While “Building a StoryBrand” is a marketing must-read for every small business owner and entrepreneur, it also has great lessons for job-seekers.
The major premise of “Building a StoryBrand” turns classical marketing (“the product is king”) on its head – Miller believes that the customer is the hero of the story, and the product is an instrument of the hero’s successful journey.
Three great lessons for job-seekers in Miller’s StoryBrand are:
- You need to be understood.
- You’re not the star of the show.
- People want you to participate in their transformation.
You need to be understood.
Miller urges us to clarify our messages so that others can understand them, simply and easily.
This comes into play for the job-seeker when figuring out which companies or which jobs are right for them. When you don’t have a target, it doesn’t matter where your arrows go.
By clarifying not only the jobs and companies that are best for you, but being clear on the benefits you would offer your new employer — which show up in your personal brand — you make it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to understand you and select you (if you’re the right candidate).
You’re not the star of the show.
The StoryBrand Framework makes the customer the hero of the story. Translated for job-seekers, that means the company (and/or the hiring manager) is the hero of the job search.
Major paradigm shift, right? Stay with me here.
Positioning your potential employer as the star of the show makes great sense. What do they want? How can you, as a potential member of their team, provide something that they need (and can’t live without)? When you figure out what the organization wants, and you frame up your talents and experience to address those wants, the organization will want to hear more from you.
People want you to participate in their transformation.
When you’re selling yourself as a candidate into an organization, they need to see how you can help them achieve their goals, or as Miller puts it, “participate in their transformation.”
Most employers have aspirational goals: to grow their revenues, serve their customers, better their competition, or make the world a kinder place. When the hiring manager can see how you, the candidate, can help the organization achieve their aspirations, you’re much more likely to capture their attention. And their job offer.
Have the lessons of StoryBrand helped you in your job search? Tell us about it in the comments below!