Navigating the job market is often a difficult and strenuous experience, even for the most experienced of job-seekers. It’s common knowledge that standing out as an ideal candidate is vital to successful networking and job hunting, but it’s not always easy to find the appropriate way to “brag” about your skills and experiences. Check out this great article from Anna James on how to promote yourself effectively:

Self-promotion is imperative to growing one’s brand.

I once introduced a baseball player to a CEO of a large sporting agency. They exchanged their names and little else. Afterwards, I asked the athlete why he didn’t mention that he’d been signed twice to minor league organizations, information I believed would have made a real impact during the conversation. The ballplayer shyly explained that it would have been “awkward” to mention his achievements.

Without a little bragging, you’ll squander opportunities, just like that athlete. Here are six steps to developing your own self-promotion strategy, and how to tell people you’re the best without actually saying it:

1. Identify what you’ve done and and what you’re good at. List your achievements, including the endeavors you worked really hard and failed at. This is your personal performance map illustrating how far you’ve come and what you can promote. You’ve done the hard yards — own it. We are told all of our lives that modesty is paramount and we must work in silence until we reach our end goal, but remember we have every right to celebrate our achievements along the way.

Full piece here.