What’s Your Story?

Figuring out who we are in terms of our career identity is an activity many of us want to engage in. In careers guidance, storytelling is about asking yourselves to reflect on past experiences, present situations and future aspirations so you can then identify your values, needs, desires, strengths, and skills to find a job you love.

One proponent of this approach is Valerie Gordon who is an award-winning television producer and lifelong storyteller. She now uses her storytelling expertise to give individuals the tools and skills necessary to take command of their career stories.

‘The stories we put out to the world impact the way people see us and the opportunities we’ll receive. And the stories we tell ourselves influence our course of action.’

Her approach allows participants to consider the components of their personal stories – character, plot and narrative point of view – and emerge with a greater sense of authorship of their future chapters.

If you feel stuck because you can’t get past your current chapter, have unhelpful self-narrators or cannot tell your career stories to prospective employers in a vivid and appealing manner, using storytelling strategies might motivate and inspire.

The activity below is designed to help you set career goals and actions. However, because it involves storytelling which is a right-brain and creative process that inspires imagination, creative thinking, and innovative problem solving – all things important for career transition or change – ‘What is your Career Goal?’ Give it a go!

Activity

Your Next Chapter

Your story is crafted one page at a time.

• What do you want to be in it?

• Who/what are your biggest influencers?

• At the end of the chapter what will you have accomplished?

• What steps do you need to take to arrive there?

• What plot twists can you anticipate?