So in light of Obama’s recent accomplishment, I thought it was only fitting to write a blog about him and what we can all learn from his wisdom and eloquence.  Barack Obama is wonderful at storytelling.  How many times throughout his campaign did you hear him talk about this situation or that situation and after his description were you able to place yourself into the story?  He has a great talent at creating a very strong image and allowing people to make a strong personal connection to that image.  This type of storytelling can be extremely effective in an interview as well.  It is important to show a hiring manager what you have done in the past and this is not the part of the interview where you want to be brief and trite.  It is important that you allow the interviewer to gain a feeling of what it would be like to work with you. 

One of the many other things Obama did exceptionally well was his strength in the use of a tricolon.  “A tricolon is a sentence with three clearly defined parts of equal length, usually independent clauses and of increasing power. ” Popular examples of a tricolon are “Veni, vidi, Vici” or “I came, I saw, I conquered.”  Now I can see how these types of examples would be hard to incorporate into an interview but there are very practical ways of utilizing this strong communication tool.  Take for example a small exerpt from one of Barack Obama’s speeches…

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give [1] five dollars [2] and ten dollars [3] and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength [1] from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; [2] from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; [3] from the millions of Americans who [1] volunteered, [2] and organized, [3] and proved that more than two centuries later, a government [1] of the people, [2] by the people [3] and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.”

So think about this the next time you are in an interview.  If you are asked ”Why do you want this job,” try to answer in 3 parts! 

You might say, “I want this job because I feel I understand the needs of your organization, because I love company X’s commitment to the professional development of their employees, and I feel that this is the right next step for me in my career.” 

It is always helpful to listen to other great speakers and employ what was learned in your own personal life.  Obama is a great example of someone who uses small techniques to make a big impact.

http://grammar.about.com/b/2008/11/06/barack-obamas-secret-for-stirring-a-crowd.htm