You held an important role in a company or project
For example: founded a business, led operations, or owned a key product or research effort.

Others adopted your work, or it had wider impact
For example: a technology was adopted, a method spread, or a product addressed a real problem in the field.

Media covered you and your work
For example: a profile or industry report that discusses your actual work.

You were invited to evaluate other people's work
For example: judging a competition, reviewing manuscripts, or assessing industry projects, with work actually completed.

You received an award or honor in your field
Look for awards with documented selection rules, recipient lists, and recognized scope.

You published scholarly work in your field
For example: scholarly articles in professional journals, major trade publications, or other major media.

You received relatively high personal compensation for your work
Salary or service compensation should be compared with appropriate benchmarks in the field.

Professional achievement earned you selective association membership
Membership requires outstanding achievements judged by experts, not merely payment of dues.