I think that we all slightly cringe when we see someone engaging in arrant self promotion. It rubs against our sense that a degree of modesty is a virtue to be admired. Yet, there are times and places when, perhaps, our wish to be modest might work against us in ensuring that we are maximising our career potential. Let’s look at this a little more deeply.
In order to get promotion or to be approached by other firms who are looking for what you have to offer, it’s important that a number of things are met:
- You’re really clear about what it is that you’ve achieved and the specific value you can add - what impact will you have in your next role? This is the first step in getting your messaging clear and consistent. This is also very important when it comes to interviews - whether they be for internal promotion or externally with other firms for new jobs. When you go into an interview, the person who needs to be most convinced that you can deliver is you. If you’re not convinced, then you’re unlikely to persuade anyone else. The way you present yourself may well come across as weak and half-hearted, which evidently, isn’t going to help you promote yourself as the ideal candidate.?
- Have a clear message. It’s critical to create a number of statements of what you can do, the things that you would be able to achieve with evidence, and mini case studies to give those statements credence. And this is where we can strike the difference between ‘bragging’ and simply stating the facts as clearly as we can, but in a compelling manner. Preparing those statements becomes an absolute must because they enable you to prepare answers for questions that you can anticipate might be asked by someone reading your CV, your LinkedIn Profile, your application, and so on.?
- “I’m not good at selling myself in job interviews'“ is something that I often hear from my coaching clients when I start working with them. This is despite the fact that they are highly competent people who are often at the top of their game. Having clear and compelling statements of value is something that we work hard on because they are so useful in interviews. They can be used to address pain points, needs and desires that have been identified, or simply to answer questions. Just as importantly, it helps my clients move away from a sense that they may be being immodest and instead focus on creating the match in the mind of the interviewer between what they are looking for and what you have to offer. The emphasis here is on clarity of communication, which is no longer being blocked by the fear of bragging.
- A side note. This sense of modesty may be a contributing factor to why some professionals only want to connect on LinkedIn to people that have actually met in person. There is no question that the platform has become an absolutely essential tool for your career. Becoming connected with a large number of highly relevant people is one way to ensure that you are ‘findable’ on the platform. If you are not, sorry to say, then you are working against yourself and are simply missing out by not using the potential that the platform offers.?
Modesty is a wonderful character trait yet we should accept that there are times and places where it is entirely fine to let people know about you and your capabilities. It’s good for you and good for a prospective firm too. So, become clear about what you can offer, place that neatly into your CV and LinkedIn profile, and be ready to discuss with sufficient detail and conviction in conversations internally and perhaps in job interviews.
I hope you find this useful. If you want to make some changes in your career, then let’s chat.?
