Reference: https://jvns.ca/blog/brag-documents

The Power of Brag Documents for Senior Software Engineers

As a senior IC, it’s crucial to keep track of your achievements and communicate them effectively. Julia Evans’ blog post on “brag documents” provides a compelling argument for why you should maintain a brag document and how it can benefit your career.

Summary of Julia Evans’ Blog on Brag Documents

What is a Brag Document?

A brag document is a personal record where you document your achievements, milestones, and contributions. It’s not meant to be shared publicly but rather used as a tool to keep track of your accomplishments over time.

Why Create a Brag Document?

  1. Performance Reviews: Brag documents provide a detailed account of your achievements, making it easier to prepare for performance reviews.
  2. Promotions and Raises: They serve as concrete evidence of your contributions, which can be crucial when negotiating promotions or raises.
  3. Resume Updates: Keeping a brag document ensures that you don’t forget significant achievements when updating your resume.
  4. Self-Confidence: Documenting your successes can boost your self-confidence and help you recognize your own progress and growth.

What to Include in a Brag Document?

  1. Project Highlights: Document key projects, your role, and the impact they had.
  2. Technical Skills: List new technologies and skills you’ve learned.
  3. Mentorship and Leadership: Include instances where you’ve mentored colleagues or led a team.
  4. Awards and Recognition: Note any awards, recognitions, or positive feedback from peers or managers.

How to Maintain a Brag Document?

  • Regular Updates: Update your brag document regularly, ideally monthly, to ensure it remains current.
  • Detailed Entries: Be specific about your contributions and the results they achieved.
  • Organized Format: Use a consistent format to make the document easy to read and update.

Follow-Up Thoughts

Leveraging Brag Documents for Career Advancement

  1. Strategic Self-Promotion: Use your brag document to strategically highlight your achievements in meetings, reviews, and casual conversations with stakeholders.
  2. Professional Development: Identify areas for growth by reviewing your brag document. This can help you set professional development goals and seek relevant training or projects.
  3. Mentorship: Encourage junior engineers to maintain their own brag documents. This practice not only benefits them but also creates a culture of accountability and recognition within your team.
  4. Networking: Use your brag document as a reference when updating your LinkedIn profile or discussing your career with potential mentors and industry connections.

Addressing Potential Concerns

  1. Humility vs. Self-Promotion: Balancing humility and self-promotion can be challenging. Remember that documenting and sharing your achievements isn’t about boasting; it’s about recognizing and communicating your value.
  2. Privacy and Confidentiality: Ensure that any sensitive information is appropriately anonymized or omitted from your brag document.

Tools and Techniques

  1. Digital Tools: Use digital tools like Google Docs, Evernote, or dedicated journaling apps to maintain your brag document.
  2. Templates: Create or find templates that help structure your brag document effectively.
  3. Regular Reminders: Set reminders to update your brag document regularly.

Conclusion

Brag documents are a powerful tool, enabling you to track and communicate your achievements effectively. By maintaining a detailed and regularly updated brag document, you can enhance your performance reviews, support your case for promotions and raises, and boost your professional development. Start creating your brag document today and see the positive impact it can have on your career.

For more detailed insights, you can read Julia Evans’ full blog post on brag documents here.