Business Storytelling Skills in Job Search
From ancient times, narratives and storytelling remain an integral part of human civilizations.
What Is Business Storytelling?
Storytelling in business communications conveys the human side of work. Facts and figures speak to our mind by activating language-processing areas in our brain. While Stories speak to our heart, and activates upto seven areas all together in our brain, the one that processes images, and others that trigger emotions of taste, smell, touch and so on.
Since last decade business storytelling emerged as a big buzzword, businesses are communicating to their audience by telling compelling stories about their products and services. When done well, business storytelling gives a compelling reason for consumers or employers to buy from you.
Storytelling and job search
Crafting a story is not limited to businesses. The art of crafting a compelling story has become an integral part of personal branding strategy as the job market is getting more competitive. A compelling story not only helps you stand out in the crowd but helps you within your organization as well while positioning yourself within the documentation of your work.
As described above, our brains can better process stories rather than plan facts and figures. Integrating stories into your resume and cover letters can help portray a dynamic image of yourself. The portrayal of achievements in a story like format increases readability.
While in an interview walking the interviewer through your career’s achievements and how you overcame certain hurdles in a story like format helps to convey how you have made your impact.
Even after the interview, your follow-up communications will be more effective if you can tell a brief story. You can emphasize how the interview experience spiked your interest in the job even more and then you can go on to convince the hiring manager why you are the ideal candidate for the job.
How strong storytelling can help you nail a job interview
Know your audience
The most effective stories are those that are specifically tailored to the needs of the target audience. The jest of your story and the takeaway for the recruiters will remain the same, however the details and various elements of your story changes depending upon the audience and the role you are applying for. It’s always a good idea to research the company, recruiter and job description thoroughly before appearing for an interview then determine which elements of your story are most relevant to the position you are applying. Using those key elements craft the story according to the audience.
Tell stories at every step
Weave stories into your resume and cover letters. Particularly a cover letter is your best chance to convey your story to a recruiter in the most effective way before an interview. It not only helps in keeping the recruiter hooked but conveys your other traits of communication soft skills too.
Have several stories
Craft your story for every step in the recruitment cycle. Start with your accomplishments and fill in the details on how you did it, what were the obstacles and how you made your way to success. Remember that recruiters are human beings too, give them something they would remember for a while.
