How to Communicate Your Talent with Confidence

Most of us were taught early on that it isn’t polite to brag. Boasting about our accomplishments and possessions is usually considered obnoxious behavior in nearly every society. People tend to avoid those types that regularly update you on their new car or latest luxury cruise. It doesn’t come across as sharing information or family news. What it does do is scream insecurity - loudly. There is, however, one exception.

When it comes to the current career marketplace, things are getting fierce. Almost everyone is feeling the pinch of the economic downturn while watching businesses shut down or downsize. Many jobs are being outsourced or eliminated altogether. So what does that mean to you? It means that if you’re not doing everything you can to secure your position, you could be one of the casualties in the next round of layoffs.

Think of putting the spotlight on yourself as a necessary way of surviving and thriving in today’s job market. If no one knows who you are, what you do, or how much you contribute, you may want to do more to increase your visibility. Coming in early and staying late is an admirable habit. But it’s useless if the only ones who see you putting in the extra time is the office cleaning crew.

There are ways to make your talents known and toot your own horn - without sounding like the guy everyone wants to avoid. That would be counterproductive in your mission to promote your career in the right way.

When speaking about yourself, your skills and your accomplishments don’t mince words. Make direct eye contact and focus on the quality of the achievement. It won’t sound boastful if you can communicate the information with pride and point to its benefits for the company. Your name will automatically become associated with that skill, product or service.

Another way to achieve recognition without words is to let the evidence do the talking for you. Rather than telling everyone you won a national design contest, place the certificate or plaque in a prominent place in your office, where everyone can see it. Sometimes showing is better than telling.

If you are called upon to speak about yourself, stick with the facts. Pointing out an increase in sales totals or the actual number of new accounts opened comes across much better than simply saying that you’re number one. Although saying you’re the best at what you do isn’t inappropriate, it’s always wise to pair the statement with factual information.

Nothing speaks louder than a job well done. Make sure to get the message out in every way possible – in front of decision makers and on the manager’s desk. Find out if the company newsletter will accept bits of interesting news from your department. Write your own press release and have it distributed by the local news services, then send the clip with a brief note to a few select executives. Offer to write an article for a trade journal or magazine. Be sure to have it ready to pull out when an annual reviews roll around or new positions are posted.

One important thing to note is that it’s not bragging if you have what it takes. Remember, it’s not what you say, as much as it is how you say it. And the times we’re living in call for a little shameless self-promotion.