How much hidden talent do you have?

image by familyfmr

Not trying for a new game show title here but it could be one, right? Hear the promo ads now for “How much hidden talent do you have?”… but really most people don’t recognize their talents.

I work with some of the most incredibly talented people in the world. Most of those are my clients but there is a high percentage that are my colleagues too. My colleagues, for the most part, know what their talents are and how to showcase them effectively.

The no accomplishment phobia

Clients, however, often come to me convinced that they have no accomplishments. Perhaps it is because they have read resume books or viewed resume samples with statements like:

• Propelled sales by 20% from 2007 to 2008, an increase of $900,000 from $4.2M to $5.1M by greater focus on sales, garnering additional inside sales person support, improving sales proficiencies in France and Germany, and removing of sales rep’s operational role.

or

• As Director of Digital Business, managed an 11-state sales territory and delivered over-budget performance of $35 M annually at 12% net operating profit.

Hard to compete, right?

When you are looking at people with talents that far surpass most anything you can dream about, you might be stymied on how you are ever going to include accomplishments that will attract your next employer.

I have to admit I have been blessed with amazing clients whose talents are worth noting. For example, one of the most recent client success stories came from a client who worked on a NASA project and other key projects in the aerospace industry. Her bulleted accomplishments included items like:

• Identified critical design flaws by successfully completing step-by-step sequence of activities, resulting in reduced costs of $90,000.

and

• Decreased man-hours from 7000 to 1200 by developing new test and technical procedures to improve the operation of the “Launch Equipment Test Facility.”

But there is a resume story in every one of my clients and you have them too. Most of the time you discount those accomplishments of yours because your eyes have become glazed over reading spectacular accomplishments you could only dream of having. But when you recognize that your own contributions to your employer have made the business operate better or increased sales or contributed to cost savings and improved efficiencies, you will start seeing your own accomplishments.

What’s my hidden talent?

With a long time in the career industry, my hidden talent is that I am often a detective, helping the client find their own special hidden talents and accomplishments and then showcasing them in their resume and cover letters (and LinkedIn profiles) so they can come back to tell me their own success story!

So… what are YOUR hidden accomplishments or talents?