sageful Free tool · For you
Your story in three sentences.
For anyone between chapters who keeps getting asked 'so what do you do?' Use it for interviews, networking, coffee and family dinners.
About 45 minutes to draft, then two minutes a day for a week saying it out loud
Why it matters
When you are in the middle of a change, the question 'what do you do?' gets hard. The old answer no longer fits and the new one is not settled. So people ramble, apologize, or list job titles, and the person asking walks away without knowing how to help.
Three sentences fix that: what you have done that mattered, what you are best at, and what you want next. Short enough to say in under 30 seconds. Clear enough that the other person can repeat it to someone else, which is how most introductions and referrals actually happen.
The writing helps, but the saying matters more. A story you have only written sounds stiff the first time you say it to a real person. Said out loud five times, it starts to sound like you.
How to use it
- Answer the raw material questions first. Write lots; you will cut later.
- From your answers, draft one sentence for each of the three parts in the table. Use plain words a neighbor would understand.
- Cut each sentence until it has one main idea. If a sentence has 'and' twice, it is probably two sentences.
- Run the 'Test it' checklist. Time yourself. Under 30 seconds is the goal.
- Say it out loud five times today. Record it on your phone once and listen back.
- Try it on one real person this week, then adjust whatever made you stumble.
The worksheet
Raw material
- What are three to five things I have done that I'm proud of?Look for moments where something changed because of you: a fix, a launch, a person you trained, a mess you cleaned up.
- What do people come to me for?Not your title. What they ask you for help with, even outside work.
- What kind of work makes time disappear for me?That is often closer to what you are best at than what your resume says.
- What do I want next, as specifically as I can say it today?A role, an industry, a size of team, a kind of problem. 'Something new' is not specific enough. 'Operations in a mid-size manufacturer' is.
- What do I want the listener to do after they hear it?Introduce you to someone, tell you about an opening, think of you later. Your third sentence should make that easy.
Draft the three
| Sentence | Prompt | My draft |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What I've done that mattered | One or two concrete things, in plain words | |
| 2. What I'm best at | The skill behind those things, the one people come to you for | |
| 3. What I want next | Specific enough that the listener can picture who to connect you with |
Sample lines to borrow from
"For eight years I ran the warehouse side of a regional food distributor, and I built the delivery schedule they still use today."
"What I'm best at is walking into a messy process and making it simple enough that a new hire can follow it."
"Next I want to run operations for a growing company that is starting to feel its own growing pains."
"I spent ten years as a nurse, and the part I loved most was teaching new nurses. I'm looking for a role in training and onboarding."
Test it
When they ask the follow-up
After a layoff: "My role was cut in a reorganization in the spring. I'm proud of what I built there, and I'm using the time to go after ___."
Changing fields: "I've done ___ for a long time, and the part I'm best at carries over directly to ___."
After a move: "We relocated for family in ___. I'm looking to bring ___ to a team here."
To make the ask: "If you think of anyone working on ___, I'd love an introduction."