Alumni Spotlight: Frame your story to get hired with Meredith Clause, '01 MBA

The Closing Argument: How to Frame the Story That Gets You Hired

Win the final round with a story about them.

You made it to the final round. So did three other people who are just as qualified. At this point, the hiring manager isn't asking "can this person do the job?"; they're asking "who's the best person to solve my problems?" Most candidates never answer that question because they're still talking about themselves. In this session, strategic communications consultant Meredith Clause, ’01 MBA, teaches you how to take your observations, your industry experience, and everything you've picked up through the interview process, and turn it into something the other finalists won't have: a relevant, credible take on the company's actual challenge- sometimes the one they've named, sometimes one they have not seen yet - and position yourself as the person (and the only person) to solve it. Not your career story. A story about THEM — told with clarity that makes YOU impossible to forget.

What you'll learn:

Why final rounds are won on "does this person get us", not qualifications. How to synthesize what you already know into a point of view on the company's problem. Three ways to deliver it depending on the room: a short deck, a conversation pivot, or a leave-behind. And when NOT to do it.

What you'll walk away with:

A repeatable framework for building your closing argument, plus an editable deck template and worksheet you can use for your next final-round interview.

About Meredith Clause:

Meredith is a strategic communications consultant who helps organizations find the story that earns trust and moves people to act. Over 25 years, she's done that across Fortune 500 brands like Best Buy, Anytime Fitness, Estee Lauder, Peloton, early-stage ventures, and her own consulting practice. She holds an MBA from the Carlson School of Management and has been teaching this exact framework — how to build a strategic narrative that wins alignment in high-stakes settings — to executives and leadership teams throughout her career. She recently attended an alumni event, looked around the room and realized she was no longer the young one and was just the kick in the pants she needed to remind her now's the time to give back.