Welcome to PARIS

Transform Your Career Stories into Powerful Achievements.

Struggling to talk about your achievements? You’re not alone. Whether it’s in a job interview, on your resume, or during a performance review, many professionals downplay their accomplishments—or worse, draw a blank when asked about them.

But what if you had a simple, proven framework to communicate your achievements with confidence and clarity?

Click image to watch this post as a video-podcast.

Scroll to bottom for self-coaching worksheet.

In this post, I’m introducing you to the PARIS Method—a tool I’ve developed over years of coaching professionals across industries. This method helps you turn everyday work experiences into compelling career stories that showcase your value.

Let’s dive in.

What is the PARIS Method?

PARIS stands for:

• Problem – The challenge or situation you faced

• Action – The steps you took to address it

• Result – The outcomes you achieved

• Insights – What you learned from the experience

• Skills – What abilities you used or developed

This framework helps you go beyond listing job duties—it allows you to communicate your impact in a way that resonates with hiring managers, colleagues, and even yourself.

No Problem = No Achievement

Let’s start with the foundation of any good story: the problem. Without a clear problem, your results lack context and power.

For example, saying “I increased sales by 20%” might sound decent—but it doesn’t mean much without knowing what challenge you were facing.

Contrast that with:

“When I joined, the company was losing market share to competitors and struggling with outdated sales strategies. I developed and implemented a new plan that increased sales by 20% while competitors saw declines.”

Now, that is impressive. The same goes for roles that involve prevention, like cybersecurity or quality assurance.

If you’re struggling to identify problems, ask yourself: “What would have happened if I didn’t do my job well?”

Action + Result = Impact

Once you’ve identified the problem, describe the actions you took to solve it. Be specific but concise—think strategy and execution, not just activity.

Next, back up your story with concrete results. Numbers speak louder than buzzwords. Did you save money, improve processes, reduce errors, or enhance customer satisfaction?

Tip: It's not just about what you did—it's about the impact you created.

Insights & Skills: The Growth Mindset Edge

What sets the PARIS Method apart is the focus on Insights and Skills.

These final elements demonstrate your ability to reflect, grow, and apply lessons learned to future challenges. They turn a story about success into a story about growth.

• Insights show what the experience taught you

• Skills highlight your competencies and development

These elements are especially valuable in interviews and leadership conversations. They show that you’re not just a performer—you’re a learner and a thinker.

A Practical Example: PARIS in Action

Let’s take a basic achievement and elevate it using the PARIS Method.

Basic Statement: “I created training materials for new software.”

PARIS Story:

• Problem: Our team was struggling to implement new project management software. Adoption rates were below 40%, causing delays and communication breakdowns.

• Action: I developed comprehensive training resources, including video tutorials, quick-reference guides, and interactive workshops tailored to different learning styles.

• Result: Within three months, adoption climbed to 95%, project delays dropped by 30%, and team communication satisfaction scores rose by 25%.

• Insights: I learned that successful training involves both technical clarity and attention to human factors in change management.

• Skills: This experience strengthened my instructional design, change management, and cross-functional communication skills.

Notice how much more engaging and meaningful that is?

How to Use the PARIS Method

The PARIS framework is versatile and powerful. Use it to:

• Improve your resume bullet points

• Prepare for behavioral interview questions

• Write standout LinkedIn content

• Navigate performance reviews

• Communicate your value in networking conversations

Pro Tip: Create 6–8 PARIS stories covering a range of strengths and challenges. You can then adapt them to suit different audiences and opportunities.

Your Turn: Craft Your PARIS Stories

This week, I challenge you to write two strong PARIS stories based on your most meaningful career achievements.

To help you get started, download the free PARIS Method Worksheet below. It includes reflection prompts, sample stories, and step-by-step guidance to help you uncover and frame your own achievements.

For a deeper exploration with stories and examples, check out this book: “Future-Proof: Build a Career That’s You.”  It covers many other tools to help you design a sustainable, fulfilling career.

Worksheet

👉 Download the free PARIS Worksheet below. You'll still have to customize it to make it fit your needs, but this should help you get going.

Click here for direct access. ✅ Google doc: click File, then Make a Copy

✅ Microsoft Word: click File, then Download, then choose Microsoft Word (.docx)

✅ PDF: click File, then Download, then choose PDF Document (.pdf)

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