Is it OK to Brag?

Posted on March 25, 2022March 12, 2024 by Emily Wong

It’s so HARD for me to talk about myself!

I hear this a lot. And I get it.

You don’t feel the need to shout your achievements from the rooftops. You’re a high achiever, and there’s a reason you got where you are: you spend more time showing what you can do, so you haven’t needed to talk about it.

And to be clear, showing vs. telling is the first rule of creating a standout career profile.

But you have to promote yourself to rise above the competition.

So, where’s the balance between obnoxious self praise and underselling yourself?

While all elements in your career profile should complement each other in promoting you as the best candidate, each plays a slightly different role in the process, and therefore works best with a nuanced tone.

Let’s look at the 3 main elements of your career profile—your resume, LinkedIn page, and cover letter—and how using those subtle changes in tone for each will create a compelling package that’s irresistible for the reader.

Resumes

Although technically resumes are written in the first person (with the pronoun “I” understood), omitting the pronoun allows you to brag more than if you were to write something as a full-on first-person account.

Yes, you can (and should!) refer to yourself as a “turnaround expert” or “top-performing sales manager in the country” if that’s who you are.

You also can (and should!) tweak your resume for each company to which you apply. This means swapping out some skills and achievements for relevancy, but it could also mean changing up your tone, depending on the culture.

Here’s an example of how you can adjust to fit the reader’s interest:

If your current title is “Customer Happiness Director” (yes, there’s such a title!) and you’re moving to a similar culture, you can leave that title as is. But if you’re targeting a more traditional company, change your title to the more common “Customer Service Director.”

The summary section (which replaces the nebulous objective statement) should be a quick snapshot of who you are and what your unique value is.

Use the summary section to highlight your most amazing achievements. This is NOT the place to be humble.

If you’re still worried about sounding boastful, stories about your role on high-performing teams can alleviate that. How you share credit speaks volumes about how you would support others in the organization, regardless of the company you’re targeting. 🌟

Another way to warm up your resume’s tone—and help you connect with the reader on a personal level—is to include outside interests and community involvement, even if these aren’t related to your career.

If it’s not relevant to your career, though, keep it short. A line or 2 is plenty. If the information is relevant, you can dedicate more space to this section.

LinkedIn grew up quickly and came up with their own guidelines while the resume police weren’t looking: namely, you must have a photo and you can be as serious or playful as the industry you’re targeting (while keeping it professional and family-friendly, of course 😎).

This is a good thing for job seekers and recruiters alike.

On LinkedIn, you’re now free to add a layer of texture that you can’t in a resume—so have a little fun!

If you’re targeting young startups, for example, you have more leeway to exude your quirky sense of humor. On the other hand, if your target is traditional banks, you might want to dial that back.

Write in the first person, and include pronouns. Here’s why: this is your opportunity to connect with your reader. The third-person voice feels cold and distant by comparison.

You can only write one LinkedIn profile, so you’ll have to reach a broader audience than you would with a resume. This means giving some thought as to how you can capture the widest audience while staying true to yourself and not sounding so broad that you lack focus.

LinkedIn allows for a more conversational tone, and since it’s in the first person, think about what you’d say face-to-face. Would you actually say “As the top-performing sales manager in the country, I turned around an underperforming region”?

That could depend on your style and the companies you’re targeting. But if you’re not comfortable saying that in the first person, you could say something like:

“A highlight of my career was leading my team of 40 in turning around the eastern region, with record results.”

This small tweak achieves 2 things:

It reaches the widest possible audience by talking about a skill (leading large teams in a turnaround, problem solving) with broad industry appeal.
It allows you to stay humble without downplaying your achievement. Bringing the team into the mix tells the reader that you’re a team-first leader who shares credit—a quality any employer would love.

Do avoid saying things like “I have excellent leadership skills.” For one thing, it doesn’t provide any proof points.

As far as hard-hitting phrases about your achievements, you should still use phrases like “Award-Winning National Sales Leader” in your heading.

You can also include a sub-section in the About section like AWARDS, and then list them. This tactic, in addition to populating the awards section of your profile, is a great way to avoid directly stating that you’re an award winner, if that makes you uncomfortable.

As with your resume, add a little flair (and possible point of connection with the reader) by including a sentence or two about your personal side. Who knows—your reader may share an interest in your rare Japanese manga collection.✨

Cover Letters

Ah, the cover letter. To write or not…

Not every organization will ask for one, but some will, and at the very least you’re likely to get knocked out of the running if you don’t include it where it’s required.

It’s also easy to think of the cover letter as that annoying extra chore that someone may or may not read, but don’t be tempted to reuse the same cover letter for every job.

This is your chance to connect with the reader, so dedicate a sentence or two to why you’re applying for that particular role.

Of course, you’ll write this in the first person, and the tone should fit the culture of the company.

For example, if you’re seeking a financial role at a traditional company, your tone may be different from that of someone applying for a marketing role at a startup.

Your research (on your connections who work there, on the company website, on their social media posts) will inform you why it’s the right company for you and whether it’s a playful or serious culture.

To be clear, humility does play a part in success.

As in the case of your resume and LinkedIn profile, if you want to communicate that you value working within teams, share compelling stories about your achievements while elevating those with whom you work. Doing so conveys your sense of community—and who doesn’t appreciate community right now?

I’m not a fan of the closing that assumes the reader will accept your call, as in, “I’ll call you on Thursday to set up an appointment.” Say instead something like, “I look forward to expanding on why my experience will help you achieve the results you need to lead the market. I welcome a call at a mutually convenient time to discuss…”

Then follow up in a week with an email or call if you haven’t heard anything.

This approach is confident without being pushy.

Pulling it Together

There you have it: the 3 major parts of your career profile, and how they each have their own slight difference in tone. But not so much that the reader will wonder whether they’re reading about the same person.

Stay true to your brand, and focused on whom you want to attract.

So, what do resumes, LinkedIn, and cover letters have in common?

None look good packed full of jargon. Younger companies especially have a BS meter.

And sincerity is key. If you say you’re passionate about digital strategies, for example, make sure you can back it up with actions and results. Better yet, how about saying you’re committed to leveling up digital strategies, instead? It sounds more believable.

Need a second pair of eyes?

Tone is tricky, and there can be slight nuances in the best way to self-promote, depending on your industry or field. If you’re concerned about whether you’re striking the right tone, you can schedule a free 15-minute phone consult here.

Be sure to include the item you’d like reviewed (your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter, or brief networking correspondence) so we can look at it together.

I’m cheering for you!