“What have you done before?” is a track record check. The person asking is not collecting your job history. They are deciding whether you can deliver something like what they need. The best answer gives one or two outcomes, the problem behind them, and a link to their situation.
Most capable people answer the surface question. They list roles, years and tools, then wait for a spark that never comes. The list is accurate and still forgettable.
What is the Track Record Test?
The Track Record Test is one of the 13 tests in the Access Test, the framework developed by Art of Charm co-founder Johnny Dzubak. It sits in the Credential group, next to the Credential Opener (“What’s your background?”) and the Experience Check (“How long have you been doing this?”).
Those two ask who you are and how long you have been at it. This one goes a step further. It asks whether you have actually produced a result. You can hear it in a hiring conversation, a client meeting, or a casual “So what have you worked on?” at an industry event.
What is the person really testing?
They are testing risk. Trusting you with a project, an introduction or a seat at the table costs them something. Your answer is the evidence they use to decide how big that risk is.
The Access Test scores three things, and the Track Record Test touches all of them:
- Outcomes over activities. “I managed the migration” is an activity. “We moved four teams to the new system and support requests dropped” is an outcome.
- Abundance over validation seeking. You do not need them to be impressed. You are showing what you can do, calmly, and you are fine if it is not a fit.
- Strategic fit over self-promotion. The question is not “how great am I?” It is “how does my past work help with your problem?”
What is the difference between a weak and a strong answer?
Here is how the same question lands in four common situations. These are The Art of Charm’s guidance in our own words.
| Situation | Weak response | Strong response | Why it works |
|---|
| Hiring conversation | “I’ve been in operations for ten years, handled vendors, budgets and scheduling.” | “At my last company, deliveries kept slipping. I rebuilt how we planned with vendors, and we started shipping on time.” | The strong version names a problem and a change, so they can picture the result. |
| Client meeting | “We’ve done a lot of projects like this.” | “A client in your position struggled with onboarding. We simplified the first week, and their team started using the tool without hand-holding.” | A specific situation proves “a lot” without asking them to take your word for it. |
| Networking event | “Oh, lots of things. I’ve worn many hats.” | “Recently I helped a small team clean up their reporting so they could make decisions faster. What are you working on?” | One concrete example, then a question. It is easy to remember and invites a reply. |
| Introduction through a friend | “I’m kind of between things, but I have done a bit of everything.” | “I’ve spent the last few years helping teams fix messy handoffs. Lately I’ve been looking for a place where that matters.” | A clear thread beats a scatter of roles, and it points toward fit. |
How do I answer without sounding like I am listing achievements?
Tell the journey, not the trophy case. As the hosts put it on The Art of Charm podcast (What is Charisma and How to Become Charismatic in 3 Steps | Toolbox | The Art of Charm), “the key here when we think about how to actually sell ourselves is not talk about the destination, not talk about the achievements, the accomplishments list, your resume and everything that you have been able to gain for yourself in life, but instead sell yourself by talking about the journey”.
That advice is about selling yourself, and it fits a thirty second answer well. Use this three part pattern:
- Problem. What was going wrong or what needed to happen?
- Move. What did you do, in a sentence?
- Change. What was different afterward?
Then add one more line that connects it to them: “That is why your timeline caught my attention.”
What are some example lines I can use?
Adapt these to your own work. They are examples, not scripts to recite.
- Work event: “Last year our team inherited a support backlog nobody wanted. I set up a simple triage routine, and it stopped growing within a couple of months. What kind of backlog are you dealing with?”
- Client meeting: “We handled something close to this for a company with a similar setup. The first win was shortening the approval loop. Would that be the right place to start for you too?”
- Interview: “The closest example is a rollout where adoption was low. I talked to the people avoiding the tool, fixed two pain points, and usage picked up. I would approach your rollout the same way.”
- Social: “I spent a few years helping a nonprofit organize its volunteers. It was messy at first and a lot more fun by the end. Why do you ask?”
See the hidden test while it is happening
Questions like this one carry a second, unspoken question. The Access Test is a short video course (about 49 minutes) by Johnny Dzubak that names 13 of these hidden tests, each with a trigger phrase, what is being evaluated and a calibrated response. See how the Access Test works.
What mistakes should I avoid?
- Reciting your resume in order. It sounds like a list and hides your best example.
- Overclaiming. If it was a team effort, say so. Specific, honest credit builds trust.
- Going vague to stay safe. “A bit of everything” gives them nothing to hold on to.
- Answering with no link to them. A great story that does not touch their need can still feel like self-promotion.
- Talking too long. Stop after one story. Let them ask for the next.
- Getting defensive. If the question feels like a challenge, answer it calmly. It is usually a check, not an attack.
How can I practice this week?
- Day 1: Write down three results you are proud of. Use plain words, no jargon.
- Day 2: Turn each into the Problem, Move, Change pattern. Aim for thirty seconds when spoken.
- Day 3: Practice each one out loud, once, while walking or driving.
- Day 4: Pick the story that fits one real upcoming conversation and prepare a closing line that ties it to them.
- Day 5: Use one story in a real conversation. Notice what they ask next.
- Weekend: Review. Which detail made them lean in? Keep that, trim the rest.
If you tend to freeze up in these moments, our guide to how to stop being socially awkward can help with the nerves.
Where does this test connect to the others?
The Track Record Test works best after a good answer to the Credential Opener and the Experience Check. Together they form the Credential group. If the conversation opens with “Tell me about yourself,” see the Opening Test. You can see all of them in the 13 Access Tests.
What to remember
“What have you done before?” is rarely about your resume. It is a check on whether you can deliver, and a short story with a clear outcome passes it. If you want to get better at hearing the question underneath the question, explore the Access Test.
the key here when we think about how to actually sell ourselves is not talk about the destination, not talk about the achievements, the accomplishments list, your resume and everything that you have been able to gain for yourself in life, but instead sell yourself by talking about the journey
The Art of Charm podcast hosts, 36:08
as a good speaker you don't talk about the accomplishments, you don't talk about I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this. You, you structure your talk by saying this was my dream, this is what I struggled with, these were the obstacles
The Art of Charm podcast hosts, 37:19
what other deals have you done, what does it happen when those deals have gone sideways, you show up, you know, trying to help the deal, you put the jackboot on the neck of the company
Oren Klaff, 77:39
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Frequently asked questions
What does "what have you done before?" really mean?
Usually it means "can you show me you have handled something like this?" The person is judging risk. They want a reason to believe you can deliver, and a clear outcome is the quickest reason you can give.
How do I answer "what have you done before" without bragging?
Tell it as a short story about a problem and what changed, not as a list of your achievements. Credit the team where it is true, stay specific, and connect it to their situation. Specific and relevant sounds confident, not boastful.
What if I do not have much direct experience?
Use the closest real example and say so plainly. Name the problem you solved, what you did, and what you learned. Then say how that applies to their situation. Honest and relevant beats a stretched claim.
How long should my answer be?
Aim for about thirty to sixty seconds for one story. Then stop and let them ask for more. A short answer leaves them room to dig into the part they care about.
Is this the same as "tell me about yourself"?
No. "Tell me about yourself" is an open invitation to frame who you are. The Track Record Test is narrower: it asks for evidence of results. The two overlap, but this one rewards specifics over a broad story.
Does this apply outside job interviews?
Yes. It shows up at networking events, client meetings, and introductions through friends. It can sound like "So what have you worked on?" or "Have you done this kind of thing before?"
