“Important Warning

Before you raise a red flag and say, “I can’t do this,” remember: being shy about sharing your strengths can result in not getting offers. If you get offers, they will be at lower salaries.

For example, I have a friend, who I’ll call Jonathan. I coached him on the value of achievement stories. I also recommended him to a staffing firm. He told me later that they never called him back.

They never called him back, because he never spoke of his achievements.

Staffing firms are paid to provide great candidates to prospective employers. If someone can’t promote themselves — if someone cannot explain why they are a great candidate — they’ll never get a call back, whether it’s from a staffing firm, a hiring manager, or anyone else.

While I understand that my friend probably views Achievement Stories as bragging, I overcame this hurdle. When I talk about accomplishments, I say:

“I’m blessed with the ability to…”

“I’ve been fortunate enough to…”

“Leadership appreciates how…”

“Co-workers appreciate how…”

This is an ideal way to communicate your achievements, because hiring managers prefer humble candidates. But they do want to hear about your achievements.”