Toot your own horn

Maybe you're a very shy IT employee and don't like to tell your boss about the great things you have done. Maybe you are not a narcissist and don't like self promotion. And maybe you know that no one really likes a braggart. Yet there are times when you should allow yourself to do a little self-promotion to make sure the boss knows about your good work.

"1.2 million people are out of work, and it's only going to get worse," says Peggy Klaus, a workplace communication and leadership expert who wrote the book on self-promotion called Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It.

"You need to let people know what it is that you're doing, the success you're having, the obstacles you've overcome, the projects you're completing, so that when those layoffs are being contemplated, you come to mind as a person they need to retain," she said. "Your bosses aren't psychic. Bosses tell me, 'I have 70 people I oversee. I don't know what each one is doing. They need to let me know'."

Self-promotion may be particularly hard for IT professionals because they come out of education systems where the quality of their work speaks for itself, according to Jim Anderson, an IT consultant. There are many methods of self promotion and maybe it is time to get in the game. This week's CIO.com offers 8 possible options.

For details on how to represent yourself:
- see this CIO.com article

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