In every project that I have been a part of, I have found ways to make an impact. I’ve solved problems, I’ve identified opportunities, I’ve made things work more efficiently, or I’ve helped with customer relations. In fact there are a many ways that I have made an impact.
To understand my unique accomplishments, I’ve describe them using C-A-R format. “Challenge-Action-Result.”
The challenge: First, I start with the specific business challenge or problem. For example sales were falling, or customers weren’t getting their orders on time, or a certain process was taking too much time to complete, or a new competitor had come into town and stolen market share.
My actions: I describe the actions I took to address this problem. Maybe I suggested a new process to my boss. Or maybe I implemented a new process. If declining sales were the problem, perhaps I found a new way to expand the customer base. If customer satisfaction was the issue, perhaps I worked extra hard to ensure each customer got what he or she needed.
Finally, the result: This is where I explain the impact of my actions. I took. E.g. sales increased 10%, or customer satisfaction survey numbers went up, or the new competitor went out of business (!). I try to quantify an accomplishment by putting a number on it, but this isn’t always possible. Sometimes the result is simply a happy client or a ‘thank you’ from my boss.