How Modest People Say Theyre Good at Their Job - The Muse

How Modest People Say Theyre Good at Their Job - The MuseHow Modest People Say Theyre Good at Their JobWhen promoting yur professional capabilities- whether thats through an active job search or as an ongoing effort to affirm your personal brand- its ridiculously important that you toot your horn, and toot it well.Simply put, the easier you make it for people to quickly understand what youre all about, and why they (sure as heck) should care about you, the better the odds are that theyre going to want to know you, interview you, or drop everything to hire you.Most people, however, when faced with the task of shouting out whats so great about themselves sort of freeze. Or, they go about it in a way that comes out all wrong and leaves those on the receiving end with the wrong impression.Walking that line is truly challenging for most of us. Were taught from an early age to leid boast or brag. To not be cocky or arrogant. No one likes the peacock, my grandmother used to say. (I will arg ue that peacocks are cool as heck, but thats beside the point here.)And so, we err on the side of caution and- more often than not- end up underselling ourselves. We water down our amazingness in a way that makes us look like one of many. Another fish in the sea. A commodity.You are not corn. You dont want to come across as a commodity.So, how do you make it abundantly clear that youre great at what you do (and even more great to spend time with) without coming off like youre full of yourself? Here are four quick ways1. Make the Accomplishments Easy to See (and Understand)So many of us are great at rattling off the things that we do or have done. In fact, nearly every before resume that comes through the doors of my resume writing business focuses solidly on the duties and responsibilities that person holds. However, telling someone what you do doesnt necessarily help them see right off the bat that you truly rock at what you do.This is why its so important to share accomplishments on your resume, in your LinkedIn profile, and in conversations- both the quantitative results (saved the company 42% on office supplies) and the more qualitative ones (became a trusted resource for the companys most difficult client). Theres a saying thats perfectly apt here Dont tell them how great you are, show them. And you can do this by making your accomplishments easy to find, and easy to understand.2. Make the I Obvious by Showcasing the WeYou know whats coming- theres no I in team. (Sorry, I couldnt resist.) But seriously, framing your wins in the context of we is a great way to demonstrate how impressive you are without giving off so much as a whiff that youve got a giant ego. So, maybe you played a key role in taking your company through a complex technology integration. In fact, you may have been the linchpin to the entire project. However, you probably had teammates working side by side with you. Consider including them as you describe to someone how you nailed the assig nment, even if you were totally the hero. Its a simple shift thatll demonstrate humility while making your impressive performance clear. 3. Let the Others Speak for YouIts one thing for you to rattle on about how great you are (and, dont get me wrong, you should get comfortable promoting yourself). But it takes on a whole different level of power when someone else sings your praises. Ah, yes. The magic of third-party testimonials. When theyre good, they can be incredibly useful tools for branding yourself and helping you land your next role.Certainly, one of the most obvious places you can display a testimonial is on LinkedIn (as a recommendation). The trick here is this Ask with specificity. Instead of simply presenting a generic request, Hi. Will you please recommend me? consider asking the person to directly validate the things you most want to showcase about yourself. For instanceHi Mary, I hope youre doing well. Im working to better present my project management skills on Linke dIn. Since you and I worked on the XYZ project together, I thought you might be a great person to highlight these strengths. Would you be willing to share some feedback here?Bonus If you get a great quote back, you can pull out an excerpt and plug it into your resume.4. When Appropriate, Use HumorCertainly, Im not advocating that you attempt to be a stand-up comedian as means of affirming your professional expertise (unless, of course, you are one). But being funny goes a long way, not only in establishing your humanness, but also in engaging others.And while it may not necessarily showcase your hard skills, it can help people see pretty quickly that youre genuine, likable, and someone they want to be around. Self-deprecating jokes are probably the easiest way to go about this. Try it at a networking event, as you work to break the ice with a stranger youve just met (I can manage massive spreadsheets, but have yet to figure out how to hold a cocktail and a plate full of appetizers a t these events). Or, plug in a relevant story about yourself in your cover letter (If youd have told me on the day I caused that fire in science lab that Id grow up to be a chemist, Id never have believed you).Always remember that were all just people. And people like to be entertained, to smile, and to spend time with others who make them laugh. So, if you can weave that part of your personality into your professional conversations and your personal branding efforts, it could go a long way in demonstrating that youre someone special.Because, without a doubt, you are. Now, go make the world clear on this.