Want to Brag About Your Accomplishments Without Looking Like You’re Bragging? Try Sharing the Credit

Man bragging
Image via iStock.

Job interviews are a bit of an odd situation because you are basically being asked to explain what makes you so great, but you also have to worry about not coming across as conceited.

It can be a difficult tightrope to walk, but The Wall Street Journal argues that bragging about your accomplishments is fine, so long as you share the credit.

This technique can be used to launch into how you were valuable to the effort while simultaneously making it clear that you are cognizant it was a team effort.

Imagine any time you may have worked for a company where the whole office was putting in hard work for a major project. But when it was completed, your boss’s big moment of gratitude was just something like a pizza party.

It felt like insufficient thanks for the effort and almost like your work is being taken for granted.

Your own personal moments of gratitude are a time to show how good of a team player you are by giving everyone their props.

It may not even be a deliberate decision on your part, but only focusing on how significant an accomplishment is for you can feel like you are trying to push other people out of the spotlight.

That is why awardees often have a list of dozens of people they spend the whole time thanking at celebrity award ceremonies.

Secure and confident people don’t worry about not having all the attention on them. When asked about your accomplishments, view it as a question regarding what you have achieved and how you view achievements.

Even the most successful person can be so abrasive that others would prefer not to work with them.

When people find you sharing your accomplishments to be braggadocious, it is probably because they feel you are not giving credit where it is due. It’s fine to pat yourself on the back, but don’t fail to recognize everyone else who helped make the project a success too.

For further reading on how you can tactfully boast about what you have done, give a look to The Wall Street Journal’s article here.

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How do you promote yourself without seeming conceited, arrogant, or braggadocio?

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Wilmington University, the sponsor of VISTA Today — Career Corner, is a private, open-access institution that serves more than 20,000 adults, including those seeking advancement through higher education and traditional-age students who aspire to become successful global citizens.

One of the most affordable private universities in the Delaware Valley, WilmU is committed to the idea that finishing an undergraduate degree or obtaining a master’s or doctoral degree can be affordable and accessible.

The University offers over 200 accredited and career-relevant degree and certificate programs in flexible online and hybrid formats designed to accommodate adults of all ages who work full- or part-time or juggle demanding career, family, and personal schedules.

Learn more about WilmU here or register to attend one of the University’s webinars. You will find information about academic programs, flexible scheduling options, tuition, admissions, student services, athletics, and more.

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