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SCMP Reporter

Title: Brag! The art of tooting your own horn without blowing it

Author: Peggy Klaus

Publisher: Warner Business Books, 2003, 193 pages

IT IS TOUGH telling potential employers just how great you are, but with a bit of bravado and confidence you too can give your career that vital spin.

As the questions fly like bullets in job interviews, or as we wallow in the misery of interview post-mortems, many people probably wonder why it is so hard to talk about themselves and their strong points  naturally - but also without feeling uncomfortable.

There must, they tell themselves, be a secret to doing this without coming off as pushy, arrogant or a self-aggrandising zealot.

However, the happy fact is that, according to a big-shot American communications guru, if you can brag to the right people about how great you are, and get away with it, the world might well be your oyster.

So what is bragging? According to self-proclaimed 'brag-lady' and business coach Peggy Klaus, it means talking about your best self, your ideas, interests and accomplishments with pride and passion ... without being obnoxious and without pretence.

But why should we spend time reading and worrying about brag bites, brag bags, brag bombs or any  of the author's other self-created terms - or on embracing the black art of being fabulous braggers?

Arguing that, in the dog-eat-dog 21st-century world of work, bragging is a necessity not a choice, Ms Klaus writes that it is absolutely essential to absorb a few rules about how to promote yourself at work successfully, without losing your cool.

However good they are at their jobs, whatever the number of glowing plaudits, awards or letters of recommendation they have garnered, and even if their office walls are festooned with gilt-edged certificates proving their fabulous qualifications and expertise, it is highly likely that, deep down, most people are gnawed by horrible anxieties, she maintains.

Chief among these fears is the thought that you are an imposter - and that someone will catch you out for not knowing everything a real expert in your field should know.

Based on her own experience of these fears in the cut-throat world of Hollywood, Ms Klaus asks readers to stop feeling guilty or frightened and, instead, to learn to believe in themselves and to promote themselves with artful enthusiasm.

Indeed, proclaiming that, in today's workplace, 'the only sure thing is that no one is going to look after your best interests except you', she urges readers to speak up for themselves.

'The best way to thrive in this environment is to start thinking like an entrepreneur and to start bragging about your most valuable product - you,' she  writes.

As a result, Ms Klaus kicks off by covering bragging myths we live and die by - showing readers where they have missed opportunities or bungled chances to blow their own horn, backed by pithy examples of strong and weak bragging conversations.

Look out, too, for the 'take 12' questionnaire early on in the guide, providing a chance to dig out the reader's background, strengths, talents and traits. This section also  homes in on 'brag bites' and 'bragalogues' and other tools that the author urges readers to have under their belts, ready and primed to be used in an instant.

Otherwise, the book largely focuses on how to create a tailor-made, effective communication style, backed by anecdotes, 'real-life bloopers' and tips for successful self-promotion tools.

Techno-brag, or 21st-century bragging, is a particularly useful chapter, shining a spotlight on how to boost your case by voice mail and e-mail.

For those in  search of a new career or a fresh post, the chapters on job interviews and bragging your way in the door are something of a must-read.

The emphasis here is on networking appropriately, turning job interviews into job offers and making performance appraisals metamorphose into promotions and salary increases.

However, in the best tradition of business self-help guides, Brag! has our best interests at heart and takes a look at where we can bring effective self-promotion into our private lives. It also offers helpful hints for those who do not have 'real jobs', either by choice or default.

'Whatever your situation, whatever your timetable, whatever your plans - and especially if you don't have any yet - you must overcome the tendency to remove yourself from the bragging loop,' she  writes.

Packed with solid advice, real-life anecdotes and a zippy style of writing - not to mention an attractive, endearing and readable authorial voice - this book is a highly helpful tool  for those facing job interviews  or who are keen to negotiate their way up their career ladders.

However, if your workload is heavy and finding the time to read this guide is too much of a challenge, turn straight to 'brag nags' in the ninth chapter for key communication techniques and to Ms Klaus's Top 12 Tooting Tips in  the concluding chapter.

From urging readers to be their 'best, authentic self' to 'keeping it short and simple' and 'have a sense of humour', this offers a fast route to confident, effective self-promotion.

Something worth bragging about

Every job interview requires you to put across the best points about yourself, so bragging is an important skill for these situations.

The key to doing it well is to be authentic, to highlight your relevant attributes and to remember who you are trying to impress.

It is important to keep your message clear and to be sure you can back up anything you claim to know or say you have done.

It helps to use examples and stories, which are the best way of engaging any listener.

You should select brags which definitely show you in your best light and are not taken from years ago.

Prepare carefully in advance, so that you are ready to brag as soon as a suitable opportunity presents itself.

Maintain a sense of humour and don't be afraid to show your emotions when talking about yourself.



How to be proud without being obnoxious