Interview intel p1 - Military Transition - Military Times EDGE

Cultures and traditions have survived for centuries because of storytelling. Now, it may be that storytelling can help another important aspect of our lives: our careers. More and more career experts are urging civilian 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 — and as a veteran, it’s likely you’ll have some good ones to tell. 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, a college professor and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers. “There’s an emotional connection when a story is told; the brain locks onto it.”

In her book, “Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career” (Jist, $14.95), Hansen says that stories “satisfy the basic human need to be known” and to help the 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:

• Determining what you want others to know about you. If you’re proud of the fact that you’re organized and always willing to jump in and help out when needed, then think of stories that demonstrate how you’ve used those skills in a professional setting.

• Looking for an emotional connection. Consider stories about yourself that show off your personality. Think about what personality traits would fit in best with a work culture, then develop a story that would best showcase these traits.

• Honing your skill. Not everyone can tell a story effectively right away. Practice your storytelling and work on keeping each story to no more than two minutes but with enough detail to keep it memorable and relevant.

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.