Your story is what makes people remember you. In this chapter, you’ll craft a concise, authentic narrative that explains who you are, what you’ve done, and where you’re headed.

• Learn the structure of an effective personal story
• Craft a 3-sentence version for conversations and intros

Output: 3-sentence PM story + presentation outline or slide

Building a compelling story around your expertise for a project management role is about strategically positioning what you do have rather than focusing on what you lack. Here's how to approach it:

Identify Your Transferable Project Experience Look beyond formal PM titles. Have you coordinated events, led team initiatives, managed budgets, or delivered anything with deadlines and stakeholders? These all demonstrate project management skills. Maybe you organized a fundraiser, launched a product feature, managed a renovation, or coordinated cross-departmental processes - these are projects.

Craft Your Core Narrative Develop a 2-3 sentence story that connects your background to PM value: "While my background is in [your field], I've consistently been the person others turn to for coordinating complex initiatives. I've discovered I thrive on bringing order to chaos and ensuring teams stay aligned toward shared goals."

Use the STAR Method for Specific Examples Prepare 3-4 concrete stories using Situation, Task, Action, Result format. Focus on times you:

• Solved problems when things went wrong
• Managed competing priorities or stakeholders
• Led without formal authority
• Delivered something on time and budget

Highlight Adjacent Skills Emphasize skills that translate directly: communication, risk assessment, stakeholder management, process improvement, data analysis, or technical knowledge relevant to the industry you're targeting.

Address the Experience Gap Proactively Rather than hoping they won't notice, acknowledge it directly: "While I'm transitioning into formal project management, I bring fresh perspective and hunger to prove myself, plus [specific relevant experience]."

Show PM Knowledge Demonstrate you understand the role by using PM terminology appropriately and discussing methodologies (Agile, Waterloo, etc.) you've researched or used informally.

What's your professional background? I can help you identify specific project experiences that might not be obvious to you.