One of the best advice Maddie Machado received from her former Microsoft boss is to track all her career wins.
Machado records “whenever I do well, whenever I make someone’s life easier, whenever I get honors,” Microsoft documentation first, and then runs an email draft, now in the slideshow. She called it “Brag Doc“And said she used it in every interview in the past decade.
Machado, 35, is the reverse recruiter and founder of Skillscript, a resume platform in Tampa, Florida.
concept Record your career victory Not something new, but her approach categorizes four specific aspects of your career success:
- What I’m good at: Your role and responsibilities are naturally harder for others? What tasks do you often appreciate? Machado said these are your “company superpowers.”
- What I provide: Machado said this section should emphasize the impact of your unique skills. For example, if you are really good at cross-functional collaboration, you may provide efficient teams and good communication. Machado thought so, and Machado said, “If you weren’t there, wouldn’t that happen? Or if you weren’t there, what would happen?”
- What I am most proud of is: These are the “excellent” achievements you have surpassed and surpassed, Machado said. Her favorite guiding question: Have you saved money? Have you made money? Have you saved your company time? Have you created process improvements that create more efficient? Think about the overall situation from the perspective of its impact on the team and business.
- Why should they hire me: Finally, as you prepare bragging documents for your new job, tailor this section to demonstrate your alignment with the role, team, and company you are applying for. Research the company’s mission and culture and show how you fit. For example, if the company is known for its quick action, it is time to tell them that you are the same. Your elevator pitch should indicate: “Not only are you technically fit, but you are also very suitable for the entire company.”
Better than resume or cover letter: “No one reads cover letter”
Machado said having a bragging document on hand can help you network and may have a greater impact than a traditional resume or cover letter.
“No one reads a cover letter,” Machado said. “Even if I’ve been a recruiter for years, I might be able to count on how many times I’ve actually read the cover letter.”
Meanwhile, a bragging document is “when you make it clear about your horn,” Machado said. “It’s hard to see the impact on your resume the things you actually have and are truly proud of.”
This also shows the most important aspect of the candidates a hiring manager wants to know, Machado said, as she works with hiring managers at companies like Meta and LinkedIn.
Hiring managers usually already know what you do in your role every day, but are looking for what you will bring to a new company and what will make them think of, “Wow, look at what she’s doing there. Imagine what she can do here,” she said. “That’s what your bragging documentation is doing.”
Brag Doc is a useful resource to attach your app to your app and follow up on your application role, or even to a hiring manager on the cold message network network, Machado said. It won’t necessarily find a job for you right away, but it can get you into the recruitment pipeline much faster.
Machado said, then used it to prepare for an interview and negotiate a strong offer.
“It’s great to be able to remind yourself of what you’ve achieved so far, big or small, and share it with others,” she said.
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