Work accomplishments can be hard to talk about and be confident in, yet it’s vitally important to be able to talk about what you’ve done at work.
When economic times are tough, (and even when they’re not) it’s vitally important to be able to position yourself as a problem-solver.
You’ll need to show your future employer that you can solve their problems, but you’ll need to back up your claims with examples of work you’ve already done.
That’s why you need to be able to talk about your work accomplishments.
Work Accomplishments: Talking About Them Is Vital
Imagine you’re at an interview, and you’re asked what you accomplished at your last job, but you just choke up.
Or you attempt to make a case for why you deserve that raise, but all you can do is stumble over your own tongue instead of let the list your work accomplishments flow freely.
Or you are trying to figure out who you should network with to get that next big job you want, but you can’t figure out what you’ve actually done that people will find impressive.
What can you do? How do you figure out what to say? And how do you say it?
Figuring Out Your Work Accomplishments
Talk it Through, Find Someone To Listen:
I can’t tell you the number of times people have told me that they don’t know what they have accomplished at work, or that they haven’t accomplished anything, and then they go on to tell me the most amazing achievements!
Whether you speak to a friend, a partner, a co-worker or a coach, find someone who will listen to you talk about what you’ve done at work until you can hit on your work accomplishments.
You’ll know you’ve hit upon them when the other person says “you did that?!” Or you realize that you made an impact in terms of people or numbers on the organization that wouldn’t have happened without your effort. (Note: It doesn’t have to be all you. Team effort counts too.)
Take a Work History:
You could also write down what you think your wins are across your work history, and look at them across time.
What have you accomplished? What threads unite them? What story do they tell?
Be Specific:
Once you’ve hit on the details of what you’ve accomplished, be specific about it.
Metrics are great. If you can break your work accomplishment down into numbers, that allows the listener to truly understand what you’ve done. Sales numbers, savings, etc. work like this, but not everything can be broken down into a metric.
For things that can’t be turned into a number, be as specific and factual as you can.
Let the facts tell a story of who you are – aka your personal brand.
Are you the person who can sell – even in a tough market?
Are you the person who can train others even when the material is hard to conceptualize?
Who are you, and how do your accomplishments back that up? Maybe more importantly: How do you learn about who you are from your accomplishments?
Be Confident
Share the wins that tell that story and that excite you. That enthusiasm will come across in how you share yourself with others.
When you own your experience and who you are as a person, other people will believe it too. People love confidence.
Be Authentic
People want to work with YOU, not a version of you that isn’t real or turns out to be someone different from who they work with once you get hired. If you use your own voice and are true to who you are, when people choose to hire YOU, you’ll know that you are in a workplace that will resonate with your personality and values.
Your Work Accomplishments Are Your Currency
Use your work accomplishments as your currency and sell yourself with authenticity. When people see what you’ve done in the past and what you can do for them in the future, you’ll thrive in your career.