Telling Stories about Change
A major premise of this book is that the job-seeker or worker who can successfully convey — through stories — his or her ability to lead, communicate, and handle organizational change has an advantage over other job-seekers and workers. It’s important to be able to tell stories about other skills, characteristics, and values, too, and they are covered in the next chapter, but “change skills” are the most important because they also encompass many other skills that employers seek. Here’s the reason why. Where stability was once the goal of organizations, relentless change is now the constant. Scholars characterize change today as no longer an op

Preview of this book
This book is rooted in my dissertation research for my Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Union Institute & University. I’ve made an exhaustive study of what scholars and experts have to say about the uses of storytelling and how those uses can be applied to the job search and career advancement. I’ve also conducted interviews with job-changers and people in changing organizations as well as focus groups with hiring managers, recruiters, and human-resources professionals to obtain their reactions to storytelling in resumes, cover letters, and interviewing. Part 1 of this book explains why storytelling is especially useful and effective in conveying how a job-se

Stories told well help you portray yourself as a strong communicator
Effectively using stories in job-seeking venues offers the further benefit of demonstrating your communication skills, which is significant because most employers seek candidates who communicate well. David Boje, a well-known scholar in the organizational-storytelling field, wrote in 1991 that “people who are more skilled as storytellers and story interpreters seem to be more effective communicators than those who are less skilled.”

Stories paint vivid pictures
Remember when your parents read or told you stories when you were a child? You undoubtedly visualized the story as a sort of movie in your brain. Job-seekers can use colorful and even entertaining stories to imprint lasting visual images onto employers' minds.

Stories explain key life/career decisions, choices, and changes
Especially revealing to employers are personal and career stories about coping strategies, risky moves, choices made under pressure, imperfections, and lessons learned from mistakes, failures, and derailments. Chapter 1 explains more about these change stories.