By Emilio Lorenzo and Emily Tasca
Emilio Lorenzo is the assistant director of career advisement in NSU’s Office of Career Development. Emilio understands the importance of helping students reach their career goals and works with all students, including undergraduate, graduate and professional level students, to achieve their professional goals.
Emily Tasca is a member of the career advisement team in NSU’s Office of Career Development. She works with current students and alumni at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels to ensure that each individual is supported throughout his or her career exploration and planning process.
Since the beginning of time, there have been stories, stories that have come in many different shapes and sizes but, at the end of the day, deliver a certain message and paint a picture for the audience. Many do not realize the power that stories possess, as they can drive the imagination while revealing more unique characteristics about the storyteller. Storytelling is a valuable tool to utilize whether in an interview, networking or writing professional documents, such as personal statements or cover letters, as they can be the window that conveys not just skill sets but also a full spectrum of what encapsulates the individual.
One of the main struggles when entering a competitive interview is how you can make yourself stand out throughout the process. When up against candidates with similar credentials, using personal stories is a way to set yourself apart. For example, it’s very easy to tell the interviewer that you are a leader and a great communicator, which they would then have to take on face value. Instead, approaching this situation with a story offers examples of how you have utilized your leadership and communication skills in the past. In this scenario, the interviewee could have reflected back on specific leadership experiences that required the use of communication skills, like planning a community service event for a student organization. Not all stories need to be the next Academy Award winner, as long as they exemplify the message that you are trying to get across.
To ensure that your message within the story is not lost in translation, organize your storytelling approach with what is referred to as the “STAR Format.” For example, imagine someone asks you to share a time you experienced a conflict and how you handled that situation. For this question, it is very easy to go on tangents, just like that one uncle or aunt at the holiday party who tells a story that has no point and no end in sight. Instead of getting lost in all the details, stick to the main points of the story, which in the STAR Format are the situation, task, action and result. Regarding the question above about a conflict, an individual can respond with:
One summer, I worked at an air conditioner servicing company, where I was in charge of answering calls and handling customer issues. Considering it was the summer in Florida, we would have many upset customers calling in need of service. One individual in particular was very upset and a bit hostile over the phone. I remained calm, gathered all the necessary information and continuously acknowledged the caller’s complaints and needs while staying positive throughout the entire process. At the end of our conversation, I was able to send a technician to his home that very afternoon, and he actually was very appreciative of our quick service and my demeanor throughout.
This story was not only a good representation of how the individual can handle conflicts, but it also gave the interviewer a better understanding of the individual’s personality.
One question you may ask yourself is, “How personal should I get when I tell stories?” The answer lies in the setting or in the manner in which you plan to use the story. As we mentioned earlier, in interviews, the STAR Format is your best approach; however, in personal statements and other professional documents, the details may need to be expanded upon to give the reader a fuller picture.
For example, if you are applying to a graduate program, like medical school or law school, you will want to ensure that the admissions committee understands why you are the right fit for their program, who you are as an individual and how your values and overall life philosophy aligns with that of the institution. To do this, you need to dive deeper; unlike the interview, you will not be present to fill in any gaps or answer clarifying questions. Just remember when including personal stories to ensure that the story is always tied back to the topic at hand.
Overall, stories are a part of our culture and everyday life, so what better way to show the “real you” than to use stories as a tool to deliver appropriate messages and themes? As you continue on your professional career journey, it is important to reflect back on your experiences, memorable interactions and difficult situations that provided life lessons. These reflections can be considered “story banking,” where you build a virtual bank of stories in your mind that are readily available to include in interview answers or within professional documents and settings. The power of storytelling is an underrated resource; it is fueled by your personal journey and can be the empowering force to make yourself stand out.
