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November 12, 2025
Why is it so hard for some people to talk about their accomplishments? Why do some salespeople fall short in sharing their value proposition? Depending on your generation, it might be because as a child your parents and teachers told you “Don’t brag” and “Don’t show off.” And, as a good child often does, you listened.
Fast forward to your professional life and the questions you’re asked in a job interview:
These can be tough questions if you are remembering what you were taught as a child. Many people fall short of answering these in a concise, persuasive, and confident way.
Over the past 25 years, I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of professionals who are selling themselves to get a new job. And, I’ve worked on hundreds of résumés where the first feedback I give clients is to list their accomplishments—because so many only list job descriptions.
For clients looking for their next great job, it can be difficult to share accomplishments. Many have actually said to me, “I don’t want to brag.”
Let’s explore what bragging actually is. According to the Encarta Dictionary, brag means “to talk with excessive pride about an achievement or possession.” What is wrong with this? Why not talk with excessive pride about an achievement?
There’s nothing wrong with this unless you take it to a negative level and make boastful remarks, which by definition includes “statements or displays of arrogant behavior.”
When we work with clients, they sometimes fall short on selling themselves because they don’t want to be pushy or arrogant. Selling yourself or bragging is not arrogant if you do it in an assertive, confident way that meets the needs of the person to whom you’re speaking. It’s not acting like a “blow-hard” who walks on water and can’t stop talking about themselves.
It’s a respectful way to say that this partnership will benefit both parties.
If you need to sell yourself, you must develop a way to clearly and specifically state how you are different and how you are better. You need to brag, not just a little, you need to brag a lot.
Accomplishment statements or value propositions are the only way that a prospective employer will understand how you actually do your job and the value you bring. It does not benefit you to be humble.
There are many ways to craft an accomplishment statement or a value proposition, and we have found that the three-step process of Challenge–Action–Result is the easiest, most concise, and effective way to share what you bring to the table in a professional, non-boastful way.
Most employees have faced challenges in their work responsibilities. A challenge can also be viewed as a problem you recognized or an opportunity for change. When crafting your value proposition or accomplishment statement, start by concisely describing the challenge, problem, or opportunity.
After you state the challenge, immediately follow with the actions you took to mitigate the problem or seize the opportunity. Be clear and concise about how you approached the situation to make it better.
Finally, the result. Don’t be humble here and don’t be vague. Give as many specifics as possible to really brag about your work.
If you take the time to craft concise, persuasive accomplishments and value propositions, you can “Brag!” and “Show off!” with confidence—and your prospective employers will clearly understand the value you bring to their organizations.
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Material in this article is from “Next Step Career Outplacement” and “Strategic Selling” workshops offered by Taylor Performance Solutions.
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