The Storyteller
Builds meaning in words, image or sequence
What this way of working is
The Storyteller is drawn to work where the point is building meaning in words, image or sequence. The satisfaction is in the story: the sentence that lands, the image that stays, the sequence that carries someone from one idea to the next. Storytellers are the people who take raw material — an event, a feeling, a fact — and shape it into something that means more than the sum of its parts. The work is often solitary at the desk and public in the result, and it rewards both craft and empathy. A good Storyteller knows their audience, chooses the detail that matters, and understands that meaning is built, not found. They are comfortable with revision, because a story is rarely right the first time. What pulls them is the connection: the moment a reader or viewer is moved, informed or changed by what they made. The Storyteller's direction is outward and expressive: they want to build meaning that lands, and they measure their work by whether it did. If that sounds like you, the paths that reward it are the ones where building meaning is the whole job.
Example roles
Six roles that point in this direction, with task lines drawn from O*NET.
- Writer and Author 27-3043.00
Builds meaning in words, from articles to books and scripts.
- Editor 27-3041.00
Shapes written work so the meaning is clear and the story holds.
- Film and Video Editor 27-4032.00
Builds meaning in sequence, cutting footage into a story.
- Technical Writer 27-3042.00
Turns complex information into clear, usable meaning.
- Public Relations Specialist 27-3031.00
Shapes the story an organisation tells about itself.
- Copywriter 27-3043.05
Builds meaning in words that move someone to act.
Skills this direction leans on
- Choosing the detail that matters
- Building meaning in words and image
- Knowing your audience
- Structuring a sequence that carries
- Revising until it lands
- Empathy for the reader or viewer
- Crafting a clear, memorable message
What this direction values
- Meaning that lands
- Craft in words and image
- Connection
- A story that holds
Two directions near this one
Shared: Both build meaning from material and care about the shape of it.
Differs: The Storyteller builds meaning in words and image; the Investigator shows the working.
Shared: Both care about the form of what they make.
Differs: The Storyteller builds meaning; the Maker shapes objects.
Not sure this is you?
The quiz shows you which direction your preferences point toward, and the two nearest to it. It takes about three minutes.
This site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This site is not endorsed by or affiliated with USDOL/ETA.
Common questions
- What is the storyteller?
- The Storyteller is one of twelve career archetypes — a way of working, not a job title. It sits in the Making & Expression concourse, which is work where the form is the point. Builds meaning in words, image or sequence.
- Is the storyteller a job I can get?
- No. An archetype is a direction, not a job title. The example roles on this page are drawn from O*NET and show the kind of work that direction points toward — they are not a promise of a job, a particular income, or a role.
- Is this an aptitude test?
- No. This site is a preference inventory — it asks what you would rather do, not what you are good at. It does not measure ability, and it does not give a score that claims to.