Get your story
straight! Success in transitioning to the career of your choice will partly
depend on your ability to provide a convincing on-the-spot narrative of
your history and plans.
Set aside time
to make a list of your skills, achievements, and goals and then figure out
which information you should share with your career gatekeepers. Boil your
story down to the most relevant and compelling elements, just as you would in
writing a paper or preparing a formal presentation. If you were introduced to a
gatekeeper today without warning, could you confidently and coherently describe
yourself and your ambitions in two minutes….or 30 seconds? If you’re not sure,
you’ve got work to do. Once you’ve mastered your personal narrative, the
prospect of networking should seem a lot less daunting. And there’s one other
bonus: The process of identifying your strengths and potential will almost
certainly make you feel better about yourself.
Harry Wallace
2013 Class Marshal
