Using Storytelling as a Job-Search Strategy

Karl L. Smart Central Michigan University ; Jerry DiMaria Central Michigan University

Abstract

This article demonstrates and reinforces the role that well-told stories play in the success of the job-search process. Building on narrative theory, impression management, and an increased use of behavioral-based questions in interviews, well-crafted stories about work and educational experiences demonstrate skills applicants possess and convey them to interviewers in memorable ways. The article shows how to construct stories based on an applicant’s experiences and shaped to the needs of a potential employer. Additionally, the article demonstrates how a job seeker can create a collection of personal stories that can be adapted to varying job interview situations.

Journal
Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Published
2018-06-01
DOI
10.1177/2329490618769877
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Export

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly

References (35)

  1. Adichie C. N. (2009, July). Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story [Video file]. Retrieved fr…
  2. 10.1111/j.1468-2389.2010.00512.x
  3. 10.1080/08832329709601628
  4. 10.1007/s10551-012-1454-8
  5. 10.1007/s10869-014-9350-0
Show all 35 →
  1. 10.1108/01409170510785291
  2. 10.4159/9780674029019
  3. 10.1177/0899764012455699
  4. 10.4324/9780203330050
  5. 10.1073/pnas.1320645111
  6. The leader’s guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative
  7. Resonate: Present visual stories that transform audiences
  8. Business Education Forum
  9. 10.1086/510216
  10. 10.7208/chicago/9780226260143.001.0001
  11. Harvard Business Review
  12. 10.1016/j.indmarman.2015.01.013
  13. 10.1177/10805699070700030507
  14. 10.1177/1080569909336951
  15. Applied H.R.M. Research
  16. What stories are
  17. 10.1111/peps.12052
  18. 10.1177/0018726711425616
  19. 10.1016/j.indmarman.2012.01.012
  20. 10.1080/08832323.1997.10116871
  21. 10.1146/annurev-soc-081309-150106
  22. 10.1002/mar.20172
  23. 10.2307/1772410
  24. 10.1111/j.1468-2389.2012.00588.x
  25. Impression management: The self-concept, social identity, and interpersonal relations
  26. The story factor: Inspiration, influence, and persuasion through the art of storytelling
  27. Whoever tells the best story wins: How to use your own stories to communicate with power …
  28. Stories that move mountains: Storytelling and visual design for persuasive presentations
  29. Wilford J. N. (2014, October 8). Cave paintings in Indonesia may be among the oldest known. The New York Time…
  30. Advances in social cognition: Vol. VIII. Knowledge and memory: The real story