How to Reframe Professional Accomplishments

Women don’t take enough credit for their work. Yesterday, I had a conversation with one of my coaching clients that struck a nerve. She’s a Global Product Line Manager overseeing the growth strategy, vision, and direction of a $2B product line for a large Fortune 500 company. By all accounts, her impact is immense. But here’s the problem: because she doesn’t directly own P&L, she saw herself as being in a “support” role — not a decision-making one. This mindset has quietly sabotaged her for years. She hesitated to own the impact of her work, downplayed her contributions, and, as a result, minimized her role during interviews for leadership roles. This is a common pattern I see with many of my incoming female clients. We have been conditioned for decades to put our heads down, work hard, and only take credit for the direct work we do. We feel guilty for taking credit for the larger organizational impact because wasn't this “team effort"? But the hard truth is, if you don’t advocate for your own impact, no one else will. Inside THE FEARLESS HIRE, my signature career accelerator program, we work on breaking this self-sabotaging cycle so women leaders can show up confidently, own their value, and close high-paying leadership roles. Here are three strategies that help our clients authentically self-promote and 10X their confidence: 1. Reframe Your Role as “Strategic” Even if our clients don’t directly own the P&L, their work drives key business outcomes. The strategies they implement, the vision they shape, and the results they deliver are all part of the decision-making process. Through coaching, our clients learn to reframe their contributions in terms of the strategic outcomes they enable, so they can stop seeing themselves in support roles and start seeing themselves in decision-making ones. 2. Start with Facts, Not Feelings It’s easy to diminish the impact of our work when we approach our career through a lens of self-doubt. Instead, our clients learn to anchor themselves in facts. What are the measurable outcomes of their work? What specific problems have they solved? How can they quantify their contributions with numbers and metrics, like revenue growth, cost savings, or team performance improvements? Facts don’t lie, and become the cornerstone of increased self-confidence. 3. Learn the Art of Storytelling Facts are critical, but they need to be packaged in a compelling way. Our clients develop concise, engaging stories about their key achievements using my SOARR storytelling framework, focussing on the challenges they overcame, the decisions they made, and the results they delivered. These stories are powerful tools for interviews and executive conversations—they help you stand out and stay memorable. Taking credit for your work isn’t arrogance - that's real leadership. When you own your impact, you not only position yourself for high-impact roles, but you also inspire the next generation of women leaders to do the same. Agree?

Have you asked yourself if your resume content clearly and concisely communicates your best work experience? Does it show the actions you took? Does it show the impact you drove? During resume reviews and mock interviews, one of the biggest gaps I see is individuals underselling their wins within their existing resume content and/or not including their highest-impact wins at all. You've got amazing experience—let's make sure your resume reflects it! Here are some tips and strategies to highlight your biggest wins while aligning your content with the roles you're targeting. Remember: think about where you want to go, not just where you've been. Step 1: Define Your Target Role. Be specific! "Software Engineer" is too broad. "Senior Cloud Security Engineer specializing in AWS" is better. Step 2: Categorize the Role's Responsibilities (R&Rs). Group them into key areas like Communication, Problem-Solving, Stakeholder Management, or Data Analysis. This helps you identify which skills are most valued. Step 3: Identify Key Metrics. What metrics does the team or role tie to? (Revenue, Operations, Adoption, Customer Satisfaction, etc.) Understanding these metrics helps you frame your accomplishments in terms of business impact. Step 4: Document Your Wins with Data. Write out past work experiences that align with all three of the above (target role, R&R category, and key metric), including quantifiable data. If you can't measure it, remove it! "Wins" are projects with clear, measurable impact on your team or the business. Focus on your top 5 wins. Step 5: Conduct a Resume Audit. For each R&R listed in the job description, assess your current resume content. Does it demonstrate your skills and experience in that area? Step 6: The "Clarity Test." Once you've completed the above steps, read (and re-read) your resume. Share it with a friend. Ask: "Does my resume clearly connect with this job description? Do you understand the work I did? Can you clearly see the impact I made?" - Keep in mind, the recruiter may only have a high-level understanding about the role. So you want to make it easy to understand. Step 7: Quantify and Show Impact. You have great wins; you just need to identify and connect them. Assess each bullet point. Challenge yourself: "How can I quantify this? How can I show impact here? You have the wins. Now, showcase them effectively! #resumetips #jobsearch #careeradvice #linkedin #jobhunt #careersuccess #resumehacks #gethired #newjob #careergoals #bigtech #finance #healthcaretech

The Fundamental Misconception Stalling Professional Advancement   After placing executives for over 25 years, I've observed a consistent pattern among professionals experiencing slower-than-desired career progression: they're operating on an outdated assumption about how recognition and advancement actually occur.   The most insidious career misconception is that consistent performance naturally leads to recognition and advancement.   In reality, organizational systems aren't designed to automatically identify and reward quiet competence.   Executives who achieve rapid advancement understand several critical principles: • Visibility Engineering: Deliberately creating awareness of achievements among decision-makers without relying on immediate supervisors as sole advocates • Documentation Priority: Systematically recording contributions and impact, making it easier for leaders to recognize patterns of value when advancement opportunities arise • Strategic Relationship Building: Developing connections with leaders who influence advancement decisions, not just peers and immediate managers • Opportunity Anticipation: Positioning themselves for roles before they're formally available, rather than waiting for announcements   The professionals who advance most efficiently aren't necessarily performing at higher levels - they're ensuring their performance is strategically visible and aligned with organizational priorities.   If your career progress feels disproportionately slow relative to your contributions, the solution may not be working harder, but rather shifting how you position your existing work within the organization.   What strategies have you found effective for ensuring your contributions receive appropriate recognition?   Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju   #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #careeradvancement #executivedevelopment #professionalrecognition #careerstrategist

