Narratives and the joys of job interviews
Topic: Narrative
by Simone, 2021 Cohort
Have you ever been asked in an interview why you chose your degree, or how your past experiences led you to apply for a certain job? You may recount a compelling story describing moments in your life which have led to one inevitable, logical conclusion that you have always wanted to work in this area. For example, as a child you always loved playing with blocks; during your teenage years you liked building models and designing drawings of your ideal future house. You developed a good sense of spatial awareness, creativity, and design. You developed the foundational skills and passion for architecture, which you then studied at university, and which has now led you to apply for a job in architecture. Does this style of recount sound familiar?
While the events themselves are true, weaving them together is a selective reconstruction of the past to create a cohesive perception of the present. In effect, creating a narrative. Our memories are distorted by perception, social influences, imagination, and subjective feelings. This is known as constructive memory. Humans create coherent narratives, which are influenced by constructive memory, to derive meaning and purpose from our lives. As discussed by scholars such as Loseke, narratives achieve clarity and meaning by distilling uncertainty and complexity in our lives.
The scientific revolution exposed the idea that the earth, and therefore humanity, is not the centre of the universe. From this perspective, humans are infinitesimally small beings in the wider universe. The universe is so vast that our brains struggle to comprehend its immensity. This scale, compounded with the small fraction of time we have on our 4.5-billion-year-old planet, provokes a desire to construct meaning and purpose within a universe seemingly devoid of principles. In Ancient Greece, humans derived meaning from the Greek Gods. The Gods were valued because everyone believed in them; they were a part of an accepted, important social narrative. Today, we derive meaning through similar narratives. If we believe graduation certificates have meaning and value, it is because people around us share this idea. If we believe Westminster law has meaning, it is because those around us believe in this conception of law. Similarly national myths and borders are also narratives. We believe there is a country called Australia because those around us do.
Politicians often use rhetoric to capitalise on these narratives. In Scott Morrison’s Ministerial Statement in March 2020, he drew upon the notion of the “spirit of the Anzacs” and the “legacy and inspiration that has been given to us from those who have come before us”. These narratives intend to fuel national pride and identity. Narratives can be effective at generating unity for example, but only until people become disillusioned with them.
Your response to “why did you apply to this job” may shift and change over time. However, at a certain point, it may become so engrained that you start to believe in it. Ultimately, narratives are useful as they inform us, provide meaning, and guide our actions by simplifying the complex world.
Additional Resources#
- Harari, Y.N. (2016). Homo Deus: a brief history of tomorrow. Harvill Secker, London.
- Loseke, D. R. (2007). The Study of Identity as Cultural, Institutional, Organizational, and Personal Narratives: Theoretical and Empirical Integrations. The Sociological Quarterly, 48(4), 661-688. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-8525.2007.00096.x
- Morisson, S 2020, Ministerial Statement Transcript, Australian Parliament House, ACT, 23 March 2020, https://www.pm.gov.au/media/ministerial-statement-australian-parliament-house-act.
- Presser, L., & Sandberg, S. (2019). Narrative Criminology as Critical Criminology. Critical Criminology, 27(1), 131-143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-019-09437-9
- Schacter, D. (2012). Constructive Memory: Past and Future. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 14(1), 7 - 18.
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