A weekly email on portfolios, job search strategy, confidence, and career growth. From a designer with 25+ years in the industry helping 500+ designers level up. Read past issues below. Get the next one in your inbox every Tuesday.
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Promoting yourself feels wrong. Do it anyway.
Published 9 days ago • 3 min read
I’ve worked with so many talented designers who were uncomfortable talking about their work. They could solve difficult design problems, help teammates, and take on challenging projects. But ask them what they’re good at, and they struggle to answer. I understand that feeling. I've been there. But after 25+ years in design, here’s what I’ve learned: People need to understand what you bring to the table before they can think of you for the right opportunities. And that takes a little self-promotion.
What self-promotion actually means
The phrase often brings to mind someone constantly talking about their accomplishments or trying to convince everyone they’re exceptional. But self-promotion can be much simpler. It’s helping the right people understand:
• What you’re good at • What problems you can solve • What you bring to a team When you can explain your decisions behind a project, share a lesson you’ve learned, or tell a former colleague what you’re working on, you’re making your expertise visible. You don’t have to change your personality to do that.
Why visibility matters
Imagine two capable designers:
Designer 1 does excellent work but rarely talks about it. Their portfolio is out of date and they rarely stay in touch with former colleagues.
Designer 2 also does excellent work. They keep their case studies current, share what they’re learning, and maintain relationships. When an interesting opportunity comes along, who is more likely to come to mind? Designer 2 has given people more reasons to remember them. People can’t recommend you for work they don’t know you can do. And visibility matters even when you’re happy in your current role. The relationships and reputation you build today may open doors long before you need a new job.
3 ways to promote yourself without feeling awkward
Start here.
1. Get specific about what you bring
“I’m a UX designer” tells people your job title. It doesn’t tell them where you excel.
Maybe you’re good at simplifying complicated workflows. Maybe you help teams make better decisions through research. Maybe you can turn an ambiguous problem into a clear direction.
Look at the work you’re most proud of and the problems people come to you to solve.
Then practice explaining your strengths in a sentence or two.
2. Talk about your thinking
When you share a project go beyond the final screens.
What problem were you solving? What trade-off did you make? What changed because of your work?
You can share those details in a case study, a team presentation, a conversation with a colleague, or a short post online.
You’re helping people understand how you think and what you’re capable of.
3. Stay visible before you need something
Reach out to a former teammate. Share a project you’re proud of. Tell someone what you’ve been learning.
You don’t need to ask for a job every time you contact someone. Maintain your relationships and give people a current picture of what you’re doing.
When an opportunity comes along the conversation has somewhere to start.
Start with one small action
Don’t try to overhaul everything this week. Pick one thing:
• Update a case study to make your contribution clearer • Write down three strengths you bring to a team • Share a lesson you learned from a recent project • Reach out to someone you haven’t spoken with in a while • Practice explaining your work to someone outside your team
Choose one and do it this week. Self-promotion gets easier when it becomes part of how you work, communicate, and build relationships.
No need to be the loudest person in the room. Just give people enough information to understand your value and remember you when it matters. Need help communicating your value?
If you know you’re good at what you do but struggle to explain your strengths, position your experience, or figure out your next career move, that’s something we can work on together.
In a 50-minute 1:1 Career Strategy Session, we’ll get clear on what’s holding you back and build a practical plan for moving forward.
P.S. Visibility isn’t about being the most vocal designer in the room. It’s about being the most remembered one. Those are two very different things.
A weekly email on portfolios, job search strategy, confidence, and career growth. From a designer with 25+ years in the industry helping 500+ designers level up. Read past issues below. Get the next one in your inbox every Tuesday.
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