Is It OK to Share Career Success on Social Media?

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome when transitioning from a military to civilian career is the idea of self-promotion. When is it too much? When is it arrogance? When is it necessary, and when is it weird?

Military-rooted values often confuse the issue. Values of “service before self,” for example, stipulate that you are to claim responsibility and accountability, but not pursue recognition or credit for your service. For many of the veterans I’ve coached, the idea of promoting themselves and their accomplishments garnered while in uniform seems to contradict military values and feels like bragging.

Read More: Controlling Your Destiny After the Military: Real or Illusion?

All over social media, particularly LinkedIn, you’ll find posts that begin with, “I’m honored to be recognized for …” or “What a thrill to be selected for …” as if feigning humility, but they actually promote an achievement or recognition. For veterans, this can feel like a disingenuous attempt at self-aggrandizement and arrogance (cloaked in humility) and is disconcerting.

Is It Weird to Celebrate Your Success?

No. It’s not weird, creepy, over-the-top or off-putting, if done correctly. The difference between inspiring and irritating usually comes down to why you’re posting and how often, both of which I’ll cover below. What tends to turn us off is when every other post from someone seems to be another brag. Can one person be that successful? Maybe. But does that mean they need to post about them all?

Promoting your success, achievements, accomplishments and results online serves many purposes, including:

Reminding people of who you are, what you’re pursuing and what you’re looking for. For example, gaining advanced certifications in a new technology and mapping that announcement to a reminder of the career you’re pursuing after the military is a great thing.

• Showing that you’re worthy of recognition and praise. This is a tricky one, because done too often, and it looks like you could be trying to make up for some other deficiency. Done tastefully, it highlights your value to a group or person.
• Puts your name top of mind with your online followers. Life is busy. Work is hard. Information online comes at us at warp speed. I may forget you unless your name pops up from time to time to remind me you’re there.
• Builds a track record that validates your story. A single post about an achievement is a moment; a pattern of posts over time becomes evidence. For employers or networking contacts vetting your transition, a visible history of growth and results does some of the “proving yourself” work before you even walk into an interview.

Read More: Email or DM? How to Communicate Clearly and Confidently in Online Job Networking

To ensure your celebrations aren’t “weird,” here are some tips:

Show Genuine Appreciation

Resist the urge to use AI to write a post that points to the merit and usefulness of the issue being celebrated. AI will never sound as genuine as you can.

Acknowledge Those Who Helped You Along the Way

Did your boss nominate you for the award? Did your business partner mentor you through the tough times? Mentioning them shows generosity and can feel less self-promotional.

Remove Anything That Sounds Like Bragging

Instead of posting, “Wow, I guess I am successful now that I own a Porsche!” you could write, “Proud to have been diligent about my financial resources and can finally treat myself to my dream car. What should I name her?”

Celebrate the Success of Others

By generously cheering your network on, your network will be glad to commemorate your accomplishments along with you.

Pace Yourself With the Celebration Posts You Share

If you have a lot of good news to announce, you could group them. For instance, writing, “I’m so honored to be graduating from Purdue with a finance degree, having received a full-ride scholarship, and being selected as valedictorian of my class!” Grouping multiple wins into one post reduces the “feed fatigue” your followers might feel from several separate announcements. Or, if you posted a success on Tuesday, maybe wait a week to post the next one, assuming you’re posting some other news or updates in between.

You should feel proud of the accomplishments, achievements and victories you’ve had (and will have!) in your career. The goal is never to tamp that down or make yourself small so that others are more comfortable. It can be a matter of timing, pace, and tone to ensure others will join you in celebrating your wins.