INTERVIEWING: Last Words: Comedian Structure Is Serious Business (Supplemental)
Earlier
today, we looked at the good, bad and ugly of how job seekers can end
job interviews.
Now let's take a look at the structure of the formal portion of the interview to determine the best strategy to end an interview. You can consciously end your interviews on a high note or unconsciously on a low note. To end on a high note, it's a good idea to look at the structure of comedians' stand-up routines:
Start
with the best. Comedians who know what they're doing will start
their routines with their best joke. Likewise, job seekers should
start with their best position-relevant selling point. With a little
planning, you'll know what point should lead in your job interviews.
Stories
in the middle. Comedians usually use stories as a framework for
their jokes. In the same way, job seekers should also use stories to
highlight their skills and accomplishments.
Now let's take a look at the structure of the formal portion of the interview to determine the best strategy to end an interview. You can consciously end your interviews on a high note or unconsciously on a low note. To end on a high note, it's a good idea to look at the structure of comedians' stand-up routines:
Start
with the best. Comedians who know what they're doing will start
their routines with their best joke. Likewise, job seekers should
start with their best position-relevant selling point. With a little
planning, you'll know what point should lead in your job interviews.
Stories
in the middle. Comedians usually use stories as a framework for
their jokes. In the same way, job seekers should also use stories to
highlight their skills and accomplishments.End
with the second best. While the opening joke provides the "WOW!",
the ending bit leaves audiences wanting more. Ditto with job
interviews. With proper planning, you'll know the top two points you
want to get across. Lead with the best and end with the second best.
This provides and ending "WOW!" that employers will
remember. And, if the middle section of your interview was only
average, then the hiring manager will be most likely to remember your
opening and closing points - both of which are your top two points.
Both of which are "WOW!" points.
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