Your personal story is more than just a list of facts and achievements. It's a way to showcase your unique value, personality, and motivation to potential employers and clients. In this article, you'll learn how to incorporate your personal story into your resume, cover letter, and portfolio, and how to make it memorable, relevant, and authentic.
Before you start writing your personal story, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to communicate. What is your main goal, passion, or strength? What makes you different from others in your field or industry? How do you solve problems, overcome challenges, or create value? Your core message should be concise, specific, and consistent throughout your personal branding materials.
There is nothing shared here that I would disagree with. And, I would caution against giving too much thought to your differentiation. Assuming your objective is to influence others by helping them move through problems and challenges, your value will come through the craziness you had to go through to get to where you are. Your relatability will be your greatest value. Remembering and recalling precisely what it took for you to solve your own problems and challenges will be your remarkable-ness. Your audience will want to hear your honesty, your vulnerability, the darkness you had to go through to get to the other side - clean, and having a story to share with others, one that reminds them they too have the capacity to overcome.
Your personal story is not one-size-fits-all. Depending on the position, project, or opportunity you're applying for, you need to adapt your story to suit the needs, expectations, and interests of your audience. Research the company, organization, or individual you're targeting, and identify their pain points, goals, and values. Then, highlight the aspects of your story that align with them, and show how you can help them achieve their desired outcomes.
Yes, you will want to align your story so your audience can relate. This will establish your credibility. Dare, though, to consider leading your audience to a place well beyond where they expect you to get them. Meeting expectations is good, and blowing away expectations is even better. Even for those who are great at knowing what they want, struggle to imagine the unimaginable. Dare to take them there.
To create an engaging, compelling, and memorable personal story, you should employ some storytelling techniques. Start with a hook that captures the reader's attention and makes them want to learn more. Set up a narrative arc that follows a logical sequence of events, challenges, actions, and results. Add details and emotions to make your story more vivid, relatable, and human. Finally, end with a call to action that directs your reader to the next step, such as contacting you or visiting your website.
Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” No matter what you’re training or speaking on, have your objective be the move the hearts and souls of your audience. Though you may have an awesome story, and the best content, people will move to action when they feel inspired. Use the power of your position of influence to pluck their heartstrings.
Your personal story is more than just a collection of words. To make it more credible and convincing, you should provide evidence to back up your work, skills, and achievements. This could be done by using numbers and metrics to quantify your impact, results, or performance. You can also give examples and testimonials to illustrate your work, skills, or achievements. Visuals and media are a great way to enhance your story by using images, videos, audio, or graphics that showcase your portfolio, samples, or demonstrations. Additionally, you can include feedback, reviews, or endorsements from clients, employers, or colleagues.
I would agree with everything shared here. I would add also that your objective is to be the model for everything you’re asking your audience to step into. It doesn’t mean you’re trying to present perfection, that would be inauthentic. But it does mean that you’re striving for mastery in whatever it is you’re asking your audience to risk trusting you. We spend a lot of time and energy in our lives doing what’s necessary to elevate ourselves. The second mountain, so to speak, must be in ‘becoming’ after having mastered much of the ‘doing’.
Your personal story is an accurate reflection of who you are, what you do, and why you do it. To make it authentic and consistent, you need to be honest and transparent with your audience, avoiding any lies, gaps, or contradictions. Also, express your voice and personality with your own words, tone, and humor while avoiding jargon and clichés. Furthermore, ensure that your story is up to date by regularly updating it with recent work, skills, or achievements. This will help you build trust and credibility with your audience.
I actually enjoyed this passage. Presenting ourselves precisely as we are in a way that demonstrates our complete comfort with who we are can be wonderfully engaging. The other part to remember, though this may sound simplistic, is to keep it straight and honest, and commit to never deviating from that. It’s also much easier to remember and be consistent with the truth rather than the untruth.
Be bold and take chances with your audience. It will endear them to you. Seek to be truly remarkable, to bring forth your unique gift for humankind. If you truly go for it, you’ll never have to compare yourself to others again.