The Worst Career Advice
Ask for it
They used to say, “Good wine needs no bush.” The idea is that true quality doesn’t need to be advertised—people will naturally recognize and appreciate it.
In some cultures, like Hungarian, sharing your successes can even feel taboo. It might come across as boasting, even if you're just cheerfully sharing something you’re proud of. Gosh, this has happened to me so many times!
But here’s the hard truth: at work, hiding your achievements and failing to communicate them strategically is one of the worst things you can do for your career.
I learned this the hard way in my first corporate job as a database administrator. I completed my tasks on time and usually did them well. I thought that was enough. I believed:
Doing your job well is the bare minimum—nothing worth highlighting.
The right people would notice my good work anyway.
Guess what. I was wrong in both cases.
Most people are inherently lazy and disorganized unless they have an inherent motivation.
This meens that you can be lazy and disorganized in one area and the opposite in the other. One might be a lousy software engineer why you keep their garden in a perfect shape - or the other way aounrd - , showing completely different personality traits. This is normal.
People will not simply recognize your merits and achievements. In fact, thinking so is quite is quite egocentric! Do you really think that those people keep thinking about you and what you did? They have bigger problems on their plates.
So what to do?
First of all, do your job and do it well.
That’s the foundation. No amount of self-promotion will help if you don’t have solid work to back it up.
Keep a private log of your achievements.
At the end of each day, jot down what you got done. It’ll help you the next day—especially if your team does async standups or written updates.
At the end of each week and month, summarize your key wins. This makes one-on-ones easier, and when performance review season rolls around, you’ll have a goldmine of ready-to-go material. Otherwise—let’s be honest—are you really going to remember what you achieved six or twelve months ago?
Share your wins—with context
This doesn’t have to be bragging. Don’t just say “I solved a problem.” Say what you solved, what you learned, and how it might help others. That turns a “look at me” moment into a “here’s something useful” moment.
Give kudos to others.
This is huge. Recognize the people who helped you. Say “I fixed that bug yesterday—big thanks to Pierre for the insight that unblocked me.” It’s not just the kind thing to do—it makes people more likely to celebrate your wins too.
And it goes both ways. When someone else shares a win, don’t stay silent. Clap. Say congrats. React. Celebrate. That’s the kind of team culture we all want to work in—and the kind of person others enjoy working with.
Conclusion
If you want to keep growing in your career, you must communicate your wins. Hoping that people will just notice your good work is a losing bet.
Start with three habits:
Track your accomplishments. It helps with clarity, standups, and reviews.
Share your successes. Especially the ones that help others or show growth.
Lift others up. Appreciate the help you get and celebrate the wins you see.
That’s not just smart—it’s human. And it’s how you build the kind of karma that pays off.