As you review your goals for the new year, think about what your career stories reveal about you. Your stories make your career conversations memorable and help you stand out from the crowd.
What are career stories? They are descriptions about your career goals, experiences and events you’ve encountered that put the pieces of your career together in a way that makes sense. To the listener, they convey a unique experience that creates an image. Stories about your values, challenges you’ve overcome and problems you’ve solved help you appear more genuine and start good conversations.
The best career stories are compelling, draw the listener in and make them want to learn more information about you and your interests. Many resumes are left in the pile and interviews stall due to the lack of interesting stories.
Career stories highlight the most defining moments of your career and each transition you’ve encountered such as getting your first job after college, re-entering the job market, experiencing job loss and a change of career direction.
You can start describing your career experience in stories right now by determining what you did that was meaningful to you. Make your stories memorable by telling the listener how you contributed and what you learned from significant career events.
The good news about your career is you can change direction by identifying what you want to do and letting others know what you do well. Stories help you change career direction by focusing on what you do best, those things that distinguish you from other candidates.
To start writing your stories, identify the actions, behaviors and attitudes that led to meaningful paths in your career.
Consider looking at your career in terms of themes and when constructing your career story, list the elements or skills that seem to be a common denominator. Ask yourself what interests keep drawing you toward new roles within your company or with a new employer.
Accomplishments often sound too canned when listed on a resume, and they lack the story element that makes you unique. Career stories can change that. For example, when writing about your management style, pay attention to such questions such as:
What do you value most?
Would a potential employer be able to see how flexible or adaptable you have been to change?
How would you describe your leadership style?
What did you do that influenced change?
What role did you play in producing the results in your story?
If you’re thinking about changing your career this year, consider using your career stories as ways to identify what you feel is missing in your work or what you want to do more of in future roles.
What do you see yourself doing this year that’s different from last year? Write it down in the form of a story.
