Telling a great story

And why it matters to your job search

Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash

In a job interview recently, I was asked one of those questions I wasn’t prepared for:

What makes a compelling story?

Since I’ve written countless stories in my career, and I even market myself as a “storyteller,” I knew this intuitively. But that’s not the same as being able to articulate it in a job interview.

What does this have to do with your job search, though? Well, every time you write a cover letter, every time you edit your resume, every time you step into an interview, you are telling a story. At least, you should be.

And that story should be compelling, drawing your audience into your narrative.

Stories keep people interested. Our brains are wired for stories.

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Before you can be a storyteller, you need to decide what story you want to tell. That’s a big topic, and one I can get into in more detail in the future.

Today, I want to talk about what makes your story worth hearing.

So I’ve thought a lot about it, and here is Adam’s Compelling Story Framework:

• Emotion
  How does your story make your audience feel? If they don’t feel anything, the story won’t stick with them. Are they inspired? Curious? Moved? This doesn’t always have to be positive emotions either. A sad story — or one that makes them angry — can work for connection. But in a job context, it’s best to bring it back to learning, growing or overcoming.

• Relevance
  What connection does your story have to the people you are telling it to? What do they see of themselves in your story? What can they learn that will make a difference for them? If your audience doesn’t connect in some way with your story, your efforts are wasted. (I struggle with this every week writing this newsletter for you.)

• Detail
  Specifics matter. A story that is vague and shapeless is easily dismissed. Try zooming down to moments that put everything else in perspective. I remember reading “The Lord of the Rings” and being amazed by how Tolkien could pause in the middle of a world-ending battle and describe vividly a conversation between two characters. We are not Tolkien. But that vividness is something to strive for.

• Surprise
  Are you telling the same story the audience has already heard a thousand times? There’s a reason the phrase “superhero fatigue” has entered the culture. How many times can we watch people in spandex punching villains in the face before it becomes routine? The same could be said about your storytelling efforts. What is surprising about your story?

If your story has these four things, you are well on your way to getting your audience hooked - and getting the job you want.

What story will you tell?