Insider Guide.

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How to promote yourself at work

By Peggy Klaus Klaus, the author of Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It (Warner Business), has coached many Fortune 500 executives. Bragging is a form of self-promotion. People expect higher-ups to know how well everyone is doing all the time, but they're not psychic. You have to tell them about your successes. The trick is to be graceful about it. * Get over the guilt. Studies show that women stay in jobs without being promoted much longer than men do: We put our heads down like good little girls and then feel resentful when we don't get what we deserve. But one problem is we shine the spotlight on our colleagues. Women are afraid of looking conceited, but the bigger danger is that our accomplishments will simply be overlooked. * Be an opportunist. If you have overcome a major obstacle or scored a big success, let your boss know it. (Don't bother her with the small stuff.) Email her, leave her a voice mail, swing by her office, mention it casually in the coffee area. Just be mindful of your timing. Don't lunge at her when she's busy. * Razzle-dazzle 'em. You have to be interesting and entertaining. You shouldn't use "I, I, I, I" in a laundry list. Not only is it boring, it's disgustingly self-aggrandizing. Instead, share an anecdote with bits of information about yourself woven in. But keep it to 10 or 15 seconds. And say it with the same enthusiasm and energy as you would when talking about a trip you just took. If you say, "I'm so excited -- I actually got a few laughs during my presentation. I guess my pie chart really scored," no one will think you're a braggart. It's also a good ...