Telling stories of your accomplishments is effective not just for the job search, but also when you are in your performance review and when you’re negotiating an initial salary or, later, a raise.
In the salary-negotiation portion of a job interview, be prepared “with stories to tell that illustrate your accomplishments and values,” writes Susan Adams on Forbes.com, citing the advice of Orville Pierson of the outplacement firm Lee Hecht Harrison.
My newest discovery among kindred spirits who link storytelling with career and job search is George Dutch, who writes in his blog:
A successful career transition or a job search requires some storytelling competence, not for its own sake, but for the sake of the listener, i.e., your next employer or client. A story does not exist in a vacuum. It is part of a social or cultural context.
The context Dutch refers to comprises the issues, challenges, problems, mission, and goals of your employer or prospective employer. Tune into those so you know the right stories to tell — those that illustrate how well you can address the context — or how well you have addressed it if you’re in a review or salary-negotiation.