“What If I Don’t Want To Brag?

I’ve mentioned this before and I’ll mention it again because it is critical…

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 do get offers, chances are they will be at lower salaries.

I have a friend who I’ll call Jonathan. I coached him on the importance and value of achievement stories. I also recommended him to a staffing firm.

He told me later that after his interview, the staffing firm never called him back. They never called him back, because he never spoke of his achievements.

Staffing firms are paid for providing 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.

While I understand that my friend probably views Achievement Stories as bragging, I overcame this hurdle by describing my accomplishments this way:

“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.”