What's your story?

Once upon a time…In the beginning…It all started with…


Since the dawn of human communication, we have used story telling as a way of sharing important information.  A story is memorable, powerful, illustrative, and humanizing.And when you are job hunting, there are lots of stories to tell.


Common wisdom teaches us that resumes should not be filled with paragraphs of narrative, and should instead focus on bullet points.  This leads to many of my students to treat it like a laundry list of skills and duties rather than a professional narrative. I find it easier to think of your resume as your personal movie trailer.  It needs to share enough information in a few seconds that will make someone want to take their time to see the show.Your bullet points should share key pieces of information about what you've accomplished, what is entrusted to you, and what your professional path has been. Cover letters are wonderful tools for filling in blanks about motives and connections. This includes the narrative about your job search. Why are you leaving your organization? What made you interested in this job?  How do you think you can benefit the company?

Like the story of how you met your partner in life, the story of how you became introduced to the company can be very powerful and enlightening to a recruiter. Take time to tell a story that matches their values, needs, and ideas. This will require you to do some research. Check out their website for clues about who they are. If possible, ask someone who works there or has them as a client. The more information you have the better able you are to tell them a story that will make you seem made for each other. Remember, genuine enthusiasm always shines through.

Finally, you need to consider what narratives you will bring into an interview. Stories are the best supporting evidence for your experience. Have you ever handled a tough account? Tell the story about your toughest client. What type of manager are you? Tell a story about an employee you turned around using your leadership skills. Why did you get into your field? Tell a story that explains what drew you to your line of work. Interviewers are more likely to understand, remember, and apply what you said because it was told in story form.

As you craft your story, remember first, that stories need to be true. Many a job has been lost to an exaggeration that was fact-checked.  Second, stories should be short.  The longer the story, the harder it is to remember.  Third, try to stick with professional tales. While you may have excellent stories about perseverance from your divorce or having cancer, but it can bring the interview into a negative emotional place and it doesn't show you off as a professional.  Finally, try to focus on stories with happy endings or that had valuable lessons. Failure is okay, if it leads to success. Focus on the positive moments in your career and how they made you an outstanding employee.