Does Your Transition Story Have a Punchline?

Job Seekers looking for new opportunities need to be able to significantly contribute to the selection process by telling an effective “transition story”. What this means is to develop a strong and compelling bridge between what you did before and what you can do now for the new employer. This often involves taking your former employment positions and reshaping the explanation of what they were into the language and focus of what the prospective employer is and does.

Too many job candidates leave this critical phase of the interviewing process up to the interviewer, recruiter, or hiring manager. No, YOU must be the maker of this destiny. It’s YOUR story; you need to be the one telling it. Think of it this way….good comedians don’t build the story line of a good joke and stop near the end to let you, the listener, decide what the punch line should be. It won’t be funny. So if you are a job candidate, why would you work hard to write an effective resume, score an interview, and then stop short to leave the punch line up to the interviewer?

You need to take charge of your transition story. You are transitioning your skills and experience into a new opportunity. Focus on creating a good, firm story of how your abilities will translate and shift into productive outcomes for a new employer. [end]

Doug Thorpe
Executive Director

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Doug Thorpe
Doug Thorpe is an executive coach and trusted advisor to CEOs and business leaders. As host of the podcast Leadership Powered by Common Sense, he shares practical insights on decision-making, team development, and organizational growth. Doug’s approach is grounded in servant leadership—helping leaders succeed by empowering the people they serve.

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