How to Share Personal Stories in Interviews

I was 34 years old when I almost took my life.  I remember reviewing the term life insurance policy I’d had for several years to see if it had a suicide clause.  It did, as long as I had the policy for one year. Crazy now looking back on how my identity was so wrapped up in my success that I lost sight of who I was.  Better yet, “whose” I was. I am grateful God pursued me in my darkest hour and brought me back into the light.       I share this because yesterday, I was conversing with two dynamic leaders, and we discussed the importance of storytelling connected to recruiting.  Great recruiters are great storytellers.  For a long time, I didn’t share the darkest part of my story because I believed that others would disqualify me for my failures.  I wouldn’t be good enough to lead them since I had failed.  The truth is, I was more qualified to lead because of that failure, not less. Storytelling is a powerful tool, but not all stories are created equal. The most impactful stories are those that include elements of conflict and struggle. Why? Because these are the moments that make stories relatable, memorable, and inspiring.  Show me a memorable story, and I will show you one that is transportable.  It goes with the recruit beyond the moment. Every great story follows a similar structure: a beginning, a conflict or struggle, and a resolution AKA the highlight reel. Beginning: Introduce the context of your story. This could be a personal experience, a challenge you've faced, or a situation familiar to your recruit. Conflict and Struggle: The conflict is the part of the story that draws people in because it mirrors the challenges they face in their own lives. This makes your story authentic and relatable. Resolution: The resolution is the overcoming part of your story. It shows how you navigated the conflict and emerged stronger. It’s this journey that inspires recruits and helps them see what’s possible for themselves. Why Conflict and Struggle Matter Most recruiters make the mistake of only sharing the highlight reel moments. But this approach often falls flat. It doesn’t reflect the reality that recruits experience daily, and thus, it isn’t a trustworthy framework. They know that success is filled with obstacles, failures, and moments of doubt. When you share stories that include your struggles, you connect with recruits on a deeper level. You show them that you understand their challenges and that you’ve been through similar situations. This vulnerability builds trust and positions you as a leader who can guide. As a recruiting leader, your goal is to inspire recruits to join you on a journey. By incorporating conflict and struggle into your stories, you build a deeper connection with your recruits. Next time you prepare to share a story, ask yourself: Where is the conflict? How can I share the struggles I faced? It’s these elements that will make your stories unforgettable and your recruiting efforts more successful.

The 5-minute habit that turns your biggest career failures into the fire that will fuel your future After more than two decades of hiring, I've watched countless talented professionals stumble in interviews and not because they lacked skills, but because they couldn't tell their story. Last month, a client landed their dream tech leader role by sharing a documented failure story. Not some sanitized "learning experience" but the real, messy truth about a project that nearly tanked their organization. The hiring manager was impressed by their authenticity. Here's the career hack not enough people talk about: Document everything. Not the boring stuff—the real journey. Your Memory Is Sabotaging Your Success - That crucial meeting? Details fade in weeks. - That game-changing decision? Context disappears. - Those breakthrough moments? Gone without a trace. The professionals who document consistently get promoted 2x faster than those who don't. What to Capture: • Your wins (even the small ones that felt huge at the time) • Your failures (especially the ones that taught you the most) • The exact steps you took to push through obstacles The Interview Superpower This Creates: Skip the canned responses. Pull real stories of growth. Show authentic resilience through data. The Motivation Machine: When imposter syndrome hits (it will), you'll have: - Concrete proof of progress - Battle-tested strategies - A personal playbook of wins Real Example: Shaan Puri created a Slack channel for "Highs and Lows". He uses this with his teams as their victory archive, challenge processor, and team therapy space. They document every win, setback, and breakthrough. The result? A living record of growth that transforms: • Resume updates into story-mining • Interview prep into authentic sharing • Tough days into learning opportunities Your 3-Step Action Plan: • Pick your system (Slack/Notes/Journal, consistency beats perfection) • Document weekly (5 minutes, every Friday) • Include specifics (future you needs the details) The ROI compounds with every entry. I wish I'd started this on day one of my career. The stories, lessons, and breakthroughs gone because I trusted my memory. What's one failure that actually became your biggest career breakthrough? Share it below—your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear today. #CareerGrowth #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #TechLeadership

✅ Tip 1 How to confidently tell your interview stories with humility. My client, a director at a global high-tech company, and I worked on interview prep this week. Story after story, she glossed over how she had to present a business case to win the time and financial resources for the multiple projects she and her team were working on. These complex stories involved deep market analysis, collating the insights, and then presenting them to the executive team for buy-off. And then ... she and her team won. They created products and services that make a difference for millions and millions of business owners. Flip the script! Focus on *both* 'I' and 'We' 🔦 . On one hand, you strip away your power when you do not explain what *you* led. On the other hand, you fear you will come across as a braggart if you say 'I' too much. Balance the two words - 'I' and 'We.' What did you lead? How? What were the challenging conditions? Then, talk about "we accomplished" and "the team achieved X results" while subtly including your role in leading or driving that success. You can show you are a humble leader who lifts and showcases other people's work without diminishing the hoops you had to jump through to achieve those amazing results. Do you struggle with sharing your success stories? #jobs #careers