How to Share Career Achievements Effectively

In my previous post about being "invisible" at work, many of you asked for a deeper dive into 'humblebragging' and standing out without overshadowing others. The Art of the Humblebrag: 1. Frame It as a Learning Experience ⤷ Tip: Instead of "I led a project that exceeded targets," try "I learned so much leading a project that taught me X, Y, Z." 2. Credit the Team ⤷ Tip: "We did an amazing job on this project. I'm so thankful for my team's hard work and effort." 3. Pair Achievements with Gratitude ⤷ Tip: "Honored to have led a workshop today. Grateful for the engaging participants who made it enriching." Boosting Your Visibility 1. Lead/Engage in Workplace Events ⤷ Tip: Offer to be part of panels, workshops, lead a tech talk or team-building activities. It's a great way to showcase soft skills. 2. Share Your Wins/Progress ⤷ Tip: Share your projects/wins, their progress, and outcomes on Wiki, slack, email, etc. It can be a bi-weekly/monthly email update or a project-end review. 3. Network Intentionally ⤷ Tip: Regular coffee chats with peers, seniors, and cross-department colleagues can do wonders. Building relationships is crucial. 4. Seek Feedback and Act on it ⤷ Tip: After a presentation or meeting, ask for feedback. It shows you value others' opinions and are on a quest to improve. Remember, it's not about being loud, but about being valuable. Be genuinely proud of your achievements and eager to share your insights. This way, you’re not just bragging; you're contributing. What are your favorite tips to increase visibility in the workplace? P.S. DM me if you want to chat about increasing your visibility or book time with me 1-on-1 (link in comments) ----- ✔️ Finding value in my content? Follow me and hit that 🔔 icon. ♻️ Think others could benefit? Don't hesitate to share! 👉 Together, we can pave your path to that dream job or promotion.

When introverts like us think about highlighting our accomplishments, we immediately conjure up certain individuals in our organization who brag incessantly. You know who I mean, the one who when you ask how they’re doing they say, “ Oh well the Chief Operating Officer stopped by my desk to get my input on their major project and over the weekend I went on the CEO’s private jet and then ran a marathon with the mayor…” When we hear that we think the person is annoying and self-serving. So there is a good reason that we don’t want to be seen as “that person”. But if we don't share our accomplishments and skills, we miss out. 💡You need to understand that most leaders walk around somewhere between mildly anxious and in full-on panic over where they are going to find the right resources to accomplish the latest mandate. The only way we’ll know, is if you tell us if you have the relevant experience. Look, even your strongest champions can’t keep total recall of your resume in their heads. It is your responsibility to keep us informed if you have skills that might be relevant. 📣It’s not bragging. It's leadership. Not to mention, it helps you get the recognition you deserve. So forget about the long-winded, cringy person who you are so desperately trying to not be like. Use this strategy to share your skills and accomplishments the right way: Be concise in your statement of your accomplishments. Be relevant to the topic at hand. All you have to do is state your relevant experience and ask if they want to hear more about it. Here’s an example: A few years ago, I was working with a non-profit on their strategy. One of their focus areas was increasing the number of volunteers. In the discussion I said, “I worked with another nonprofit on that very topic and we implemented a volunteer management program that achieved a 1000% increase in the number of volunteers and $60K+ in corporate grants in 12 months. Let me know if you want to talk more about what we did”. You will not be surprised to learn that they in fact did want to talk more about it. #innovation #entrepreneurship #engineering #leadership #management #womeninscience #diversityandinclusion 🎁P.S. If you are an advanced-degree scientist or engineer looking to increase your influence and earning potential, grab a copy of my FREE 20-page Leadership Blueprint. You can download it from the Feature Section of my profile.

Have you ever felt uncomfortable speaking about yourself? It's a task that seems straightforward but often leaves us bouncing between oversharing our resumes or grappling with uncomfortable silence and awkwardness. I’ve spent a lifetime of being asked to introduce myself. If only I knew in the beginning what I know now... that these introductions carry more weight than I ever thought. First impressions turn in the minds of listeners: Are you confident? Capable? Overbearing? Smart? Warm? Someone fun to be around? Should they do business with you? All while you race to figure out what to say. There are many introductions that I left feeling like I wanted a redo lol. I want to share a few tips to help you navigate introductions with more confidence and less awkwardness about feeling like you're “bragging.” 1. Add a Personal Touch: Maybe a personal detail or hobby that's unrelated to work. 2. Practice Open Body Language: Your mind may be SCREAMING that you have no clue what to say, but don't let your body language shut the interaction down. Practice open and inviting body language. 3. Include a Question: End your introduction with an open-ended question or a statement that invites further conversation. 4. Use Collaborative Language: It feels less like Bragging when you include others. Frame your achievements in terms of teamwork. 5. Balance Achievements with Aspirations: In addition to your accomplishments, mention areas where you're still growing or goals you're working towards. This can show humility, which goes a long way with most people. 6. Mindful Storytelling: Tell the story behind your achievements – the challenges, the teamwork, the learnings. This makes your journey relatable and less like a list of accomplishments.

"How do I share my accomplishments without sounding like I'm bragging?" My client wanted to know, especially when he was sharing a personal story at a work event. He had completed his THIRD Ironman competition and was eager to share, but didn't want to brag. "It must have been easy for you? The Ironman?" "Oh my gosh, NO! It was really hard. I remember training for the first one and almost giving up. I was doing my first century (100 mile) bicycle training and wasn't as prepared as I should have been. It felt impossible." I pulled the story out of him, one sentence at a time. "Mike, that's how you share about your accomplishment. Start with the obstacle. Start with the part that was hard for you and how you managed the fear and the challenge. Everyone can relate to nearly giving up on something that's really difficult." What stories are you holding back in sharing because you don't want to sound like you're bragging? If you're looking for a job or a promotion, you have to be able to tell people what you're great at. They have to know what matters to you, what motivates and inspires you. And when you share the right story, personal or work, you offer a glimpse into your character and talents, making people curious to learn more. #storytelling #jobinterview #jobinterviewtips #storytellingcoach #jobseeker

Happy New Year! To give back to our community, I write a free blog for anyone looking to transition to corporate Learning & Development. Posts include tips for a successful job search, explanations of basic instructional design concepts, and stories from my own career pivot. Let's start off 2024 talking about performance reviews and how to appropriately toot your own horn. In the corporate world, you review your own performance annually. This self-review is then included along with other factors in compensation decisions like raises or bonuses. I have a system that makes my self-review during the performance review cycle seamless. Every Friday, I jot down a list of my achievements for the week, highlighting the most significant wins. I also drop in screenshots of positive feedback, data, or quotes from colleagues and customers as evidence. When it comes time to write my performance review, all of my major wins are already listed for me. All that remains is to explain how these accomplishments supported team and company goals. I find myself having to pare down the write-up from a long block of text to a bullet point list using a hierarchy that draws attention to the most impactful items. Always link your achievements to the larger organization. For example, if increasing customer satisfaction was a company goal, connect the PMP course you took to an actual project you managed with higher than usual survey results. Every item in your performance review should have measurable evidence as support, similar to a resume. And the biggest thing to remember is that your manager is not a mind-reader. Set aside the humility and share your wins. No one is going to sell your awesomeness except for you. View my blog at the link below for a bonus podcast episode on this topic. #CorporateWork #CareerDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment #FormerTeacher #TransitioningTeachers #InstructionalDesign #PerformanceReviews Image Description: A white female manager with short curly brown hair sits at an office desk holding a clipboard speaking to a Black male employee in a wheelchair