Why You Should Start "Bragging" Today

If you’re like most of us, you were taught to do your best and you’d be rewarded appropriately. Women, in particular, seem hesitant to blow our own horns or sing our own praises.

The problem is that no matter how good you are, if you don’t reach out and tell the world, you’re going to miss key opportunities. It’s not that people are purposely passing you by, but there are so many other stimuli that your value can get lost in the commotion.

In my upcoming book Marketing Above the Noise, I talk about how all of this noise in the marketplace hurts organizations and brands as they try to market themselves. Here’s something I don’t talk about in the book: It hurts each of us as individuals as well.

A big part of your career planning in today’s environment should be making sure you are getting good visibility for the work you do with your management team.

This doesn’t mean you should be arrogant. Nor does it mean you should be obnoxiously promoting yourself at all times and in all places. However, it does mean the onus is on you, not your manager, to make sure you get credit for your capabilities.

Men do this all the time. Women, not so much. We tend to wait for others to promote us, rather than to promote ourselves.

In my last post, I talked about building the personal brand for which you’d like to be known. Once you’ve done this, look for opportunities in the work environment where you can shine. Then stand up and take your rightful place in the spotlight.

If you’ve led a major new initiative or been part of a team that is receiving recognition, make sure you own that experience. Look for opportunities to speak or write about the great work you’ve done. Perhaps there’s an internal meeting where you can speak. There might be a company blog or intranet looking for content—submit a short piece. There may be the chance to mentor others so they can learn how to do this great work, too.

Don’t stop at internal opportunities. Are there industry associations you can join? Many of these groups would be thrilled to have a competent, respected professional like you in their ranks, or on their committees. What about volunteer or pro bono work? Look for opportunities that use your specific skills and capabilities. Anyone can stuff envelopes, but perhaps you can update the organization’s database, create attractive fliers for the next group event, or solicit donations from community leaders.

It’s important to make sure that you keep your online presence updated. Include information about your successes in your LinkedIn profile. Post relevant comments in appropriate LinkedIn groups. Create a blog, if that makes sense, or comment on someone else’s professional blog.

Finally, always be aware of what people will find about you when they search online. Google yourself and see what comes up. If there’s not a lot, consider how you can build your online presence (hint: more LinkedIn posts, join Google+, post videos to YouTube, etc.). If there are multiple people with a name similar to yours, try to build an online presence that will differentiate you from them and bring you to the top of a Google search.

Remember: As good as you might be, there’s no music unless you make it. Go out and blow your own horn!

-Linda Popky, President, Leverage2Market Associates