Finding your dream job can often feel overwhelming and elusive. However, using the principles of Pre-Suasion and storytelling can significantly improve your chances of landing the perfect role. Pre-Suasion, a concept introduced by Robert Cialdini in Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade, teaches us how to prime people to be more receptive to our message before we even deliver it​. When combined with the power of a well-crafted personal story, you can create a strong and persuasive narrative that draws employers in. Here's how you can apply these principles to your job search.

Step 1: Pre-Suade Yourself First

Before you even begin your job search, you must adopt the right mindset. Pre-Suasion isn’t just about persuading others—it’s about influencing your own thinking. Studies in behavioral science show that how we focus our attention can impact our mood and perceptions​. To succeed, you need to convince yourself of two things: (1) your value and (2) the potential that your dream job is within reach.

Priming Your Mindset:

• Focus on Your Strengths: Reflect on your past accomplishments and the unique skills you bring to the table. Create a mental highlight reel of your best achievements, as focusing attention on your positive qualities makes you more confident when you communicate them to potential employers​.
• Clarify Your Goals: Define what you want in a job by visualizing success. Instead of just thinking, “I want a good job,” articulate the specifics: the industry, company culture, role, and what fulfilling work looks like to you. This clarity makes your job search more targeted and effective.

Step 2: Craft a Compelling Personal Narrative

People are wired to respond to stories. When you use storytelling in your job search, you humanize your professional experience, making you memorable. Companies don’t just hire a resume; they hire a story of someone who can solve their problems and fit into their culture. The principles of narrative-building can be drawn from many sources, such as Daniel Kahneman’s concept that humans respond better to patterns and emotional connections rather than raw information​.

Building Your Story:

1. Identify Your Hero's Journey: Every good story follows a journey where the protagonist (you) faces challenges, learns valuable lessons, and grows into a better version of themselves. Reflect on your career journey—what were the obstacles, how did you overcome them, and what skills or insights did you gain?
2. Create Emotional Anchors: Cialdini’s research emphasizes the importance of emotional arousal for making lasting impressions​. When telling your story, make sure it resonates on an emotional level. Discuss challenges you felt strongly about and victories that filled you with pride. For example, talk about a time when you overcame a significant problem for a previous employer and how it made you feel to achieve something meaningful.
3. Show Transformation: Make it clear how past experiences have prepared you for this dream job. Potential employers are interested in how your past challenges shaped you into the perfect candidate who can add value to their organization​.

Step 3: Pre-Suade the Employer

In Pre-Suasion, Cialdini highlights that the most effective persuaders influence their audience before they present their main message​. In the context of job searching, this means setting up conditions that make the employer more receptive to your application before they even read it.

Techniques for Pre-Suading Employers:

• Leverage LinkedIn: Before applying, connect with decision-makers or team members in the company on LinkedIn. Comment on their posts, engage with their content, and slowly build familiarity. By the time your application hits their desk, they’ve already seen your name and may be primed to pay more attention.
• Use a Mutual Connection: Reach out to someone in your network who may know someone at the target company. A brief introduction from a mutual connection can create a halo effect, making you seem more credible from the start​.
• Strategically Time Your Application: Timing can be everything in persuasion. Cialdini mentions that situational factors can make people more likely to say yes​. If a company just announced a new project or is undergoing expansion, they’re likely more receptive to hiring fresh talent. Send your application during these "privileged moments" when they are most open to change and growth.

Step 4: Tell Your Story in the Interview

When you get to the interview stage, it’s your time to shine. By now, you’ve pre-suaded them with your resume, cover letter, and pre-interview engagement. Now, the goal is to reinforce your story.

Tips for Using Storytelling in the Interview:

1. Structure Your Responses: Instead of listing off qualifications, weave them into stories that answer common interview questions. For instance, if asked about handling challenges, narrate a story where you solved a complex problem and highlight the positive outcomes.
2. Use Pre-Suasion in Your Answers: Start each response with a statement that primes the interviewer to view your experience positively. For example, begin with, “One of the things I’ve consistently been praised for is my ability to adapt quickly,” before you tell a story demonstrating that skill.
3. Anchor Key Takeaways: Research shows that people remember the beginning and end of an interaction the most​. Ensure you open with a strong introduction and conclude with a memorable story that reflects your core strengths.

Step 5: Follow Up with Strategic Persuasion

After the interview, don’t let the conversation fade. Use your follow-up email to reinforce your narrative and subtly remind the employer why you’re the best choice. This is an excellent time to use principles like social proof and scarcity​. Mention any recent achievements, relevant recommendations from previous employers, or the fact that you’re considering other offers, positioning yourself as a valuable, in-demand candidate.

Conclusion

Finding your dream job is not just about submitting resumes or attending interviews. It’s about crafting a compelling narrative and priming both yourself and your potential employers for success. By applying the principles of Pre-Suasion to set the stage and storytelling to humanize your experience, you can dramatically increase your chances of standing out and securing the job you’ve always dreamed of.