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.