Storyshowing for Job Seekers
Employers need to know how a candidate will perform on the job. To demonstrate how you’d perform, you need to show (not tell) potential employers through storyshowing.
Why is showing more effective than telling?
Consider this: when you arrive at an interview, you dress to the level of the company. Imagine arriving at the interview and saying, “Today, I was planning to wear a dark suit, purple shirt, and a pair of dark, nicely ironed slacks,” and answering questions in your pyjamas. You dress at the appropriate level to show the interviewer that you’d fit in, and that you’d bring professionalism to the job.
And if you’re showing the interviewer that you’d bring professionalism to the job, why are you merely telling potential employers about the skills you’d bring? Show them through short, one- or two-line stories on your resumé and cover letter.
Think of how many applications hiring coordinators and managers receive that include keywords like: creative, hard-working, analytical, results-driven, and leader. Don’t ask them to believe you – prove it to them.
Tell a story that includes the situation, your action, and the results. Provide some context that allows a comparison to be made against what would’ve happened if you hadn’t worked there. If you have statistics, list them:
- Increased annual sales by 23%
- Grew monthly online traffic over 10%
- Boosted quarterly donations fundraised by 37%
If you can’t show your skills through numbers, write a story that includes awards or achievements:
- Led marketing team on major campaign and won Marketing Project of the Year
A hiring manager reads two applications – one from a storyteller, and one from a storyshower:
Candidate A: “Creative”
Candidate B: “Redesigned operations processes to reduce company expenses by 18%”
Which candidate are you?