It can hurt your career if you don’t know how to promote yourself properly. It can also hurt your career if you approach your self-promotion in the wrong way: It can sound like a humble brag, which is off-putting, even if it gives the appearance of being humble. So, just how can you promote yourself, without sounding cocky? It’s all in the approach. Here are five tips to help you promote yourself and not sound like a jerk.
1. Just the Facts
One way to avoid looking like a jerk is to focus on the facts of your accomplishments, rather than superlatives. The site points out that if you say something like, “social media expert” on your resume, that can be easily disputed. (And it looks like you’re bragging.) However, if you focus on the number of Twitter or Instagram followers you have or you can demonstrate how your social media marketing campaigns have produced real results, with concrete numbers, you sidestep the braggart label.
There is a related corollary to this. It’s also possible to use other people’s testimonials about you to back up your claims. It’s one thing to call yourself a social media expert. It’s another thing altogether to have a client say that about you. If you can combine real numbers with client testimonials, you present yourself as knowledgeable, without sounding like you’re promoting yourself.
2. Tell Stories
Another way to avoid sounding like you’re bragging is to tell stories. Stories reveal who people are at their core. And stories told with humor pack an extra humble punch if they’re told right. They allow you to be self-deprecating, which can be appealing if done correctly.
Additionally, a different, more emotional part of the brain becomes active when a person hears a story. If you’re able to highlight an important accomplishment but do so using a compelling story, then you stand a better chance of making a true connection with your audience.
3. Have a Friend Brag For You
You’re not bragging if your wingman does it. A business colleague or a friend who introduces you to an important industry contact prevents you from having to approach someone you don’t know. It also puts you in the position of having a warm introduction to a new client. If your colleague has done the introduction correctly, your new industry friend should know all about your accomplishments before the conversation between you two ever gets started.
4. Use Your Resume Effectively
Your resume is a place where hiring managers expect you to brag a little. You still want to backup your assertions with facts, as has already been pointed out. If you’re not sure you can do this on your own, it is in your best interest to get a coach, who can help you with your resume and job-interviewing skills. You’ll find such a service at https://employmentboost.com/executive-resume-writing-services/, for example. Such coaching can help you outline your accomplishments in the best way, without making you seem like a jerk.
5. Talk About Your Challenges
If you’ve reached the pinnacle of success in your industry, it can seem like everything comes easily to you, at least from the outside looking in. That’s where talking about the struggles that you encountered along the way can be so helpful. Think about J.K. Rowling’s story. Her Harry Potter books, plus the movies and the theme parks have made her a billionaire. Yet, most people know that she was a single mother on welfare before she became famous.
It’s a topic that she speaks about often in interviews. It gives her a human touch and makes her seem genuine. Her story also allows people to see themselves in her place, which in turn helps them to believe that they might accomplish what she has. All of this, in turn, helps her to avoid the humble brag. (If you’re not sure what a humble brag is think on the famous actor who takes a selfie in front of all his Emmy’s under the guise of giving you a home tour.)
Final Thoughts
Most people have trouble with self-promotion. A good number of people resort to humble bragging, which can feel off-putting to the person on the receiving end of the brag. There are better tactics for promotion, like backing up your accomplishments with facts or having someone else brag about you to an important industry contact.
However, if you’re not sure if what you’re saying about yourself sounds like bragging, then it might be helpful to get a business coach, who can help you market yourself in a way that’s appealing and effective.
