What characteristics comprise good stories used in the job search (in resumes, cover letters, portfolios, personal branding, interview responses, and, as discussed in yesterday’s entry, networking communications)?

Melinda Briana Epler, in a piece not long ago on Best Practices in Storytelling, provided a set of Storytelling Rules of Engagement that are well-suited to job-search stories. Here they are with my comments on how they apply to the job search:

1. Authenticity: The employer should see and understand the real you in your job-search stories
2. Transparency: Your stories must be honest and verifiable
3. Emotional Investment: The most effective job-search stories will inspire emotional investment from your audience — employers or members of your network
4. Personally Aligned Values: Your stories must illustrate how your values fit with those of the employer
5. Community Ownership: Although I’m not 100 percent sure what Epler means by this one, my interpretation for the job search is that your stories should make you seem as though you are already part of the employer community.