Job Seekers: How to Tell Stories to Stand Out

With unemployment at a 26-year high of 8.5 percent, the biggest challenge job seekers face today -- next to finding a new job -- is differentiating themselves from the more than 13.2 million other people who are out of work and looking for new employment.

One way job seekers can stand out from the job search competition is to tell stories that illustrate their professional experience, says Katharine Hansen, the creative director and associate publisher of the website Quintessential Careers and author of eight career management books.

Story-telling, when done right, reveals a job seeker's personality, makes him or her more memorable, and helps a job seeker establish an emotional connection with hiring managers, Hansen says.

"That's what hiring managers really want: They want to learn about job seekers' personalities," says Hansen.

What's more, she adds, "When job seekers use stories, they show that they're good communicators, and most employers say that communication skills are among the top skills they're looking for."

Indeed, CIO's State of the CIO Research shows year after year that an IT leader's success hinges on his or her ability to communicate. And increasingly, CIOs seek the same from their IT staffs: They want IT professionals who can communicate effectively with co-workers in IT and with end-users. (See Surviving the IT Job Market: How Soft Skills Give You an Edge.)

By spinning compelling yet truthful tales about their experience, qualifications and fit for a company, job seekers can demonstrate their uniqueness and ability to engage people.

Here are five fundamentals of story-telling that job seekers can apply in cover letters and during job interviews to impress hiring managers. 

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