While you may use your Quintessential You Story only as a starting point for your own story-development purposes, it’s helpful to imagine that the audience for this story is someone who could hire you or who knows someone who could hire you.
Whatever prompt or approach you choose to develop your Quintessential You Story, the bottom line is that it should convey a strong sense of who you are, the essence of your being, the core of your character. The following sample stories do just that.
First in a series of Sample Quintessential You Stories
For several semesters, I have assigned my students to write a Quintessential You Story. Here is one of my favorites by a student named Kellie:
A few months back I began working at a hospital where my mom has been a nurse for 10 years. I have thought about working in the health care industry for a while, but I was never quite sure it was for me. I received a job as a unit clerk in the Intensive Care Unit/Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit. My job description was to put in doctor’s orders for each patient, monitor the patients’ EKGs, file papers, answer phones, and to keep supplies stocked. Patient care was not a part of my job, but I was always more than willing to help a nurse when needed, knowing that I would learn more about what I wanted to do.
I went to work at 6:30 a.m. as usual and started all of my normal tasks for both units and noticed this little old man waving at me every time I would pass his door. I waved to him a few times with a smile on my face and continued with what I was doing. After about the fourth or fifth wave, I became curious about why he was so interested in waving to me.
I walked into his room and decided I would talk to him to see if maybe he needed something, or if I could get his nurse for him. When I entered the room, he immediately called me Kelsie, which is ironically close to my name, and I had yet to introduce myself. I introduced myself and asked him if he needed any help, and he said no, but I shouldn’t play games with him; he knew my name was Kelsie, and he started to laugh. In talking with him for the next few minutes I continued to correct him when he called me by the wrong name, and he continued to correct me.
[Read the rest of this story in the extended entry]
Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling that Propels Careers, Quintessential Careers Press, ISBN-10: 1-934689-00-9. Find out the ways you can own the entire book.
I left his room with more curiosity on why he was in the hospital and decided to speak with his nurse and look at his chart. His diagnosis wasn’t anything different from most of the older gentlemen we see in the unit. In speaking with his nurse I found out he had Alzheimer’s and could remember only a very small piece from his early adulthood.
I went about my work and continued to wave to him when I passed by his room, still a little curious as to why he was calling me Kelsie. After finishing up most of my work for the morning I went and sat in his room and decided to talk with him. He was placed in restraints because of his not knowing where he was and because he was a hazard to himself if he pulled out his lines and possibly harmed those taking care of him.
I sat down, and he once again called me Kelsie, and we began talking about things he could remember from when he was in the Navy and about his family. After being comfortable with him I removed his restraints when he asked and sat him up in bed to make him more comfortable. He was thrilled that he was able to move and talk “like a normal person.” I decided to ask him who Kelsie was, and he simply replied, “you know who Kelsie is; it’s you, my youngest daughter.” I had no idea what to say other than to laugh and continue talking with him.
In the process of our talking, his oldest daughter and son-in-law had walked into the room and were standing behind me listening to our conversation. I introduced myself, and she asked if she could speak with me. I explained to her the situation and she explained his. Her sister Kelsie had died years previous in a car accident, but it was one of the things he couldn’t remember. She told me I had a strong resemblance to her sister and asked if I would mind talking with him as though I were Kelsie to make him happy for the short time he would still be alive.
I happily agreed and continued talking with him every chance I got listening to all the stories of him and his daughter Kelsie (me). I showed up one day to meet with him and instead I found an empty room and heart to go along with it. One of the nurses approached me and handed me a note addressed to me. His oldest daughter wanted to let me know he had passed away yesterday and his last words were that he loved each and every one of them and to tell Kelsie he loved her as well. Tears of joy and sorrow streamed down my face, I was sad he had gone, but more than that I was happy he had the chance to talk to “Kelsie” before he went.
