Shawn Callahan has written a great article ‘ For Job Hunters – Finding and Telling Better Stories’ which for those of you who struggle in this department is well worth a read. The power of great story telling cannot be overlooked in making your resume and you stand out from the competition. We always remember a great story and we always remember the job applicant who had a great story to tell!
An extract from the article is below.
You can increase the impact of any story in three ways:
1. be specific and avoid generalisations. Instead of saying, “I once worked for company that sold database software.” Say, “While the pre-sales manager at Oracle Systems …”
2. the story has to about a specific individual trying to achieve something, ideally with some obstacle that they eventually overcame. Avoid stories about companies, departments and even teams. Tell stories about people who have names. Instead of saying, “In 2004 the risk assessment team was facing a problem …,” say “Charles Kleiner in risk assessment was facing a problem.” And of course you were instrumental in helping Charles overcome this obstacle.
3. help people visualise what’s happening. The best stories are ones that the listener can picture vividly in their mind’s eye. Instead of of saying, “We drove up to the vineyard …,” say “We drove up to an adobe-style vineyard with acres of vines all around us …”
You may also want to read the post on Six Figures ‘ How to engage the interviewer and beat the competition’ which also explores the use of storytelling in your job search.
