Who is this for? ¶

This is for people who find it difficult to articulate the value of their skills and experience, whether in a job interview, a negotiation, or any situation where they need to show what they bring. The aim is to provide a perspective that you already have more to offer than you might think, and some questions to help you surface it.

Why is it so hard to explain the value of your experience? ¶

Think of the frog in a slowly boiling pot. It is not a perfect analogy, but it works. For many of us, new challenges, responsibilities, and opportunities come at a pace that feels mostly manageable. We struggle, we learn, we adapt, and we internalise lessons in a way that feels incremental.

That responsibility that once looked too much? You eventually found a way to handle it, either by yourself or with the help of others. It is only when you look back at where you started that you notice how much you have grown.

So how much have you grown? Enough to deal with the things that used to overwhelm you. Maybe you can now run projects on your own. Maybe you can solve a class of problems you once found impossible. The next question is: what changed?

How do you know what changed? ¶

The questions below, with some examples, are meant to help you notice what you have learned and the value behind it.

1. What have you done in the last year that you were not doing before? ¶

You may have started mentoring others. You may have been trusted with bigger or more visible projects. You may have stepped into a team lead role.

2. What changed in your context that required you to do these things? ¶

Maybe you are no longer the most junior person in the team. Maybe your earlier work built enough trust with your manager. Maybe someone left, and you had to step in.

3. What is expected of you in these new responsibilities? ¶

You might need to train new joiners, give direction to teammates, or provide estimates and solutions to stakeholders.

4. What challenges did you face while doing them? ¶

Perhaps your way of teaching did not match how others learned. Maybe the documentation was weak and knowledge was scattered. Some teammates might have blocked progress. Some stakeholders may have been too demanding, or too indecisive.

5. How did you first try to overcome those challenges? ¶

Maybe you asked interns to present their understanding before you corrected them. Maybe you had them build documentation by reaching out to others. Perhaps you listened more carefully, played peacemaker, or introduced structure into discussions. Maybe you became clearer about trade-offs, or pushed for clarity where decisions were stuck.

6. How did you make those solutions part of your way of working? ¶

Maybe you now make onboarding a more structured process. Maybe you created a contact list of who knows what. Maybe you changed how meetings are run so people provide context and alternatives, not just opinions. Maybe you started publishing solution proposals with clear costs and priorities.

7. What went well, what went wrong, and where did luck play a part? ¶

Not everything works smoothly. Some things go your way, others don’t. Reflecting on this helps you see what was within your control and what wasn’t, which is useful for the future.

8. Looking back, what would you do differently? ¶

With hindsight, what advice would you give your past self? What would you change to set yourself up for success earlier?

After answering these questions ¶

At this point, you should have a chapter of your own history of experiences. Take your time and repeat this process, and you will start building a story of your journey: how you grew, what shaped you, and what skills and strengths you now bring.