But many people fear self-promotion for different reasons. They don’t want to draw attention to themselves ... they fear rejection ... they’ll be laughed at ... they’ll be yelled at ... they’ll suffer backlash from coworkers — or maybe even their own boss ... they don’t think it’ll do any good ... there are a million reasons to not do it.

But there’s one great reason to do it — it’s the only way you’ll be appreciated for what you do!

By using some simple techniques — and adding the power of personal marketing — you can take steps TODAY that will put you in a better position in your career by the time 2005 rolls around!

Step 1: Decide why you want recognition. OK, this may be a “No, duh!” kind of statement, but you have to have a goal in mind when you start. Do you want a raise? Do you just want to feel more appreciated? Do you want more responsibility? Whatever your reason, make sure everything you do revolves around your ultimate goal.

Step 2: Put it on paper! It sounds simple, but guess what? You may be the only person in your company that knows exactly what you do around the office. And if you assume that your boss knows, guess again! Establish — on paper — your duties and overall value to your company, by documenting all the work you do — even something you may consider trivial or menial.

The best place to start is by getting a copy of your job description from your boss or your HR department and go from there. Once you’ve taken care of documenting what’s on that job description, you can start filling in the blanks from there (and there are always blanks!), which leads us to step 3.

Step 3: List your duties that aren’t on the job description. You’d be amazed at the number of workers that haven’t seen their job descriptions since the day they were hired — if they even saw it then. And, if you’ve been in your position for any length of time, you probably wouldn’t recognize the job that’s described on that little piece of paper!

But that little piece of paper is what the rest of your company uses to grade your performance, give pay raises, brand your position, etc. On the same piece of paper you used in step one, identify everything you do around the office ... everything!

Step 4: Put a price tag on your head! Whenever possible, put a dollar figure on what you do. If part of your job is to find lower-cost vendors, or if you come up with ideas that make department processes cheaper and more productive, spell it out for your boss.

And if you’re one of those people that just can’t say “no” to anyone, and you perform miscellaneous duties that aren’t really part of your job (i.e. keeping the supply closet tidy, making airport runs, being the unofficial orientation person for new hires, etc.) try to put a dollar figure on those duties, too. The key is to know what services you do that your boss values the most. Emphasize your skills, abilities and good work habits and your willingness to go the extra mile.

Step 5: Practice your “personal marketing pitch” before talking to your boss. Once you’ve got everything documented, make an appointment with your boss to talk. Make sure you let your boss know the reason you want to talk, because there’s nothing that will blow up your presentation more than a boss caught on the defensive. But before you have your talk, practice what you’re going to say with a friend, relative, even a trusted coworker who may know the players involved better. It’s very common for someone to be cool, calm and collected until the bosses’ door shuts and they get flustered.

Blowing your own horn is an essential skill that everyone needs in today’s fast-break work environment. When everyone in the office is doing the jobs that two or three people did just a few years ago, you need to be assertive to keep yourself from fading away into the background. But with a little work — and some personal marketing skills — you’ll never have to worry about becoming the office wallflower!