Crafting Your Career Narrative

Communications professionals are exceptional at crafting narratives for clients, shaping brand stories and finding the perfect angle for any message. Yet when it comes to articulating their own career journeys in an interview, many stumble. The very skills that make you valuable in PR, such as strategic storytelling and audience awareness, are exactly what you need to succeed in a job interview. 

Like any good story, your career narrative needs a clear structure that makes the listener (interview) lean in and think, “I need this person on my team.” Your story will connect your past experiences, present skills, and future goals to demonstrate why you’re a great fit for a specific role. When told with concrete examples and measurable achievements, while highlighting your growth and passion, it will strategically resonate with your audience: the hiring manager.

The Why 

Think about what sparked your passion for communications and PR. Your answer should be more robust than reciting where you went to school. You want to establish authentic motivation by providing context. Maybe you realized the power of storytelling while creating social media content for a nonprofit. Perhaps a mentor showed you how strategic communications could drive business outcomes. Show long-term commitment, demonstrate industry knowledge and provide a glance at your professional identity. 

The How

Be sure to walk through your career chronologically, connecting the dots along the way. To the listener, your journey should come across as intentional, not accidental. Show how each position built upon the last, how you deliberately developed specific skills and how your career trajectory reflects strategic choices rather than random opportunities. This shows ambition, self-awareness, strategic thinking and progression. 

The Proof 

In interviews, candidates often make vague claims: “I’m great at media relations.” “I’m a strategic thinker.” “I work well under pressure.” I recommend the CAR framework: Challenge (What was the problem or obstacle?), Action (What specific steps did you take?) and Result (What measurable outcome did you achieve?). PR professionals understand the power of concrete data. Use it to support your career narrative just as you would in a client case study.

The Learning

Be prepared to discuss setbacks, failures and lessons learned. A flawless journey feels inauthentic, while strategic vulnerability demonstrates emotional intelligence, resilience and self-awareness. Being able to extract lessons from mistakes and apply them shows maturity and reflective thinking. Avoid blaming others or dwelling on the negative. The story arc should bend toward growth and wisdom gained.

The Fit

The end of your career narrative is the call to action. You connect all the threads and explain why this specific role, at this specific company, is the next logical chapter for you. Stay away from generic responses like, “I’m looking for new challenges.” Demonstrate that you’ve done your homework. Reference specific aspects of the role, company challenges or organizational culture that align with your skills, passions and career trajectory.

Just as you would tailor a pitch to different media outlets, your career story should flex based on the role, company and interviewer. The core narrative remains consistent, but the emphasis shifts. For an agency role, emphasize adaptability, diverse client experience and managing multiple priorities. For an in-house role, highlight strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration and business acumen. To tailor your approach, research the company’s recent news, approach, industry challenges and the background of your interviewer. 

Whether you’re early in your career or a seasoned professional, you’re constantly writing the next chapter of your career story. Every project you take on, every skill you develop and every challenge you overcome adds to your narrative. 

And when you find yourself in that interview, facing the question “Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through your career,” then you’ll have more than a list of jobs to share. You’ll have a story that’s authentic, compelling and strategically crafted to show why you’re not just a candidate, but the right candidate.