Based on feedback from our Premier network, we’ve identified a common challenge among professionals – finding the right balance of sharing pride of career accomplishments while avoiding being perceived as overly confident during the job interview process. Despite being incredibly strong players in their roles and bringing significant impact to their organizations, professionals struggle walking this fine line. Showcasing expertise while comprehensively answering interview questions are imperative to land the role, but being strategic with this process is key will only add credibility and help you stand out from the rest.
There’s a time and a place for everything, and a job interview is the space in which you are meant to proudly share your career accomplishments as they relate to the position you’re applying for. In sharing your achievements, it is best to be tactful in both how you share and how much you share. Brag, but make it humble! Share what you wish to highlight as a seemingly modest statement, intended to draw attention to your admirable achievements as they relate to the topic at hand.
How to use this approach: If during your interview the hiring manager discusses their goals for their company and the role you are interviewing for, respond with a follow up statement that solidifies that you are a well qualified candidate by highlighting some specific achievements that will showcase that you have what they are looking for. Be specific!… and share achievements aligned with the goals of the company.
The more specific your examples, the more you will build credibility and the follow up questions will open up further dialog, setting the stage for you to ‘humbly brag.’
The BEST way to use this approach: We have outlined 3 useful steps, using examples below to help you execute your most effective ‘humble brag’ for your next interview:
Situation: Be sure to highlight a single brag-worthy challenge you once faced, that you overcame.Try your best to recall the details surrounding the challenges you faced, the roadblocks and constraints in place and the risk you and your team faced if you did not find resolution for this specific situation.
Action: This part of your answer requires the most in-depth description as this is what largely indicates your expertise for a role. Describe the action you took and be sure to highlight the influence you had in navigating your way to a successful resolution. If you didn’t resolve the situation on your own, now’s the time to showcase collaboration. This indicates that you are a successful team player that works well with other instrumental leaders. This is the best time to highlight your leadership influence, initiative skills, collaboration efforts etc.
Result: What was the outcome of the situation and the actions you took? You’d be surprised how many people leave this most important part out of their response, yet it is such an integral part of properly answering this interviewer’s question. Remember, results matter and sharing your critical conclusion for any example shared during an interview is key. And if you go the extra step to make your conclusion quantifiable, you’ll really have nailed your answer.
We hope these Premier steps outline the importance of highlighting your achievement and give you the confidence to humbly brag at your next interview. Good luck!
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