APU Careers Careers & Learning

Tell Your Story

Workgroup meetingBy Jill Kurtz
Online Career Tips Contributor

Storytelling is generally considered to be one of the most effective ways to communicate a message. Oral histories date back to the earliest days of mankind and today’s social media channels are a testament to the continued value of person-to-person information sharing. Whether we are connecting with others face-to-face, in an online classroom, on a discussion board, or by phone, we need to be able to tell our story in a way that helps others to know and to understand us.

Your ability to tell your own story is critical to your ability to connect and communicate with others. Throughout the course of my career in public relations, I have needed to interview people to get their stories. Some people are naturals at this and, without much questioning, will share their unique perspectives and experiences. For others this seems to be much more of a challenge.

So, here are some tips to help you learn to tell your own story in a compelling way.

Don’t Be Modest

It may feel uncomfortable to differentiate yourself from your friends, family, or coworkers, but doing so is key to telling your story effectively. I need to hear about what makes you different to be able to think of you as an individual rather than just another member of a group. Don’t hesitate to talk about what you did first or more successfully, how you took a different approach, or how something in your past impacts what you do today. This isn’t bragging; it is helping the person who hears your story to understand you.

Help Others Relate

Your story may be unusual or involve aspects that most people haven’t experienced first-hand. Don’t shy away from sharing those details because you don’t think others will understand. Rather, use analogies or comparisons to more common experiences to help the listener to understand your story. Talk about how a challenge made you feel like a kid on the first day of kindergarten or how your project was like piecing together Legos.

Don’t Wait to Be Asked

When you are being interviewed or conversing, share the most important aspects of your personal story even if you are not directly asked about it. It will make the conversation richer and help the listener understand you more deeply. For example, if you are connecting by email or phone, the other person may not know about a physical disability that would make your story all the more nuanced.

Practice, Practice

If storytelling is not comfortable for you, nothing beats practice. Look for opportunities to share stories first with people you trust. Tell a friend and then ask the person questions to determine if the message you were trying to convey was heard. Expand to small groups of people who you are comfortable with – perhaps a group of moms you chat with at the bus stop or a group at church.  Graduate to talking with people you don’t know at all. As you share, watch for verbal and non-verbal cues that indicate whether your audience is connecting with your story.

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