In an interview you will be asked to summarize your work history. This is a key moment to make an impression on your interviewers. Job candidates regularly fall into one of two errors. Some interviewees are so nervous that they rush over their career history, summing it all up with one or two sentences. Doing so neglects the chance to connect your work history to the position at hand. Other candidates get bogged down in details. This not only runs the risk of boring interviewers, it doesn’t give them an overall picture of who you are as a candidate.
Your job is to create a cohesive narrative to introduce yourself to your interviewers. Here are three elements of an effective career digest:
1. Origins. Help the interviewers understand how your background informs your values and your approach. Why did you pursue this career and where did you get your start?
2. Growth. Explain how your positions have equipped you with additional experience and insight. Show how your history has given you skills that would serve their organization.
3. Goal. Your career isn’t over yet! Leave your interviewers with a sense of the momentum you have built and the aspirations you have. Explain how your goal is to serve higher education through your competitive advantage.
There should be several traits that provide through-lines to your recitation. One effective method for crafting a career narrative is to start with your elevator pitch and then trace your values, skills, and competitive advantage through your career journey.
