How to Brag About Your Professional Accomplishments Without Actually Bragging
Posted August 17th, 2016
While most people are aware that, in order to be seen as an asset within a workplace or industry, it is often required to speak to one’s accomplishments. The challenge can be determining how to present the information in a way that does not come off as boastful or arrogant. If you are trying to find a way to make your accomplishments know without having to spend a lot of time tooting your own horn, consider these more subtle options.
Brag as a Group
One of the simplest ways to speak towards your achievements is to take advantage of scenarios that involved a group of people. This can include enlisting assistance from team members in bending another person’s ear about your work, or allowing a conversation to develop based on the result of a team effort.
Having others speak to your capabilities not only avoids the sense of bragging about one’s accomplishments, but it also reinforces that others found value in the work you provided as well. If you finished a team project, make sure to speak to their good qualities as well. In fact, if you do not feel comfortable directly asking someone to speak to your capabilities, a well-placed compliment may encourage them to respond in kind.
Keep Your Boss Informed
Depending on the number of people for which your supervisor is responsible, they may not be fully aware of the precise nature of how your job duties are accomplished. Take the time to make sure your boss is up-to-date on your progress and achievements. Not only is it helpful for them to know the status of tasks or projects that are currently in the works, it also allows you a chance to subtly remind them of the value you provide and the skills you bring to the team or business.
Quantify Your Accomplishments
When discussing your duties and achievements, spend time on those that can be supported by concrete metrics. While saying that the new process you developed saved the company a “large sum of money,” may come off as arrogant, saying, “Based on the process I developed, the business has experienced savings in the amount of $100,000 this year,” feels more like a statement of fact than an attempt to talk yourself up.
Don’t Minimize Your Accomplishments
One way many people try to avoid coming off as a braggart is to minimize their accomplishments, or hide them within other extraneous statements. While it may seem subtle on the outside, it can often be received more poorly than coming straight out with the news. It can seem as though you are digging for compliments and praise while also coming off as a bit insecure as it attempts to hide the action within a modest statement.
When it comes to presenting your accomplishments, it is often best to be straightforward and honest. Avoid using language that looks to hide or negate the nature of the achievement and instead focus on fact as well as any positive feelings you may have regarding it.
Understand Your Audience
No matter what the accomplishment is, or how it is presented, there are certain instances where it is best to keep certain comments to yourself. This can include situations that are socially sensitive, such as touting a workplace achievement to someone who just suffered a serious job loss, as well as those that are professionally sensitive, such as reviewing personal accomplishments within a group task without acknowledging the work of the others.
If you are uncertain how to frame your accomplishments in an appealing way, the employment specialists at Bayside can help get you on the right path. Contact Us Today!
