Everyone has interesting
stories to tell. But HOW you
tell your story can make all the difference in the world. Think about how you want others to view
you, and also about how you can make the best out of a less-than-ideal
situation. Here’s an example of
two different ways a candidate can put a spin on a prior work experience.
First Perspective
When I took the job with “Company
X”, I immediately found myself in the middle of a political battle between two
divisions, the one that I joined and a rival. These two groups were fighting for control over a core
business in this company and it was a very unpleasant start with the company. Our group eventually won the
competition and then spent the next two years constantly working with the rival
team, trying to integrate and adapt their complex technology into the final
product.
In the end, after all of
these battles and compromises, the final product was unsuccessful. The industry itself suffered a downturn
after the “dot com bust” and my workplace atmosphere declined as well. For three years I dealt with management
changes, layoffs, and a depressing work environment. I decided I had to leave and seek a more dynamic and
positive opportunity.
Second Perspective
When I joined “Company X”
the company was in the middle of choosing whether to go with one group’s
technologies and approach to a problem or that of a rival team. There was an open opportunity for
someone to lead the decision-making process and merge the two departments into
one cohesive team.
Since I was new to the
program, I was able to take a more neutral role between the teams, urging them
to take small steps and provide small deliverables so that we could merge the
two approaches and see if it could really work. Within two weeks we were able to see that it was not going
to work easily. This led us into a
two-year-long exploration of major technologies and innovation, as well as
collaboration with a Canadian team. In the end, the new product and the whole
infrastructure were created and used across one of the major divisions of the
Company X.
After the “dot com bust”
there were many changes in the company, including layoffs and
re-organizations. These changes
also opened up new opportunities, and I was able to work with groups in France,
HCI groups, and graphic designers as well as actively participate in usability
studies. This exposed me to new
ways of thinking and allowed me to seek broader experiences than I would have
had in a more prosperous economic climate.
Summary
While both of these stories
are true, and in fact are really the same story, they send very different
messages. Which message would you
prefer?
During an interview you
don’t want to send out any negative hooks or appear to be a complainer. Put a positive and constructive spin on
your stories and not only will you seem like a more upbeat person, but you will
also show your ability to make the most of any opportunity that presents itself
to you and come across as a creative and optimistic person.
