How To Practise Self-Promotion At Work (Without Being Too Obnoxious)
This is another guest post by the wonderful Lucy Rose. Thank you Lucy, for allowing me to share this post.
Many of us cringe at the mere thought of tooting our own horn. But in the workplace, this kind of confidence is essential if you want to see significant professional growth. Studies have found that confident people generally achieve more in their careers, and this is largely linked to how they assert themselves in the workplace. Self-promotion doesn’t have to come off as bragging; it’s all about being proud about what you’ve accomplished and owning it. However, the line between self-promoting and boasting is quite thin — here’s how to do it without coming off as a total jerk.
Increase Your Visibility
You have the skill and experience to do the job excellently, but unless people know about it, you could miss out on plenty of opportunities. Make sure that people can see what you’re doing by talking to your colleagues, even those you don’t work with directly. Volunteer to represent your team whenever possible, and participate in your company’s events.
Even though you’re not actively looking for better job opportunities, having an up-to-date LinkedIn account, as well as a professionally designed website or online portfolio, is also crucial for career growth. These are easy ways for potential employers to learn about your services, and without them, you could be losing out on career growth. That said, just having a website isn’t enough — it’s also important that you work on making sure that your site comes up on search engines, so it’s also a good idea to take an online course or two in SEO.
Make The Most Of Performance Reviews
Your performance review isn’t the place or time to practise humility. While it’s a good way to understand your manager’s perception of your work, it’s also an opportunity to highlight your accomplishments. If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of talking yourself up, all it takes is preparation and practice. Start by writing down a list of your contributions to the team, and practise saying them. It may feel strange at firsts, but with practice, talking about your accomplishments will come more naturally. Plus, it’ll boost your confidence as well.
Don’t Overdo It
While talking about your accomplishments will make you more comfortable at doing so, you also run the risk of coming off as arrogant if you do it incorrectly. Read the room and pay attention to people’s body language. Take into account how you speak about your achievements, and who you talk to. For example, you don’t have to sell yourself to your coworkers: you want their support. Do this by building positivity by acknowledging their good work as well — this shows that you’re a team player. Talk about your accomplishments to people who have the power to advance your career: your bosses, potential clients, business leaders, and so forth.
Tell A Story
While going into the specifics about how you improved your company’s bottom line may be effective on your resume or even in a job interview, if you talk about numbers in a normal conversation, that’s a quick way to make your listener tune out. Make your accomplishments easy to listen to by telling stories that people can connect to. Instead of making yourself out to be a superhuman worker, allow yourself be relatable.
Learning how to promote yourself effectively is essential to career growth. However, there is a time and place to do so. Figuring out the balance is tricky, but when in doubt, focus on staying true to yourself.
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