We naturally understand our world via stories, so having a story or narrative in your job application is very useful to help a recruiter or employer easily understand who you are. This is particularly important if you have had a variety of jobs or are trying to move into a different sector or role.
When an employer or recruiter is reading your job application you need to captivate their attention. A story can help them make sense of what can easily be a dry (dare I say boring?) read. So where and how should you insert your story?
Your professional profile will be a big part of your narrative, explaining who you are:
"I am an senior advertising account executive with experience in..."
Your profile can also include your story if you are looking to change careers, for example:
"A senior governance professional with experience in the education sector seeking to move into a government role..."
Your cover letter should also tell your story, with your first paragraph neatly summarising your skills, experience and why you are so excited about the job you are applying for.
Your key achievements (you should list at least 2 on the front page of your CV) need to also tell a compelling story about how to fixed a situation. Try to make them interesting, as well as provide solid achievement using figures:
"I devised a national marketing campaign focusing on new mothers which increased my division's profit by 30% in the 2016/2017 financial year. I was promoted to X due to this outcome."
If you have had a disparate career, another way to tell your story is to have different sections of your CV to break this down. For example, you may be a school teacher looking to move back into an administration role. Your profile should state this, and then instead of Career or Employment History you could instead have the sectionsTeaching Experience and Administrative Experience.
You basically want to make it easy for the employer to understand your work history and experience. You'll catch their eye and they'll want to get you in for an interview to hear more. You'll then need to have a more detailed story ready for your job interview, not just about who you are, but for each of your achievements.