Owning Your Story in the Job Search
We attach ourselves to a narrative.
This is one of the many insights I’ve learned from meditation guru, Tara Brach. Recently, I listened to one of her talks on the stories we tell ourselves and how they shape the way we present ourselves to the world.
As I’ve been working on this next installment in what’s become my “Take Control of Your Job Search” series - this one on crafting your story and shaping how you show up in your job search - I couldn’t help but think about Tara’s insight and how it relates to the job search.
The job search, whether you realize it or not, involves a strong element of storytelling. Your resume, cover letter, and the interviews you participate in all tell a story. Often times these stories are anchored by a title or function we’ve held for years.
“I am a recruiter”
“I am a product manager”
“I specialize in…”
Over time, we become attached to these stories and we can become blind to other possibilities.
But as with any storyteller, you control the narrative - and by extension, how it's received. You are the author of your professional journey.
Sometimes this may require challenging old narratives when you’ve been out of the job market for a while. Other times, it may mean recognizing a certain skill you’ve used but never labeled in the way a job description does.
To illustrate this point, let me share a story.
A few months ago, I helped a friend revamp her resume after a layoff. She was eyeing a more senior position, one that explicitly required project management experience. As I reviewed the job description, I noticed that her resume didn’t highlight her project management experience.
When I asked her about it, she said, “But I’ve never held a formal project manager title.”
Thing is, I had worked with her at a previous employer. I knew she had managed timelines, handled competing priorities and deadlines, led cross-functional efforts, and delivered results under pressure. Classic project management. She just hadn’t held the title and her work hadn’t been labeled that way.
With a few targeted questions and a little reflection, we brought those experiences to the surface. We reframed the story. Suddenly, her resume reflected the work she’d actually done. And she felt a little more confident about applying to the role.
This experience reinforced something I’ve seen time and time again: the power in how we tell our story and how crucial it is to translate our experiences into language that the reader (in this case, recruiters and hiring managers) understands, even if it means moving beyond our own internal labels.
In this case, the real gap for my friend wasn’t her experience. It was in the language she used to tell her story.
A Framework for Crafting Your Career Story
Here are four questions to help you craft a compelling story through your resume and cover letter:
What is this employer really looking for?
Go beyond the job title. Analyze the job description for key responsibilities, required and nice-to-have skills, challenges mentioned, and company values.
Research the company, its industry, recent news, and its strategic goals. Try to understand their pain points and the specific problems they want this role to solve.
Identify 3-5 themes or skill sets they need.
What overarching story or value proposition do I want to convey?
Now that you’ve identified those key themes, consider your own experience. What unique angle or cohesive message about yourself best addresses their needs?
Articulate a clear, compelling, and tailored narrative that positions you as the solution to their needs.
What specific accomplishments, projects, or quantifiable results support your narrative?
For each theme, brainstorm 1-3 concrete examples from your experience.
Whenever possible, quantify your achievements (e.g., managed a team of 5).
How can I strategically rephrase my experiences using the language and keywords they use?
Review your accomplishments and experiences. How are they described versus how the employer describes similar tasks or challenges?
Actively use keywords from the job description and company website to align your language with theirs.
Where GenAI Can Help
GenAI can become a powerful tool for crafting your career story. And no, this isn’t about fabricating experience you don’t have. It’s about shedding light on the story behind your resume or cover letter:
Here are a few prompts to help you get started:
Copy and paste a job description or job title you’re aiming for into ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini, then try:
“Act like a career coach. Ask me 5-7 questions to help me figure out if I’ve already done this kind of work, even if I didn’t carry the same title”. You might follow up with a prompt like the one below:
“Here’s a project I worked on. Help me identify the skills or functions I used, and how I might reframe it for a [paste in target job title] role?”You might also feed in your answers to the reflection questions generated previously and ask:
“How would you turn this into a resume bullet or incorporate it into my cover letter?"Back to Where We Started
Ultimately, whether you're a seasoned professional targeting a familiar role, navigating a challenging career pivot, or stepping back into the workforce after a break, the ability to articulate your story strategically is your most powerful tool. It's the skill that transcends job titles, industry shifts, or employment gaps.
You may not be able to control every factor in today’s job market, but you can still control your narrative: how you interpret your past, how you frame your potential, and how clearly you communicate your value.
Embrace the power of your story, and you'll find an unshakeable advantage in your job search.
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