Self-Promotion Doesn't Have to Turn You Into a Self-Absorbed A-Hole

It’s a funny thing, promoting yourself.

I’m fairly certain most people would rather have a perfectly minty molar ripped violently from their mouth, using a rusty tool from the 1950’s, performed by a man named Jacque, than they would ever want to dare “sound like they are bragging.”

Self-promotion is hard because nobody wants to be seen as self-absorbed—but there’s a difference, and it’s critical to your career. Why?

Making your achievements known is the only way that other people will actually know about them.

Revelational, I know. Can you believe that other people don’t actually know about how much money you raised last year? Or exactly how instrumental you were on that client project? Or how many fucking Facebook fans you have? (Because of course you’re assuming they’re looking, but surprise! They’re not.)

Make a list of not only your own accomplishments, but the things you’ve helped other people achieve, too. Then, keep a list of all the little things you do in a day. Publishing 365 blog posts a year, for example, may be something you’re entirely overlooking as noteworthy.

And then, instead of making a list of achievements, you make a list of facts.

Because, as a matter of fact, that’s the difference between bragging and self-promotion.

One is focused on what you did.

The other is focused on what got done.