How to Talk About Your Accomplishments in A job Interview (and Get Paid More!)
- Dorothy Mashburn
- Apr 30
- 3 min read
You’ve led cross-functional projects, managed crises, delivered results, mentored others, cleaned up other people’s messes, and kept things moving under pressure.
You know you’ve made an impact.
But when it’s time to talk about that impact—in a job interview, in a performance review, or even just a networking call—you freeze. You either downplay what you did or explain it in a way that sounds too soft, too vague, too safe.
And afterward, you walk away thinking, “I should’ve said that better.”
You’re not alone. In fact, this is one of the most common blind spots I see in high-performing, mid-career women: they’ve done everything right except learn how to talk about what they’ve done.
And here’s reality - No one can pay you, promote you, or hire you for results they don’t know about.
Doing great work is essential. But communicating that work clearly, confidently, and without minimizing it? That’s the skill that changes your career trajectory.
Here are three truths every mid-career woman needs to hear:
1. If your impact isn’t clear, it doesn’t exist
You may think your resume speaks for itself. Or that the interviewer will connect the dots. Or that the hiring manager will “just know” how valuable you are based on the brands on your LinkedIn profile.
They won’t. Hiring teams are moving fast. They’re making snap judgments based on how clearly you explain your value. If your answers are vague, overly humble, or buried in team language, they won’t remember you—no matter how good you actually are.
When you say, “I was part of a team that delivered a 20% cost savings,” that’s different than, “I led the negotiation that resulted in a 20% cost savings.”
Same project. Totally different perception.
2. You’ve been conditioned to soften your story
If you feel uncomfortable talking about your success, there’s a reason. Most women have been socialized to believe that confidence is arrogance, that self-advocacy is selfish, and that naming your achievements makes you “too much.”
So we fall back on “we.” We give credit to the team. We speak in generalities. We don’t want to sound like we’re bragging.
But that instinct to shrink your story is just holding you back AND it’s keeping you underpaid and under-recognized.
You can be collaborative and still name what you did. That’s leadership.
3. Saying it clearly is part of the job.
If you want to get hired, promoted, or paid more, you need to be able to describe what you bring to the table in a way that clicks immediately.
That means using language that ties your work to outcomes. Not just what you did—but what changed because of it. It means practicing your stories out loud so they don’t disappear the moment you get a hard question.
It means showing up in an interview ready to make the connection between your work and their business goals.
The ability to do the work will get you in the door. The ability to talk about the work will get you the offer.
That’s exactly why I created this workshop on how to talk about accomplishments in a job interview in a way that sets you apart.
So, how to talk about accomplishments in a job interview?
How to Talk About Your Impact in Job Interviews - It’s a live, free workshop designed for professionals who are tired of being underestimated—and ready to be heard. We’ll break down how to talk about your accomplishments in a way that’s clear, confident, and actually lands.
Because you’ve already done the hard part. Now it’s time to get credit for it.
May 13th; 12 Noon MST; 2 pm CST.
Dorothy Mashburn is on a mission to empower women of color (and allies!) to steer their career journey and confidently negotiate their value. She can be reached here.
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Get the secrets to commanding top offers with my book, Executive Edge - Finding Golden Nuggets. Discover how to tap into hidden insights, position yourself as the must-have candidate, and secure the offers you deserve. Get your copy now!!!
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