Competency #17: I Can List My Major Accomplishments in Action Terms

These days, there isn’t a single employer who wants to know what your job duties are/were (listed in the job description). This competency requires that you think about your work experiences in terms of what you did, how well you did it, and the benefits to potential employers.  

Yet, when most of us start a new job, we often don’t think about our work in terms of accomplishments. Do any of us start the first day thinking “what can I accomplish?”  No, we orient ourselves to what we are hired to do.  Sadly, most of us keep that mindset well after we’ve mastered the position. However, a shift in mindset from duties to results is a critical competency in managing your career.

The first step is to document verbs that describe what you do: teach, delegate, direct, manage, trade, write, consult, design- and the list goes on and on.  Google “action verbs”, and you’ll get more than you need.  These words create a mental vision of you doing. Employers want to picture your activity.

Once you’ve determined your action verbs, the second step is to think about the quantifiable accomplishments, achievement, or results from each position you’ve had.  Also collect and document how many, how much, how often and other hard data. My recent client eagerly told me what she “does” (although she does not have this written down), but never stopped to think about, let alone document, her achievements, outcomes, and benefits of the work she does so brilliantly, and I daresay, magically.  (Sadly, she has never thought about her practice in this way, and just wants someone else to do this thinking for her. Thinking about, and documenting outcomes are essential, even for those of us in the “helping professions”).

I fully recognize that it’s a bit of a leap to think of position(s) in accomplishment terms, so check out the following questions to assist you:

(If these do not directly apply to you, I hope you get the point)

• What problems did you identify and solve?
• What new program, product, idea, or system did you introduce? Results?
• How did you save the company money or time? How much?
• How did you effectively manage others? Results?
• What awards, bonuses, or promotions did you receive?
• What kinds of clients do you serve (for example, professional athletes) and what was the outcome?
• How much money did you manage? Results?
• How many events did you coordinate?  Outcomes of each?
• What kinds of contracts were awarded? 

From my experience, once your mindset shifts from duties to results, you’ll start to think differently and (hopefully) start documenting your results. This simple shift will position you for your next job and, as a bonus, greatly boost your confidence.