3 Reasons Why You Should Have A Career Brag Sheet

Sounds kinda weird right? Brag sheet… but it’s very important to have one. Not only for when you’re having your next interview but also when you want to get promoted at your workplace. A brag sheet is… well the word gives it away.. a list where you keep all of your work achievements. Those achievements that you can almost brag about.. yup those. And please don’t let the imposter syndrome tell you that your achievements are too mediocre or too little to add. Always remember that if this is an achievement that not everyone has done or accomplished before, it’s worth talking about.

Besides documenting your achievements, it’s also good to document messages or feedback from your peers, managers, or clients. Make a screenshot of a message someone sent that was really happy with your service/advice. Screenshot that moment when you received great feedback from your manager. Screenshot that slack message when people praised your presentation or achievements. Some people really sleep on this but this will help you brand yourself throughout the journey of your career growth! So let’s answer this question why should you have a career brag sheet?

“Please don’t let the imposter syndrome tell you that your achievements are too mediocre or too little to add.”

Track Your Achievement

How many times have you forgotten about a goal you’ve accomplished a few months ago? If I would ask you to tell me 4 achievements you’ve accomplished at work in the past 6 months, and you would only have 2 mins, would you be able to name some? Most likely, the answer would be no. Having a brag list helps you reflect and track your wins at work. At times you can feel like you haven’t done anything or you’re not moving forward in your career. It’s not only the promotion that’s a sign of growth or worth. In fact, things that you’re currently doing that are making a change (little or small) are major growth too! And as I already mentioned, screenshot those positive messages/slacks/emails too!

Confident During Your Review Meetings

Review meetings with your manager are important. Depending on the company, it could be that you have them on a monthly basis or quarterly. Those are the moments when you can ‘‘brag’’ about your achievements. Can.. I mean SHOULD. This is literally the MOMENT to do so. Your manager can not always see what you're doing, what you’re working on, the good feedback your co-workers are saying about a project you set up. Of course, there are some things, they most likely will pick up during weekly check-ins and such. But just have in mind that there are also a lot of things that your manager wouldn’t have clue about. During those review meetings, you can showcase that you are ready for the promotion. You can showcase why you want to negotiate your salary. You can showcase why they should put you on that particular project. The moment when you come prepared with your brag sheet is the moment you are paving your way for the next big thing in your career. Update that sheet and start talking about it.

Ready For The Next Big Step

Prepping for your job interview doesn’t have to demand a lot of your time. When you have kept a career brag sheet, prepping for a job interview will be less time-consuming and you will be able to highlight those achievements that will catch the recruiter’s or hiring manager’s attention.

Keeping a brag sheet is also ideal when you’re having internal job interviews for a different role within your company. Let’s say you want to make a presentation to showcase your achievements you’ve accomplishments in your current role. You won’t have to rack your brain to think of all the great things you worked so hard for during the years. All you have to do is pull out the list and start prepping!

If you’ve never kept a career brag sheet, I have one for you to download below!