Why should I learn storytelling?

Storytelling is a creative mode of communication that helps you connect to your audience, driving higher engagement, increasing sales, and establishing relationships. Because it is such a powerful tool, storytelling is useful in a variety of occupations across many industries.

What skills do you need to be a good storyteller?

Being a good storyteller requires creativity and an understanding of how to structure a plot, develop characters, establish a setting, and build a theme. Other useful skills depend on your mode of storytelling — you may need strong skills in writing, public speaking, animation, audiovisual production, persuasive rhetoric, or acting, to name just a few. If you want to improve these skills, consider taking some storytelling courses to build up your narrative toolkit.

How else can storytelling help me in my career?

Storytelling can be very useful in the job search process, as using storytelling concepts in your cover letters or job interviews communicates your professional narrative and personal brand, helping employers understand your past experience, current skills, and future goals.

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Three friends chatting and laughing at a table while enjoying hot drinks at a cafe.

What is storytelling?

Storytelling is the art of crafting and sharing narratives to explain, entertain, and connect with other humans. For most of history, information was passed down through oral storytelling. In today's world, however, stories can come in many other forms, such as a novel, piece of art, essay, news story, podcast, social media post, or song.

While some are lucky enough to be natural storytellers, telling stories is a skill that can also be learned and developed through free online courses, certificates, and degree programs.

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Choosing the right storytelling program for you

Before enrolling in a storytelling program, consider your career goals, any financial constraints, and how much time you're able to commit. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

Do I want to advance my current career or start a new career path altogether?
How much time do I have to dedicate to a program each week and in total?
Do I have any previous experience writing or telling stories?
How much can I afford to spend on a storytelling program? Is financial aid offered?

Fortunately, edX offers various options for online storytelling training:

Courses

Beginners or experienced professionals looking to target a specific skill can take short, flexible online courses on topics like novel writing, storytelling for social change, and persuasive rhetoric.

Professional certificates

Professional certificates can help you advance your career and demonstrate your expertise to potential employers. These programs only last a few months and include subjects like the art of communication, leadership, writing for video games, and storytelling for entrepreneurs.

Executive education programs

Ideal for established executives or professionals in senior positions, executive education programs help business leaders develop relevant storytelling skills for their industry. Some examples include programs in strategic communications, digital marketing, and copy editing.

Degrees

Comprehensive bachelor's and master's degree programs can help prepare you for a long-term career in fields like journalism or digital media. You can pursue relevant degree programs in areas like English, communication, public relations, and strategic marketing.

Jobs in storytelling

Storytelling is not only for creative writers and authors — it's a skill used by professionals in various industries to help drive engagement and foster connection. Copywriters, teachers, social media managers, actors, data analysts, podcasters, and even politicians are just a few roles in which being able to craft a good story is essential.

Here are some positions that having experience with storytelling may help you qualify for, with each role's required education as well as salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):