The Power of Emotion

I was a server for a couple of years during college. Although serving is typically seen as a minimum-wage, non-impressive, no-degree-required type job, I cannot stress enough how important that position was to me in learning good communication and customer service skills. I learned how to quickly and easily connect with strangers and build lasting relationships with regular customers. There was one couple in particular that typically sat in my section when they frequented the restaurant before going off to a hockey game. On the last day of the hockey season, they sat in my section and gave me a book with a hand-written note inside, thanking me for all of my hard work as their server for the hockey season.

I tell this story during an interview when I’m asked to explain and describe my interpersonal skills. I once heard a career speech in which the speaker, Alan Hill, said that “facts tell and stories sell.” I cannot tell you how true this is! You can tell an employer that you are great at communicating or you can state that you have good relationship-building skills. But this information alone is pretty unimpressive. After all, anybody could say those things. But when you have a powerful story that can draw on emotion in order to describe your skills or strengths, then you’ll be able to unlock the key to successful interviewing. Why? Because these stories and emotions allow you to show rather than describe.

And this is exactly what makes a video resume such an asset to your job search. No longer are you stating in your cover letter that you are a people-person with a charismatic personality. Now, you can show an employer that personality through a video resume.

If you haven’t already, sign up on Jobma for a free job seeker account and start your video resume creation today!