Many people talk about a personal brand but what I don’t hear people talk as often about is your personal narrative. In my mind, a personal narrative is the perfect intersection of your elevator pitch and your personal brand all wrapped into a story about you. Here are a few things to consider when crafting your professional narrative.
- What are your defining professional and/or academic experiences?
- How did the combination of these experiences lead you to here?
- What are you interested in and/or is your professional passion?
- What skills / strengths can you bring to the table?
- What do you hope to accomplish in the near future?
A professional narrative is a more condensed and succinct one minute run me through your resume question. Here is the outline of a solid structure:
It goes over your past (what you have accomplished up to this point both academically and professionally) and then leads into the present (so that is how I am interested in x y z and have gained a strong skillset in x y z) and ends with your goals (which has led me to seek opportunities in x y z to make an impact on x y z).
Following this structure will allow the person you are talking to understand WHY you are here and HOW you got to this interview/informational phone call/networking session etc.