Accomplishment Stories

Win,
You mentioned that I need to let people know what I can do for them in the form of “accomplishment stories.” Can you go over for me what I should be considering when coming up with these?
Thank you,
Subir

Hi Subir,
Here are some thoughts on what to include in your accomplishment stories. There is no one way to do this. The overall idea is to get the listener's interest. The things you talk about do not all have to be your most impressive accomplishments and as we discussed, a major accomplishment can have many smaller accomplishment stories in it. When selecting accomplishments, keep your focus on things you enjoyed and which have a recognized, perhaps measurable, result.

To catch their attention, be clear where you began: problem situation that you recognized or that was brought to your attention. Then fill in some detail about what was difficult or what went wrong. The mark of a professional is how you deal with problems that arise (calls not returned, unexpected client development, changed requirement or resources, etc.) Don't leave out the problems. The actions you take to overcome problems are the most compelling evidence that you can give of how you work. The Princess does not meet the Prince and get married the next day. Take the audience along on the experience, which ends with a fabulous accomplishment.

Develop any number of stories. As you begin to look at them, you will begin to recognize what skills of yours they represent. As you hone your direction and find out which of your abilities are most in demand for the positions that interest you, you can develop stories that illustrate those particular skills or that experience.

If any of this is not clear or any questions occur to you, please don't hesitate to ask.
Win