Skip to main content

Work/Life: The art and balance of effective self-promotion

 

On this episode of Work/Life, Ciara Pressler, founder and author of Pregame, talks with Greg Nibler about the challenges many of us face when it comes to the art of self-promotion. She looks into the reasons why you need to continue to self-promote, and how to do it in a way that isn’t, well, “gross.”

First, she notes, self-promotion is necessary “because no one is going to do it for you. You need to be your own best cheerleader and your best advocate.” Whether it’s to expand your own business, or because you are about to reenter a job field that will be packed with other people looking for work, self-promotion is what will make you stand out from other candidates, and is your opportunity to “shout out your own accomplishments,” Pressler says. After all, nobody else will know about your skill sets and talents unless you tell them yourself. Simply put, she says, “you have to advocate for yourself.”

So how do you go about advocating for yourself in a way that isn’t annoying or overkill? The first step, Pressler notes, is to just state the facts. Recount your accomplishments in the way you would normally speak about things, without the flowery, false humility language many of us have been taught to use that feels like we might be “bragging.” Speak of your achievements and success with simple, plain language, which will find the balance between owning your achievements and being humble.

The next step, she says, is “to stuff the ballot box. You have to get other people to amplify what you’re saying.” You can’t just sit back and wait for recommendations, or wait for people to repost or share your information and work. Find your own “hype team” who are in your corner and want to see you succeed. “Ask clearly, and say ‘thank you,’” she says. Having people in your corner to help with referrals and to move your personal message and skills along goes a long way in getting your name out there.

Finding a mix of humility and advocacy can change your job prospect landscape, whether it’s finding a new position within a company, or expanding your current business or freelance work.

For more Work/Life, visit http://www.digitaltrends.com/business

Todd Werkhoven
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Todd Werkhoven's work can be read at numerous publications and he co-authored a personal finance book called "Zombie…
What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Read more
How to create a new team in Microsoft Teams
Example of Teams chat.

Few communication applications are as versatile as Microsoft Teams. Along with allowing you to send quick messages to teammates or launch a video chat, the software is fully integrated with Office 365 so you can optimize its performance. If you know how to use Microsoft Teams, you'll know that one of its most useful features is the ability to create a new team.

Knowing how to make a new team and how to properly organize teams makes it easy for a company to enhance productivity and streamline communication. When used effectively, Microsoft Teams is useful for both in-office and remote workers, ensuring everyone stays on the same page regardless of location.

Read more
How much is Microsoft Office?

The Microsoft Office app on PC.

Microsoft Office, or Microsoft 365 as it's known today, is the full suite of Microsoft work-related applications. It includes iconic programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, as well as more modern additions like Teams and OneDrive. You can use a number of these for free in their web versions, or you can pay a monthly subscription to use their downloaded, local versions.

There is no single price for Microsoft 365, as it's only available on the software as a service (SAAS) model, but the monthly cost differs depending on whether you're a home user or business user, and whether you're looking to subscribe for just yourself, or an entire team.

Read more