How to showcase your achievements (even if you hate talking about yourself)

Lately, we’ve been asked by more and more candidates what they can do to stand out and compete for top marketing and advertising jobs. Articulating to hiring managers your strengths and achievements effectively is a big one that even many seasoned pros still haven’t nailed.

It’s completely normal to struggle to talk about yourself, especially if it feels (to you) like bragging. But overcoming this is critical to competing in the job market. It’s time to “build the muscle” of effectively showcasing your achievements. Here’s how.

1. Shift your mindset: You’re sharing facts, not bragging.

Try this reframe: By talking about what you’ve achieved, you’re simply sharing facts about your professional journey – information that hiring managers need to make an informed decision about your candidacy. This is just a necessary part of the job application process, and everyone has to do it. Including the candidates you’re up against.

2. Keep a “career journal” to remember all you’ve achieved. 

How often have you found yourself struggling to remember the details of a successful work project from ages ago? Or a piece of glowing feedback you once got from a key stakeholder? 

Fix this forever by keeping a career journal (a simple Word doc will do!) that you regularly add to over time. Use this to note any accomplishments, big or small, from each job or phase of your career. Then, be disciplined about returning to it in the future. Make a habit of adding to it on a regular cadence (weekly, monthly, or quarterly).

3. Prepare a variety of talking points about your achievements.

Keeping a career journal will help you remember a variety of achievements – and that can help you make a convincing case. In interviews, it’s okay to refer back to accomplishments you’ve already mentioned – but try not to mention the same one more than a few times. It can come across as redundant, or as if you didn’t accomplish much else.

4. Focus on your impact and results, not your responsibilities.

As we often tell candidates, focus on the impact you made – the results you or your team achieved, and the role you played in that success – versus simply listing your responsibilities. A resume that only shows results under each job, with no room left over to describe the day-to-day, may feel incomplete to you, but it will light up the eyes of your next boss.

Remember: Hiring managers want evidence of your abilities. A list of responsibilities doesn’t do that.

5. Quantify with hard metrics.

As much as possible, use numbers to back up your accomplishments and results. From a 28% increase in social media engagement to the size of the budgets you’ve managed,  concrete data makes your claims more credible – and makes your contributions sound more tangible and impactful. Remember: The more senior you are and the longer your tenure in a role, the more results you need.

6. Use “case studies” as a follow-up tool. 

Think case studies are only for companies? Think again. While we’ve long encouraged candidates to create one-pagers that dive into a particular project or campaign, it may not be immediately obvious how and when you’d send one to a prospective employer. 

Case studies are actually a great tool for interview follow-ups, as they give you a way to describe something in greater detail. If you’re not great at improvising in real time or speaking off the cuff about yourself, sending a case study afterwards allows you to elaborate on favorable points that didn’t come up in the interview. Simply attach it to your thank-you email, and include a note: “We touched on this briefly in our meeting, but…”

7. Practice your elevator pitch.

Sometimes we all just need a little practice. Mock interviews with a friend or mentor can help you get better at communicating your achievements and strengths – especially if the other person knows you well, and can point out things you haven’t noticed, or accomplishments you’d forgotten. The more you practice, the easier it will be to share your professional story when it truly matters.

When you get the job, keep in touch with your recruiter!

And on that note, don’t forget the friends, colleagues and partners or vendors who helped you during your search. That includes anyone who spent time reviewing your resume, sharing insights on the industry, or educating you on companies you’re interested in – not just those whose introductions directly led to your new role! 

At Freeman+Leonard, we view all our relationships with candidates as long-term. So whether we helped you get the job or not, we genuinely want to hear where you landed and how you’re doing – and, of course, what you’re achieving now. So don’t be a stranger!