- Humblebragging is a common habit in the workplace.
- It includes giving yourself backhanded compliments to draw attention to your achievements.
Self-promotion is an essential part of finding success in the workplace, but sounding like you're "humblebragging" could actually set you back, according to career experts.
Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and the author of "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," told Fox Business that this common workplace habit comes across as "insincere and insecure" to coworkers and bosses.
Humblebragging refers to making a seemingly self-deprecating comment that actually draws attention to something you're proud of.
"I'm so tired today from playing all that golf with the boss at his club's Pro-Am yesterday," Lindsey Pollak, a career expert and author told Fox Business as an example of this behavior.
"The person tends to sound more like a narcissist by pretending they're putting themselves down — when really, they're looking for admiration," Morin said.
She added: "It may make them less likely to get promoted or invited to engage in special projects because people don't want to be around them."
Career experts have often encouraged workers – especially women and minorities – to talk up their achievements to advance their careers and get promotions. Some experts say this is partly because American work culture places value on being loud and visible.
Entrepreneur and author Meredith Fineman wrote in an Insider article that not bragging "can hurt your career," because you can miss out on projects and opportunities by being too nervous to speak about your achievements.
But, there are subtle ways to do this, without falling into the humblebragging trap.
"The art of tooting your own horn is knowing when and how to toot," author Peggy Klaus writes in "Brag!: The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn without Blowing It."
"It's always keeping your sensitivity antenna raised. For example, a funeral is hardly the appropriate time to launch into a bragologue. Walking into your boss' office when he or she is immersed in a crisis makes equally poor bragging sense," she wrote.