The WHIP Method - A Tool For Assessing, Teaching, and Communicating Transferability

Introduction

The WHIP Method is a powerful technique designed to help you articulate your accomplishments in a clear, concise, and quantifiable way. It focuses on extracting the impact of your work so you can showcase value and secure interviews.

The primary goals of the WHIP Method are to:

  • Assess skills and experience transferability:
    Using narrative and qualitative inquiry techniques, WHIP helps you examine what you know, what you've done, and what you can prove about your skills, knowledge, and experience.

  • Quantify achievements:
    Translate responsibilities into measurable results.

  • Highlight impact:
    Demonstrate the value you brought to previous roles.

  • Prepare for interviews:
    Develop foundations for compelling and memorable interview narratives.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps to break down any job duty using the WHIP Method:

What:
Describe the action you took or the responsibility you held.
What did you do?

How:
Explain the method or approach you used to accomplish it.
How did you do it?

Identify:
Pinpoint the metric, audience, or area you impacted.
What was affected?

Proof:
Provide quantifiable data or evidence to demonstrate the result or impact.
How much or to what extent?

Example

What: Managed social media accounts
How: By implementing a content calendar and engaging with followers
Identify: Follower engagement
Proof: Resulting in a 30% increase in engagement rate and a 15% growth in followers within six months

Sample Sentence:
Implemented a content calendar and engagement strategy to manage social media accounts, increasing engagement by 30% and followers by 15% in six months.

Additional WHIP Breakdowns

Example 1: Customer Service Representative

  • What: Resolved customer inquiries

  • How: By providing prompt and accurate information

  • Identify: Customer satisfaction

  • Proof: Achieved a 95% satisfaction rating based on post-resolution surveys

Example 2: Project Manager

  • What: Led cross-functional project teams

  • How: Using Agile methodologies and collaborative tools

  • Identify: Project delivery

  • Proof: Delivered 10 projects on time and under budget, resulting in 20% cost savings

Example 3: Sales Associate

  • What: Managed key client accounts

  • How: By building strong relationships and providing tailored solutions

  • Identify: Sales revenue

  • Proof: Increased revenue by 25% within one year for assigned accounts

Next Steps

Now that you understand the WHIP Method and have practiced using the worksheet:

  • Repeat this process for each key job duty.

  • Focus on the impact of your actions, not just the tasks.

  • Use metrics, outcomes, or comparisons whenever possible.

  • Strong action verbs + measurable results = stronger interviews and documents.

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Conducting a Job Posting Analysis to Develop Cover Letter Content