Effective storytelling offers valuable edge in job search
By Anita Bruzzese
For centuries, cultures and traditions have survived because of storytelling. Now, it may be that storytelling can help another important aspect of our lives: our careers.
More and more career experts have been urging job seekers to learn how to tell a story when it comes to citing their accomplishments. The reason: The human brain is geared to remember and enjoy stories. If a hiring manager enjoys listening to you, if a boss remembers your accomplishments because they were told in story form, that's a big plus in today's tough job market.
"Storytelling makes you more memorable. It makes you stand out," says Katharine Hansen, associate publisher of Quintessential Careers. "There's an emotional connection when a story is told; the brain locks onto it."
This has been something that marketers have understood for a long time. They know that telling a story is much more likely to engage customers than just presenting a laundry list of their product's attributes. They know bringing an emotional edge to a story — anger, happiness, sadness, anxiety — can help the product remain with the viewer longer.
It's that powerful connection that employees — and job seekers — are being urged to harness.
Still, telling a story doesn't mean telling a fable. Relating an incident to an interviewer or a boss that is fictional will backfire not only because lying about your capabilities can be career suicide, but also because anything that rings false may not even stick with them.
In her book, "Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career" (Jist, $14.95), Hansen says stories "satisfy the basic human need to be known" and help the employee and job candidate gain confidence.
"Not only can telling stories enable others to know you better; they can also help you get to know yourself better," she says. "As you see common threads and patterns emerging in your stories, you'll understand more about yourself, your goals, your best career path and your ideal job."
If you'd like to try some storytelling to help your career or job search, Hansen suggests:
