{"id":19108,"date":"2024-05-07T06:21:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T10:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/?p=19108"},"modified":"2024-05-06T16:29:46","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T20:29:46","slug":"how-to-use-storytelling-in-crafting-a-compelling-resume-narrative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-use-storytelling-in-crafting-a-compelling-resume-narrative\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Storytelling in Crafting a Compelling Resume Narrative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Make sure that your application stands out from the rest by knowing how to use storytelling in crafting a compelling resume narrative.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A resume is the tool you use to connect with future employers, and to showcase who you are as an employee. But what about people who just can\u2019t connect with the format of a resume<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where a strong resume narrative can really shine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll discuss exactly what narrative resumes are, and how to use storytelling to craft your own resume narrative perfectly every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Resume Narrative?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Narrative or storytelling resumes are all about drawing recruiters in with the story of you. <\/em>They involve showcasing your experience, skills, and qualifications in the format of a narrative, as opposed to the more traditional approach of creating sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These resumes should include descriptions and short paragraphs more than lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These resumes are\u00a0 popular<\/a> as well. According to a 2022 report by LinkedIn, nearly three-quarters<\/a> of hiring managers look for candidates who have a well-written skills and career summary<\/a> in their resume \u2013 which a compelling narrative resume should always have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elements of a Strong Resume Narrative<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you take the key storytelling elements and use them as an approach to finding a new role for yourself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing how to use storytelling in crafting a compelling resume narrative includes all of the following features, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Compelling Story<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost, you\u2019ve got to include an interesting and engaging story element. This includes explaining your career story, as well as covering your skills and knowledge in a narrative format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you might explore your deep understanding of a payroll process<\/a> by discussing a complicated case and how you resolved it to everyone\u2019s satisfaction. You could also talk about how you acquired and practiced the skills needed for that process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Free to use image sourced from Pexels`<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personal Branding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Resume narratives should always showcase your personal story and value as an employee. If you\u2019re all about making detailed business plans that turn conventional planning strategies upside down, lean into this and brand yourself<\/a> as a planning expert with bright new ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also use this as an opportunity to boost your career reinvention<\/a> process. Since you can choose to brand yourself as you see fit, your personal branding can and should reflect your goals, dreams, and aspirations–even if these don\u2019t align with your career history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Career Biography<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of your career trajectory, it\u2019s important to give an account of what that\u2019s looked like up to now. Anyone who reads your biography<\/a> should come away knowing what your experience looks like, where your skills lie, and perhaps most importantly, who you are.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that your biography is more than a laundry list. Instead of just saying, \u201cI did X, Y, and Z,\u201d you\u2019re looking to craft a story around your employment history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storytelling Techniques to Employ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re going to create a resume<\/a> centered around the idea of telling a story, you\u2019ll have to take the best things storytelling has to offer on board with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are three of those key techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catchy Hooks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Novelists know the importance of an amazing first sentence. Readers should be desperately curious about the full story from that point onwards, according to Lisa Cron, author of Wired for Story<\/em><\/a> \u2013 and the same principle should apply to your resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When recruiters start reading your resume<\/a>, you want them to be unable to put it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Free to use image sourced from Pexels<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Variety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

They say it\u2019s the spice of life–and for good reason. You won\u2019t find many compelling examples of stories that only use one type of sentence structure, or that are otherwise monotonous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Change things up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll want to experiment with different sentence structures, just as you should aim to showcase all your skills<\/a>, not just the top three you think employers will like. You never know what senior reporters could do with line editors who also know how to use tools like Excel, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Word Choice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to linguist Anna Marie Trester<\/a>, part of the appeal of a narrative resume is the fact that it lets jobseekers make careful and deliberate choices to create their own personal brand identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This comes down largely to word choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you can say that you\u2019re \u2018good\u2019 at a skill, or you can use \u2018proficient\u2019 instead. You could be a \u2018nice\u2019 person, or a \u2018sociable and open-minded\u2019 one. In this way, you can shape your narrative to really reflect who you are using the specific words you opt for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Practices for Helping Your Resume Narrative Stand Out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If one of your career resolutions<\/a> this year is to find a new role that suits you well and gets you closer to your dream job, you can\u2019t have a good <\/em>narrative resume. You need an amazing <\/em>one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how you can help make that happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know What to Do with a Bullet Point<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a wonderful thing for you to know everything about industry-standard HR tools<\/a>, but hiring managers aren\u2019t usually looking for a long, detailed paragraph that goes on about these sorts of topics. Instead, consider using a bullet point list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your goal shouldn\u2019t be to just have a bunch of bullet points, but rather to use them well. Choose carefully each time to show you know when to use a concise bullet, and when to opt for a more detailed bullet–and that you can bring the information across in the right way every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Free to use image sourced from Pexels<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think Beyond Your Most Relevant Skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s absolutely crucial to include your key skills, we\u2019re not denying that. But a narrative resume is more than a list of the top qualifications you\u2019ve got for a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather, it\u2019s the perfect place to show off your full range of skills<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a highly organized person, you can both tell readers this and show it off visually in the layout and design of your narrative CV. Likewise, you can demonstrate your creativity or strong grammar skills naturally with this format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is just as important as explaining which hard skills you\u2019ve got. For example, if your career path has involved working with call center scripting software<\/a> to create the best possible experience for customers phoning businesses, that information also has a place in your narrative resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, think beyond the job description and highlight all your best skills, not just the ones the recruiters are directly asking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balance Storytelling and Self-Promotion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As any resume-writing expert can tell you, it\u2019s challenging to find the right balance between under- and overselling yourself on a resume. You don\u2019t want to lie or exaggerate<\/a>, just as you want to avoid coming across as meek or unimpressed with your own skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the specific context of resume narratives, you\u2019ve also got to create a healthy mix between showing off your hard and soft skills<\/a>, and telling your story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you might be highly skilled at creating cafeteria plans<\/a>. To both show and tell your readers this, you\u2019ll want to give examples of the best plans you made and the impact they had, so you\u2019re self-promoting authentically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give the Term \u2018Relevant Experience\u2019 a Broad Scope<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your experience for a great role may well range beyond your professional <\/em>experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say you used to dabble in web development. Even if you haven\u2019t worked with top level domains<\/a> in some time, it\u2019s still a good idea to bring this up because it shows how versatile you are as an employee and as a person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The big advantage of a narrative resume is that it doesn\u2019t constrain you to only the most strictly relevant snippets of information. Make sure you use this fact to your advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn From the Traditional Resume<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just because you\u2019re not writing one doesn\u2019t mean a traditional resume holds no value for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The job market is highly competitive at the moment, that much is no secret. With less than 5%<\/a> of CVs resulting in a job interview<\/a>, it\u2019s crucial to learn from what those few people are doing right, and how you can take their lessons on board for yourself when crafting a compelling resume narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Image sourced<\/a> from standout-cv.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say you want to apply for a job in an insurance company. A traditional CV might include a section detailing your relevant knowledge and expertise, so your narrative resume can then include a line that reads: \u201cAnswering questions like \u2018what is OASDI<\/a>\u2019 is second nature to me\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This way, you\u2019re still highlighting key elements that a traditional CV emphasizes, just in a more narrative manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Each Job Description Very Closely<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In addition to researching a company<\/a> before you apply there, you\u2019ve got to take a close look at every job description and make sure it fits in with your narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re focusing on creating a career of growth, then hiring managers will have a hard time seeing how a job at a lower or similar level to your current one fits in with your narrative. Likewise, if you\u2019re aiming for slow and steady progress, this won\u2019t match with a job that comes with lots more responsibility than the one you\u2019re already doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A compelling resume narrative should be like a very good book: difficult to put down, captivating, and persuasive. That\u2019s why using storytelling is such a good idea for these types of resumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can think of a narrative resume as a space for you to create a strong story with specific constraints, such as length and format. You can also think of it as your chance to present yourself to future employers in a compelling and less common way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All in all, knowing how to use storytelling in crafting a compelling resume narrative will boost your chances of standing out in the job search and find your next career opportunity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Make sure that you stand out in the hiring process by learning how to use storytelling in crafting a compelling resume narrative.","protected":false},"author":138,"featured_media":19109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4754,481],"tags":[4784],"class_list":["post-19108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cv","category-cv-lettres-de-presentation","tag-redaction-de-cvs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/138"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19108"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19111,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19108\/revisions\/19111"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobillico.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}