At work, everyone needs to be recognised for their hard work; for that presentation they did well and for their skills that are pertinent. In absence of this however, there are people who find no shame or see no harm in talking about how good they are or how much they have achieved. Some may think it as bragging, showing off or being arrogant and prefer to stay quiet until recognised. But if we really think about it, promoting yourself at work is a close step to letting your leaders know that you are aware of how good you are and you deserve recognition, yet this opens up success and doors to opportunities. Eliane Uwababyeyi a professional content creator says that pointing out what you are good at is no harm. That is recognising yourself as good and also creating opportunities for yourself, she says. “There is no such thing as ‘I will keep on being good until recognised without bragging about it.’ Not every leader can notice how every employee is good, and not everyone can see how good you really are if you stay in your corner and hope to be recognised one day,” according to Uwababyeyi. Sometimes it requires stepping up and saying it yourself without any shame. And if you are really good as you say, the facts will prove it too and maybe leaders will consider promoting you given how confident you are, she adds. Eddy Muhumuza a business development advisor at Business Development Fund (BDF) thinks that there is no need to self-promote as long as the facts are there to prove how good you really are. “At work, you don’t even have to prove it, your workmates know you very well and they see that. Workplaces are like homes, at home you don’t have to tell people you live together with that you are good at this and that. They know you and they know what you do and how good you are.” He adds that in a workplace, it’s about competencies and humility that will promote you. The difference you have made in people’s lives, the greatest accomplishments you have done, and the training, education or awards you have received. How to boldly promote yourself at work A business page called a beautiful mess says that self-promotion is key to a creative entrepreneur’s success. It is absolutely vital and there’s really no way around it. If you’re still in the boat of I-don’t-feel-comfortable-promoting-myself, you need to step out of your comfort zone. Elias Manzi, an illustrator says that being aware of how good you are is not annoying, it is acknowledging the fact that you appreciate how good you are and willing to see yourself winning. “The people that think that you are being annoying and yet they know that you are good are low-key haters because they don’t want to accept facts. They don’t wish to see you excelling,” he adds. Topresume, a career advice page shared some tips on how to self-promote without being annoying: Change how you think about self-promoting If the very idea of self-promotion makes you cringe, you need to change your perception entirely. You probably think it means bragging and pumping yourself up above others, but it doesn’t have to be like that. In fact, it shouldn’t be like that. Understand your best skills and accomplishments This may seem like one of those things that go without saying, but it really needs to be said. Before you can actively promote yourself within your work environment, you need to take note of what it is that you do best. Focus on the projects Now that you’ve done your personal inventory, it’s time to let your office know just how much you contribute. To make this easier, don’t focus on yourself, but on the successful projects that you’ve been a part of recently. Share kudos with your team Very few successes come from working alone. You probably had help, right? Take time to recognise those who helped make your accomplishments happen. Even if you have to dip into your own pocket to reward them with free lunch or a simple card, the benefits will outweigh the cost tremendously.
