THE ART OF THE BRAG
The secret to successful self-promotion
EVERYTHING IN MODERATION
‘It’s important to selfpromote in moderation,’ says Dr Harvey. ‘Do it too much and you’ll be perceived as narcissistic.’ A recent study* found a link between grandiose narcissism and use of social media for selfpromotion. ‘If you self-promote too much, people will disengage from it,’ warns Dr Harvey. ‘Swamping your followers will only alienate them so, to avoid that, read their engagement and make a judgement call on quantity.’
BE PROACTIVE
If you’d rather tear your skin off than selfpromote, there are other ways to get recognition. ‘It just comes down to communication and ensuring something is flagged,’ says Dr Davidson. Ask for regular self-assessments at work, to have your name included on reports you’ve worked on and to have emails sent out about what you’ve achieved as a team. It’s about assertion rather than bragging, and not just assuming that people will acknowledge you regardless.’
FAKE IT TILL
YOU FEEL IT
‘The feeling of discomfort produced by self-promotion is very common,’ says Dr Coen. ‘A lot of that comes down to imposter syndrome.’ Feeling like a fraud is particularly prevalent in women working in maledominated industries. The way to get past it? Fake it until you make it. ‘You just have to accept that and do it anyway,’ says Dr Coen. ‘Don’t exaggerate, stick to what you know, be genuine and be yourself.’
BE AUTHENTIC Want to maximise your Tinder matches? Research* has shown that the most successful dating profiles present not only your ideal self, but also an authentic one. ‘People obviously want to appear as attractive as possible,’ says Dr Ward. ‘To do this, they promote themselves in the best light, but stay within the confines of reality. It’s important that your profile reflects the real you if you want to connect. After all, no one wants to be a letdown on the first date.’
ENGAGE WITH EMPATHY
‘A lot of people who go in too hard with selfpromotion are lacking in empathy,’ says Dr Harvey. ‘Empathy lets you see things from the perspective of others. For example, look at the 10 selfies you posted this week. If someone else did that, would you think it was overkill? To self-promote positively, you need to engage in “framing”, where you put yourself in other people’s shoes. Can’t do that? Look for feedback from a trusted source.’
THE PRESENTER’S PARADOX
Think the fuller your CV is the better? Think again. While it might be tempting to add in the ‘holiday Spanish’ class you took last year, research* from 2011 shows that less is more. In a phenomenon psychologists call the presenter’s paradox, positive achievements are diminished when presented alongside those that are pretty meh. The message? When you’re polishing that CV, stick to your standout achievements. Comprende?