The answer, as always, is a story — literally

I’m a content writer looking to expand my freelance business. Prior to this, I worked as a photographer, martial arts instructor, and mortgage broker, among other roles. I know it sounds ridiculous and all over the place, and I’m kind of embarrassed to even tell people that this is what I’m doing now because I’ve changed my career so many times. How do I present myself to potential clients without sounding scattered and confused?

The answer, as always, is a story — literally

What I mean is that really, the only problem you have here is the lack of a story that makes sense. Luckily, without having to change any of the facts, we can retell this story in a way that not only makes sense, but makes you the most perfect candidate for what you are doing right now. Because in reality, a story can be told, untold, and retold in many different ways. Being able to construct a narrative that feels honest, accurate, and true to yourself, and being able to share that narrative with others, will provide you with clarity and confidence to forge ahead with this new venture. It’s the gift that is often called narrative therapy.

I discovered that I was using narrative therapy when a social work client used that term to describe the work we had done in a session. I didn’t know that there was a name for it, but I did know that until a client can tell a story about their past that they are comfortable sharing, they aren’t going to sound great in interviews. Even if they succeed, it will be tainted by fear of being exposed as somehow “less committed” than others. The reality is that they are hardworking people who continuously take advantage of new opportunities, and are open to constantly changing, learning, and evolving as they go. When they can see that and find a way to tell a new story that reflects their growth, they literally light up from the inside — and so does everyone they meet, because they understand exactly who they are and why they’re the best person for the job.

I don’t know the details of your story, but I’ll show you how you can come up with your own confident summary of what brought you to this point.

Start with writing down your work experiences — every single one you’ve had since high school.

For each job, ask yourself:

Why did I choose this job?

What did I enjoy most about it?

What part of it was I especially good at?

Why did I leave this job? (Any answer is fine, including getting fired — which is not always a bad thing.)

What do I miss about this job?

What made me choose the next thing?

Go through each job and ask yourself these questions, judgment-free. Just collect the facts and notice the stories you’re telling yourself.

Did you leave because you were lazy? No, I’m sure of that.

Did you leave because you had a better opportunity?

Did you leave because you got bored or burned out?

Did you leave because you realized that you need more (more money, more socializing)?

Can you come up with a legitimate reason for each change you made that you are comfortable sharing? I believe you can.

Here’s a sample story you might be able to tell about your experiences. Maybe you were a creative person with a unique perspective who enjoyed taking photos, and when you needed some income, decided to use this talent for work. Maybe you were doing weddings, and working evenings got too exhausting. Maybe you were doing products, and working alone got too boring.

So you decided that instead of just working out, you’d teach krav maga (martial arts) in the mornings as a way of motivating yourself to wake up early and as an opportunity for socializing. But you realized that it didn’t pay enough, and a friend in the mortgage industry pointed out that you’re really great at sales, and that seemed like a way to be able to do just one thing during business hours, so you chose it.

After a while, you realized that you were good at sales, but that was because you were an amazing content writer, and that’s what was driving all your business. So you started to share that with other salespeople, and they asked you to do it for them, and you finally realized that you’d like to just do that… which led you to content writing as a service.

Of course I’m just guessing about the details here, but you can do the same with your actual story, which is probably much more interesting!

Ready for your final challenge? Your job is to take all of those stories that now make sense to you, and put them together into a single story that you can present to others.

In my made-up example, the common theme may be that you’re someone who sees things from a unique angle, and enjoy finding ways to share that with the world.  You did that in photography,  you did that in krav maga,  you found ways to do that as a mortgage broker,  and I’m guessing you’ve been doing that in many different ways in other areas of your life as well. As a content writer with a rich professional background, natural creativity, sales, and writing skills, do you see how you’re actually perfectly positioned to do the job well?

It’s simply how you tell the story.

Tell yours to yourself until it’s a story you’re excited to tell others. Instead of your perception that you smell like fear, fraud, and an escapist, your scent will be of confidence, commitment, and growth for yourself and your clients. And that’s something you can smell from anywhere.

Shaina Keren is a career consultant who helps people discover and create careers that fit their best talents, interests, and life goals. She also advises businesses on hiring and keeping “the right people in the right seat,” in a win-win approach to growing businesses and careers.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1035)