Be a Storyteller for Your Profession
Storytellers are talent magnets for the profession
We have no idea about the world of work when we are in our teens. We make up our mind based on stories. Madame Curie, Einstein are role models who inspire us to pursue science. Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella have inspired countless engineers. Could you be the storyteller of your profession?
Every Profession Needs Role Models and Storytellers
Courtroom dramas inspired me to study law. It was only after I spent time shadowing a lawyer in his chamber that I realized what a typical day in the lawyer's life was very different from what I had seen in movies. It was very clear I did not have the eye for detail that makes a lawyer successful. Storytellers can challenge our biases and assumptions.
Boxing has traditionally been a male-dominated sport until Mary Kom showed the route map from Manipur to the Olympics. Her story not only highlights her individual triumph but also makes the sport appealing to many who previously never considered it.
Not every great storyteller is necessarily great at their profession.
Every profession has a story waiting to be told. Whether you’re a doctor, a chef, or an engineer, your experiences can inspire others. Share your journey, your challenges, and your triumphs. Take your audience behind the scenes to tell them what it takes to spend 24 hours in your profession. People don't just want to see the glamour and success; they want to see the tears and disappointments too.
A version of this appeared in my Times of India column on July 10-2024
How and what to share
We no longer remember information - there is so much of it around. A story is hard to forget. We often forget where the story ends and reality has begun. Yes, stories can also be used by conmen, cheat and unscrupulous people. You can leverage it to your advantage at work or even how you become a role model who drives change.
It is natural to worry that your storytelling might not resonate, but here's the trick: your stories must be relevant and relatable. Tie them to real experiences and learnings that everyone can connect with. Every job has its unique stories and moments that can inspire others. It’s all about how you tell it.
Here’s how you can turn even the most routine job into an inspiring tale:
1. Find the Extraordinary in the Ordinary
Look for those little moments of success, humour, or learning that happen every day. Maybe it’s solving a problem that’s been bugging you for weeks or helping a coworker out in a pinch. These are the stories that make your job relatable and real.
2. Highlight the Impact
Even the most mundane tasks have an impact. Show how what you do contributes to a bigger picture. Your work might be a small cog in a large machine, but without it, things wouldn’t run as smoothly.
Share Your Growth Story
Talk about how you’ve grown or what you’ve learned in your role. Personal development is a journey many are on, and hearing about yours can motivate others.
3. Be Genuine
Authenticity is key. If you’re honest about the highs and lows, people will connect with your story more deeply. It’s not about glamorizing your job but sharing it in a way that’s true to you.
Remember, inspiration doesn’t require a thrilling job; it comes from a thrilling way of looking at any job. Your perspective can turn the everyday into something extraordinary.
Placements on campus are lukewarm to say the least
Deloitte talked about in their 2024 report.
93 percent of the surveyed campuses emphasise the significance of Technical Interview performance as a pivotal criterion for placement
Drop in salaries offered to MBA students, fewer apprenticeships and pre-placement offers.
Skills are taking centre stage. Organisations are pivoting to specific skills/competency clusters within the educational stream while selecting their talent. For example, AI/ML in engineering, social selling in management and computational biology in pharma are the most in-demand skill segments. Complementing this trend, expectations from campus students are pivoting to management consulting roles for MBA specialisation and data scientist for technology talent.
