How To Start Looking For A Job In Storyboarding

From a young age, we are trained to solve problems. Storyboarding or sketching out a problem is something that seems to be second nature even for young children.

It’s a logical combination of grabbing a pencil and scrounging around for something to write on. Make a mark to start at point A. Ask what comes next. Define point B. Keep going until you get the whole situation mapped out. Continue to investigate and make a sketch of the big picture.

This is so hardwired into our nature…from our parents, our schools, our jobs, and our hobbies. Problem solving and logical visual storyboarding are characteristics of people who get promoted. Which is a good thing if that’s how you tend to imagine, innovate and invent.

But have you actually turned on the lights to see if you are suited to start looking for a job in storyboarding?

Could it be that you’ve got an inner critical voice that prevents you from finding a job and reaching your true potential in storyboarding?

Here's an example.

Let's suppose you're an entrepreneur or you’re in marketing, project management or sales. When you encounter a problem, you pick up a piece of paper…perhaps the back of an envelope …and sketch out the key issues.

Perhaps that doesn’t seem like a big deal to you. It’s what you do without any thought. But how do your clients and coworkers regard you when you show them your sketch?

Like a creative problem solver, right?

I tell you, there’s a way to use this natural trait. It’s the ultimate strategy to disarm your inner critic.

Declare yourself a visual problem solver.

Use your charts and diagrams with your team. Make a chart for your prospects. Explore future trends with your customers.

Now, as soon as you hear this, I know what you’re thinking. How can you declare yourself a professional at something you’ve done all your life — without any formal training? In journals, on the back of napkins, on note cards hidden in your desk drawer? Whoops… you’re in the inner critic trap.

And let me ask you. If you're working on a project, heading up sales and marketing, or running your own business, don’t you spend all your waking hours immersed in your work? And when your team comes to you with a crisis, you often make a quick hand-drawn map of what’s going on. Aren’t you helping people solve problems with those “little sketches?”

You bet you are.

So take the plunge and start to use what comes naturally to you.

To start to look for a job in storyboarding, you have to use it.

Where can you use storyboarding without waiting for a special thunderbolt to come out of the sky and hit you?

Anywhere people need to think strategically. I’ll name just five areas that are begging for your help:
Preparing marketing plans for your business
Identifying sales strategy for selling your products
Managing and organizing a critical project
Launching your new internet product

Planning strategic expansion and growth in your business If you’re already an entrepreneur with your own small business, you can look over that list and say, “Check. Check. Check.” You can use visual problem solving immediately and start your storyboarding job today. If you’re in marketing or sales…you can spot opportunity at every turn. Use storyboarding to increase your effectiveness in creating PR and buzz for your products or services. Explore new strategic measures to boost your sales performance. If you’re a project manager or a team member on a project team, welcome to the visual problem solvers club. You’ll use strategic storyboarding from start to finish on your project. And you’ll be the go-to person every time people need to check progress, organize and stay on budget and on time. But don’t stop there. This is not a solo sport or a job to be done in isolation. The best way to start looking for a job in storyboarding is to ask your teammates and co-workers. Find out where they are stuck and what is a current bottleneck. Ask them if they just need to brainstorm ideas. You’ve just scored yourself a job. And once you get started, I have to tell you, it’s hard to stop. Of course, as you are getting known for your visual problem solving expertise, be sure to follow these three simple best practices for success.

Your job is to map out the ideas. If you’re working on your own…there’s no problem. If you’re working with other people, map out their ideas. The trick here is to let people find their own “AHA” moments. The more you leave room for them to discover, the more you will be recognized as a professional. 2) Stay focused on keeping things simple. You don’t have to be fancy or even consider yourself an artist. It’s all about simple, easy to read and easy to understand frames of information.

Less is more. Put key ideas down. Stick to the essence. You might hesitate for a moment and think that doing less might be seen as adding less value. But nothing could be further from the truth. Write down the fewest key words. You’re doing your group a big favor. Of course, there is one more thing that can help you not only start looking for a job in storyboarding…but find an infinite number of jobs in storyboarding. Look for new places to help people solve problems. Improve your skills. You may have done this since you were a child, but there’s certainly more to learn. One of the fastest ways to start looking for a job in storyboarding is to help a group on an urgent or critical project. This project team will need a War Room or Command Center to stage all their brainstorming, planning and strategic efforts. Find out how you can step up to the job: Get your own “War Room Report: How to Set Up a Strategic Command Center for Your Project Team.

Recognize your own natural talents. Do what comes so easily to you…grab a pencil or pen, get a hold of a piece of paper…even a napkin will do for starters. Help the people around you with visual problem solving. The jobs will come pouring in.

To your strategic success!

Strategic Storyboarding

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