“I’m going to tell you a story…” In a conversation, these words are magical: everyone’s gaze turns to the person who said them, and we fall silent to listen.
The goal of your resume, cover letter, personal website, and social media profile is always the same: to capture the attention of your audience, spark their desire to know more, and tell your story in a convincing way. In reality, it’s not just any story you want to tell. It’s an effective story that serves the purpose of getting you an interview.
To begin, you need to define what you want to say about yourself, your background, and your objectives.
Then, think about how to tell your story, how to deliver your message in a lively way, how to illustrate your narrative with brief and captivating anecdotes, and how to logically connect the content. Imagine: at the start, the reader doesn’t know who you are, what you’re capable of, or what you can bring to their company. Through your story, you lead them to the key information they need to understand, i.e. the benefits you can offer to their organization.
But be careful, don’t focus only on yourself. Think about your audience and their needs. Put yourself in their shoes. It’s your story, but it’s meant for them. They need to be the ones who are impressed!
And – once again – be cautious: be authentic, don’t invent an exceptional story. It must be true and verifiable.
Once your story is defined, all that’s left is to learn how to tell it during the interview. Practice, because it’s not easy to tell a story well while improvising. It’s much easier to make a story exciting if it’s already been practiced.
Good preparation and good luck!