National Learning Institute

Memory Mining

Allan Hay (Book Publishers Network, May 21, 2007)

Reviewed by admin Sun 23 Nov 08

Bob's Rating:

"Memory Mining" refers to one's ability to remember successful work stories when applying for a new job.  Allan Hay has developed the concept to assist job seekers perform better, particularly during the recruitment interview.  The ability of a job applicant to be able to remember things they have done well is important in all interviews and particularly so when the interviewer is using a technique called Behaviour Event Interviewing (BEI).

BEI has been around for many years and is now used by an increasing number of recruiters.  It calls for the applicant to recall past behaviour that may be similar to that required in the proposed job.  So, applicants who can easily recall successful events will perform well in these types of interviews.

The nub of Memory Mining is contained in Chapters 3 and 4.  Here the author lays out a simple way for job applicants to review their skills and compare then to the position for which they are applying.  Once the applicant has identified and matched previous skills and work experiences to the job requirements, it is suggested to:
·       Write the story from your perspective
·       Pick a specific action you took or an ongoing job you perform that illustrates this skill
·       Explain how you did it
·       State the positive resultGood advice for all job seekers. There are also many other tips for job seekers in Memory Mining such as how to update your résumé.  However, I particularly liked the "cover letter" which is so often underutilised by job seekers.  Recommended for anyone applying for a new job and particularly for first time job seekers.