Tell Me Your Story

Whether you are starting to make a career transition, gearing up for an important networking event, or starting your own entrepreneurial path, we use these tools to serve as our calling card, our history, and our proof of expertise.?

However, there is ONE really important element to your cover letters, resumes, online portfolios, and LinkedIn profiles that you might be missing. It’s the key to successful marketing and advertising. Do you know what that is??

Did you guess what it is??

It’s the element of telling your story.?

Today I am going to break down how to infuse your own career story into your own personal brand.??

How Story Fits Into Your Career?

You might not think your career story is interesting, but you’d be wrong. Your career story is the story of your journey—it’s the road (with alllllll the detours) you took to get where you are today. The story is arguably the most fundamental element of modern advertising and marketing.?

Before we discuss the technical aspects of telling your career story—like, where are you actually going to have the opportunity to tell your story—let’s build your story from scratch.?

Your Beginnings?

Maybe you had an inkling—from a very young age—that you were a great salesperson or marketer. Like when my son in the 2nd Grade took all of his pencils his Grandpa bought for him with his name on them and then ended up selling them cheaper than the school store and when asked didn’t kids think it was odd your name was on it, and he replied: “Is it odd that you were Nike”?

If you can trace your “career story” back to childhood, do it. Be creative.?

Your First Success?

Once you’ve laid out your origin story, take the next step to draw a line to the first time you experienced success. What made this moment feel so successful? What did you learn from it??

Your Big Transition

Maybe you didn’t know you wanted to be a data scientist from a young age—that’s ok, too. If you had a big career “aha! moment” share it.?

This could be the moment you finally realized where you were meant to be. This could be interviewing for (and getting!) a job in a completely new field. This could be expressing interest in a new project and completely nailing it. Our career twists and turns are more exciting than we think. We rarely slow down enough to acknowledge them—and how powerful they really are.?

A Challenge You Overcame?

Take a moment to consider a particularly challenging moment—and the steps you took to overcome it. Whether it was a challenging client or a particularly complicated project, lay out your path to success—and the lessons you took from the entire experience.?

A Notable Mentor or Influence?

Every successful professional—whether you’re a solopreneur or a trusted employee—likely has a specific person who helped to mold your future. This could be a professor, a former boss, or a professional connection. This is someone who gave you that crucial piece of advice at the right time—a piece of advice you carry through your entire career.?

It could even be someone with whom you had a conflicting professional relationship. Sometimes those who teach you what not to do are the most unexpected influences on how you do move forward.?

Consider Your Future

This may seem like a daunting step, but it’s crucial to imagine what your ideal future could look like. In fact, by putting your vision for yourself into concrete words, you empower yourself to take the necessary steps to achieve them.?

Where to Infuse Professional Story?

So, you’ve laid out your story. Now, where to put it? The quick answer is to infuse it—EVERYWHERE!?

If you’re building a personal website, weave it into your entire portfolio. Use your “About Me” section to tell the story, point-by-point. From there, insert your story when describing specific projects you completed, special services you offer, and personal expertise you can bring.?

Suppose you are a content marketer looking for some freelance writing or social media work. When describing your services, whether on your LinkedIn or on your personal website, take this opportunity to highlight your story—and how it plays into the skill, meaning, and proficiency of your work.?

For example, instead of this sentence offering content marketing writing services:?

As a content marketer, I can offer well-researched articles on a variety of topics closely aligned with your company’s solutions.

Try a more story-based description:

Since I was very young, I loved to read. I often spent afternoons with heroines escaping the monotony of life, overcoming, obstacles, and finding unexpected success. Let me help you find your story, unearth your customers’ pain points, and weave a delightful solution through your company’s services—through your company’s unique voice.?

Once you start to pick apart the way you describe yourself, you can begin to color every statement with your story, your challenges, and your specific solutions.?

How to Use Your Story to Promote Yourself

Now that you have your story assembled, use it—and use it everywhere.?

Write out your story in a document and save it. Next time you’re tasked with updating your LinkedIn Profile, writing a cover letter, or updating your resume, simply pull from your story. Since it’s your unique story, you might be surprised at how seamlessly it fits into all of your job search documents.?

Where Can You Find Me??

At Clubhouse you can join me every Thursday (TONIGHT) in the Thought Leadership Branding Club on Clubhouse at 6 pm EST? for LinkedIn 101: Becoming A LinkedIn Rockstar?

?Starting this Saturday, April 9th, 23rd, and 30th at 10 am I will be doing a series of LinkedIn Live Audio Events with Host Simone Tai as we discuss how you can Power Up your Career. Click the link and add this to your calendar: LinkedIn Audio Event: Career Power Up!

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