Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career

by Katharine Hansen

Tell Me About Yourself shows you how to use the incredible power of storytelling to advance your career, whether by moving up in your current organization or landing a job with a new employer. Echoing the most commonly asked job interview question, Tell Me About Yourself shows you how to answer the question-and all others- in a way that coveys a true sense of who you are and what you can do for the organization. Storytelling is also the key to excelling in other job search activities, such as writing resumes and cover letters, networking, creating portfolios, and developing you personal brand. This book takes the reader through the steps for executing each of these crucial tasks impressively and successfully. The book also focuses on on-the-job storytelling that enables you to capitalize on opportunities to advance throughout your career.

Genres: Reference, Communication, Personal Development

202 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Katharine (Kathy) Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an author and instructor, in addition to being a career expert. Her book Dynamic Cover Letters has sold more than 100,000 copies.

Having completed a rigorous credentialing process with Career Thought Leaders, Katharine has earned the designations Credentialed Career Manager and Master Resume Writer, the ninth practitioner worldwide to earn the Master Resume Writer title. The Master Resume Writer designation places Hansen in an elite group of career practitioners who are committed to professionalism and dedicated to continuous learning. She is one of an exclusive group of career professionals to hold both of the Alliance's Credentialed Career Manager and Master Resume Writer designations.

In more than six years as a college professor, Katharine taught the writing of resumes and cover letters and critiqued the job-search correspondence of countless college students. Katharine also is editor of QuintZine, a free career and job-hunting newsletter filled with timely and topical tips for springboarding careers.

Katharine holds a doctoral degree in organizational behavior from Union Institute and University, Cincinnati, OH.

Katharine was writer-editor at numerous newspapers, magazines and nonprofit organizations, and she served as speechwriter for the first woman elected to the Florida Cabinet. Katharine, who earned her bachelor of arts degree in humanities from Stetson University, lives in Kettle Falls, WA, with her writing partner, Randall.

- excerpted from http://www.quintcareers.com/creative_...

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came in handy when I was trying to find a collection of resumes to show the student I was tutoring. Instead of putting together the usual CV, he wanted to create a document that he could speak to, as in telling a story. This is the perfect book to use when developing updated portfolios and when preparing the initial response to the standard interview question of, "So tell me about yourself".

There are samples of documents and ideas for the storytelling section. I definitely learned some new ideas, but most importantly, it turned a dreaded lesson into a fun one for the student and for myself.

Book Season = Year Round

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive,but there were many stories in it. Just short ones about how successful other people are. To be honest I felt my confidence undermined by all these amazing examples she gave of changing the business world and saving millions of dollars for your company. I guess it was more business oriented rather than for the general populace. There were about five gems that changed my perspective about interviewing though. I will prep for interviews using their questions. I will check out their websites as they provide as well. I would not have bought this book, it was a pass on but I am glad to have seen what she had to say.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first, I was pleased to see all the examples of other people's stories for answering application and interview questions, but by the middle of the book, the emphasis on examples was just too repetitive. I was looking for more frameworks and prompts to help compose my own, and while there are some guides, there just wasn't enough for me. This book is more helpful when all you are looking for are storytelling models for sample questions, especially as a new college graduate.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

structure the stories you are telling

[Cleokatra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish it. Too boring and repetitive.