Your Best You Forward

Trouble talking yourself up in the workplace? Here are a few tips from experts to help you position yourself for success -- without sounding arrogant:

List, and review, your accomplishments. When applying for a job -- or aiming to get assigned to that hot new project your company is tackling -- make a list of the requirements. Then make another list, this one of your best accomplishments, and highlight everything that relates to the assignment. That way, you'll have a wealth of talking points before going face to face with an interviewer or your boss -- and you'll be more likely to remember to bring up those points if the person in power forgets. "There's nothing worse than walking out of the interview and thinking, 'Oh, man, I completely forgot to tell them this,' " says Anne Jones, director of career management at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business.

Don't prattle on. Instead, structure your delivery to elicit questions. Ilise Benun, author of "Stop Pushing Me Around!: A Workplace Guide for the Timid, Shy, and Less Assertive" (Career Press, 2006), recommends the "10-word blurb," a concise answer that allows the person you are speaking with to choose any of your words and ask follow-up questions. Jones tells her students to practice giving answers within one minute and end by asking, "Does that cover your question?" If someone asks you to elaborate, your response will probably feel -- and sound -- less like self-promotion.

Increase your visibility. One way to feel more comfortable talking yourself up is to make yourself known. Mikelann Valterra, author of "Why Women Earn Less: How to Make What You're Really Worth," suggests asking yourself: "Can I speak up more in the company meetings? Can I write for the company newsletter? Post for the company blog?" That way, when you're gunning for a raise or a promotion, you'll feel less like you're springing one on your superiors.

Focus on the positive. Tory Johnson, chief executive of the job assistance company Women for Hire, says people worry too much about being judged, a fear that can prevent some from touting their achievements. Johnson says that when she tells an anecdote about a brief call she received from Bill Clinton, who congratulated her on a career fair she held after Sept. 11, 2001, she gets two responses: "One is a smile, as if to say, 'You go, girl!" she says. "The other is much more of a look to say, "Well, well, isn't Tory pleased with herself?" Ultimately, as a small-business owner, Johnson chooses to be proud of her accomplishments and share them. "If I focused on the naysayers, I'd never speak up," she says.

Practice! As with most things, practice makes perfect -- or at least increases your comfort level. Join professional associations in which people want to hear about your successes. Share your achievements with good friends, since they probably won't judge you. And before you make a big pitch on your own behalf, write it down and -- this is essential -- "practice in front of a mirror," Valterra says. "Otherwise, the words will just stick in your throat."

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