How to craft a story that people will remember

One of the most valuable tools you can have in your toolkit as a job seeker is the ability to craft a story that people will remember. 

Storytelling is a key part of the job search journey at every stage, from the moment one decides to make a career pivot through onboarding into a new role, and beyond. 

While the stories themselves may be different, the elements that go into making a story memorable are consistent. Whether you’re crafting a story to share while networking, during interviews, or as part of your personal brand on LinkedIn, read on as we explore four steps that you can take to craft a story that people will remember. 

1. Tailor your story to your audience 

If you want people to remember your story, it’s important to tailor your story to your audience. Consider the backgrounds and interests of the person you’re sharing your story with. Look for commonalities that you may have – and lead with those! Commonalities can look like a shared alumni connection, similar interests or skills sets on LinkedIn, or even a personal connection that you have in common. By tailoring your story to your audience, the person on the receiving end will feel valued and will likely take greater interest in what you’re sharing. 

2. Lead with vulnerability and speak your truth

Nobel Laureate Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said… but people will never forget how you made them feel.” If you want to craft a story that people will remember, try leading with vulnerability and speaking your truth. This might look like including elements of your story that feel vulnerable, such as highlighting failures and what you’ve learned from them – or incorporating your personal values in the stories that you share and how those values are reflected in you as a professional in your field. 

3. Be specific  

People often remember stories when they are specific. As a job seeker, this might look like crafting a story around specific skills or projects you’ve done. The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a framework that can be especially helpful here. You might open your story by sharing where you were, who you were with, and what was at stake. In other words, define the problem that you were solving for. Then, chronologically explain what your specific role was in tackling the problem and outline the steps that you took to work through it. Being specific also can include using metrics to highlight your accomplishments. Don’t be bashful about sharing numbers when crafting a story. They’re useful data points and demonstrate your impact to your audience. 

4. Practice, practice, practice 

Crafting a story that people will remember is a learned skill that takes time and practice. I find writing stories in a notebook with pen and paper to be an effective strategy before sharing the story verbally. If you’re someone who likes to think out loud, you may want to try recording yourself sharing a story to see what it sounds like. Whichever learning style you prefer, it���s important to find the method of practice that works best for you.