Tout yourself without bragging

It's not something you learn in school. Or at least at any school I attended. But to land a good job or launch a successful business, you have to be good at selling yourself.

However, that doesn't come easily for most of us. So I asked some experts how to tout yourself while avoiding the appearance of bragging.

--Focus on accomplishments rather than activities.

One common mistake job seekers make when writing resumes is to list activities but not explain the value of their participation, said John Alston, president of OI Partners-The Innis Co..

An engineer, for example, shouldn't just list his inventions on his resume, he said. Instead, the engineer should explain how he or she lowered manufacturing costs, cut distribution expenses or boosted revenue. Those are the things that affect the bottom line.

--Hone your elevator speech.

Again, this takes some finesse because you don't want to sound too obvious or rehearsed. Alston recommended starting with something personal: "I grew up in Houston, went to public schools and then to the University of Houston."

--Tell a story.

"Two arms, two legs and an MBA won't get you the job anymore," said Keith Ferrazzi, the Los Angeles-based author of "Who's Got Your Back." Nor will facts and data.

Instead, Ferrazzi recommends wrapping your conversation around a story: "Here was the problem, here were the challenges, and here is what I did." Not only is it more memorable, he said, but it's more believable.

--Don't forget the failures.

As you're telling your story, volunteer some of the roadblocks you've encountered, said Charlotte Stallings, a professional speaker, coach and communication consultant in Houston.

It shows leadership, she said, and drive and creativity when you explain how you've solved problems. Besides, she added, the subject will come up anyway, so it's best to bring it up yourself.

--Find a way to bring up your community service.

Psychologist Robbie Sharp reminds her patients that the time and effort they spend planning charity galas and other community events should be included on resumes. It doesn't matter if they're not getting paid for their work. "It shows it's someone who goes the extra mile."