“Keep It Hush-Hush” – If you come from a high-context culture, you’ve likely been taught to keep it to yourself, that success should be seen, not spoken about. I coach several young professionals from high-context cultures, and I see this all the time. They tell me: 💬 “I don’t want to speak about myself—it feels tacky, like showing off.” But here’s the problem: If you don’t own your narrative, someone else will. Despite decades of leading across cultures, negotiating at high stakes, and speaking on stages, I’ve felt this unease myself when recording a short documentary about my journey, my achievements, and how the idea of Global Women of Impact came about. Simply because where I grew up, people don't claim success out loud 🔹 They let their work speak for itself. 🔹 They avoid drawing attention. 🔹 They believe visibility invites scrutiny—or worse, the “bad eye.” Yet, many highly successful professionals and leaders from high-context cultures battle this same challenge. They are exceptional at their craft but hesitate to step into the spotlight. The Cost of Staying Silent? 🚫 Silence does not protect you—it erases you. 🚫 Hard work alone won’t open doors—strategic visibility will. 🚫 If you don’t shape your narrative, someone else will—often inaccurately. So how do you Shift the Narrative and Step into Leadership? 1️⃣ Start with Awareness – Your environment shapes your beliefs. Ask yourself: Does my cultural programming serve or limit me in this context? Am I holding back due to outdated fears? Who benefits when I stay silent? Who loses when I speak? 2️⃣ Reframe Visibility as a Contribution, Not Self-Promotion – Your insights don’t belong to you alone. Your voice could be the roadmap someone else needs. 3️⃣ Lead the Conversation Before Others Define It for You – If you don’t tell your story, people will fill in the gaps—often incorrectly. Own your narrative, position your impact. 4️⃣ Speak with Purpose, Not Ego – Sharing your journey isn’t about self-promotion; it’s about empowering others through your experiences. If you’re reading this and you know you’ve been playing small—it’s time to rise. You may be the reason behind someone else’s growth and transformation. #Leadership #StrategicInfluence #CulturalIntelligence #VisibilityMatters #OwnYourNarrative

“But I feel BEYOND uncomfortable talking about my accomplishments in interviews. I just can’t do it.” 😖😖 I hear this from my clients endlessly. And it’s not their fault. Many of us have been taught to be humble and team oriented (or else). Or we believe that we “didn’t really do that much on our own.” While I want to say: “YOU DID! Own it!” This shift takes time and a ton of active work to get to a place where this feels natural. Today, I’d like to share a tip you can use TODAY. If you struggle with speaking about your wins in an interview, try this reframe: ⭐️ I’ve been told that I’m [really great thing] ⭐️ I’ve received feedback that I’m [really great thing] ⭐️ My coworkers say I’m [really great thing] ⭐️ My manager shared I’m [really great thing] ⭐️ The project I led had a [really great result] ⭐️ My annual review from my direct reports revealed that [I’m the leader you want to join your team] 😉 Changing “I am” statements to “I’ve been told” statements makes it easier to share how stellar you are without feeling like you are bragging because there’s now one level of separation. This tip is for those that struggle with talking about their accomplishments. If you can say “I’m this and that” comfortably - keep doing you. 😎 Good luck on that next interview!! 🍀 ***************************************** Hi! I’m Paden 👋🏽 I chat about #interviewtips, recruiting, personal growth and career coaching. You are most welcome here! 🩵

💡 Friday Reflections 💡 This week I was helping a candidate prepare for their upcoming phone interview. We reviewed the standard topics to expect, STAR method techniques, and burning questions. At one point in the conversation, the candidate made a remark that struck me, saying “I do the tasks that this role requires every day. They are second nature to me at this point, but I haven’t taken a step back to reflect on how to communicate them. I take them for granted every day.” That was a big “aha moment” for both the candidate & I (I’ll go into how it applies to life in a later post). In terms of interview prep, it’s about giving yourself credit for impact that you have. It’s easy to focus on who the interviewer might be, which questions they may ask, or shrug off past accomplishments as just “part of the job”. As someone who helps candidates prepare for interviews daily, I’ve seen firsthand how even the top candidates in their field can sell themselves short. Here are four recommendations to help give yourself credit as you prepare for interviews: 1) Mindset – Acknowledge the value that you bring to the table. There is value in even the simplest of tasks. 2) Reframing – Shift negative self-talk to positive, empowering dialogue. This helps you to show up more confidently while reducing stress. 3) Reflection – Write out milestone examples (on paper, not your phone) that you want to speak about during your interview. By writing them out, it may trigger important details that would otherwise be forgotten. 4) Quantify – Use specific data to showcase the impact of your work. For example, instead of saying “I worked with customers,” say “I enabled customers to increase their sales by $XXM by creating solutions that…” What helps you to give yourself credit during interviews? #interviewtips #interviewprep #interviewpreparation #careercoaching #mindset #reframing