

8. Provide Value Always

• Share high-quality, informative content that provides genuine value to your audience. People are more likely to follow you if they see you as a credible source of knowledge.

• Offer actionable tips and insights that your audience can implement in their professional lives.

9. The "Jab, Cross" Strategy

• Combine high-engagement content, like infographics or videos, with content designed to convert followers, such as in-depth articles or blog posts. This approach can help you reach a wider audience and nurture leads.

10. Be Relentlessly Consistent

• Post high-quality content consistently, ideally every day. This shows your commitment to the platform and helps you stay top-of-mind with your audience.

11. Utilize the 30/30/30 Rule for Engagement

• Allocate 30% of your time to engaging with content from industry thought leaders.

• Spend another 30% interacting with current clients and customers.

• Use the remaining 30% to connect with people in your network and engage with smaller, growing accounts.

By following these steps and leveraging your experience, you can develop a powerful LinkedIn strategy to achieve your goals.

ChatGPT prompt builder

https://mitenmit.github.io/gpt/

Using the above link created the prompt for the scenario, got the below prompt.

Act like a Seasoned Human Resources Manager,you will Analyze, in the process, you should Hiring trends in Canada for the last 10 years from Statistics Canads, input the final result in a CSV.

Put it in #ChatGPT and the result is as below.

To analyze the hiring trends in Canada over the last decade, we'll need to consider various metrics such as the unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio, employment rates by age and gender, and notable changes in employment by industry and province. Based on the information from Statistics Canada, we can observe several key trends:

1. **Unemployment-to-Job Vacancy Ratio**: There's been a significant decrease in the ratio, indicating a tighter labor market. For instance, the ratio decreased from 4.4 in the first quarter of 2016 to 1.4 in the first quarter of 2022, highlighting an increasing challenge in filling vacant positions across Canada [[❞]](https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-start/labour_/labour-shortage-trends-canada).

2. **Employment Rates and Unemployment Trends**: Employment growth has averaged 28,000 per month since January 2023, with the employment rate slightly decreasing from its peak in January 2023 (62.5%) to 61.9% in October 2023. The unemployment rate has shown an upward trend since April 2023, rising from a near record-low of 5.0% to 5.7% in October 2023 [[❞]](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231103/dq231103a-eng.htm).

3. **Sector-Specific Trends**: There have been notable shifts in employment across various sectors. For example, employment in construction and information, culture, and recreation sectors showed significant growth in October 2023. Conversely, there were declines in wholesale and retail trade, and manufacturing sectors during the same period [[❞]](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231103/dq231103a-eng.htm).

4. **Provincial Employment Changes**: Employment trends have varied by province, with Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick experiencing employment growth in October 2023. In contrast, Quebec saw a decline in employment, and Ontario's employment remained largely unchanged [[❞]](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231103/dq231103a-eng.htm).

5. **Challenges in Hiring**: Canadian employers have faced difficulties in recruiting skilled employees, with nearly two-fifths of all businesses citing this as an obstacle. Sectors like construction, manufacturing, and accommodation and food services were particularly affected [[❞]](https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-start/labour_/labour-shortage-trends-canada).

For a comprehensive analysis, I will compile these key data points into a CSV file, summarizing the hiring trends in Canada over the last ten years, focusing on the unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio, employment rates, sector-specific employment changes, and provincial differences.

Let's create the CSV file with the summarized data.