On the Clock: Start Tooting Your Own Horn at Work --- Logging your accomplishments in a 'brag book' is one way to guard against rising layoffs and AI

“The high-school bullies in "Mean Girls" kept a "burn book" full of gossip they could use to torch others' reputations. It's time to recast the concept and start keeping a "brag book" chronicling professional achievements that can elevate your standing at work.

 

Think of it as ammo to advance in your career, which -- let's face it -- is not so different from winning a popularity contest. Perception matters.

 

This is especially true when businesses striving for efficiency are looking for evidence of employees' impact. Now is not the time for quiet contributions. It is important to be seen as a key team member, preferably by pumping yourself up instead of dishing dirt on co-workers.

 

Amazon.com, which announced 16,000 job cuts Wednesday, reportedly asked employees to submit three to five examples of their best work last month.

 

The move follows CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss's request for her charges to explain how they spend their workdays, and the Department of Government Efficiency's demand for government employees to list their accomplishments.

 

Whether you've been given a directive like this or not, there is more pressure to justify your employment as artificial intelligence looms. After a period in which companies hired rapidly and granted work-from-home freedom, we are living through a correction characterized by layoffs and close monitoring.

 

So, while tooting your own horn can be uncomfortable, logging and publicizing on-the-job wins is about controlling your professional narrative. People who make this a habit refer to the collection of accolades as a "brag binder," "yay folder" or "smile file."

 

Whatever the name, it's a good idea to be ready when the time comes to show your worth in a performance review, promotion cycle or job search.

 

A brag book is a resume writer's best friend. I reconnected last week with Megan Struthers, one of the job seekers I included in a December column about holiday-season layoffs. She is already almost a month into a new role.

 

"I'm very fortunate to have found a job so quickly and to already be on week four," she says.

 

Indeed, this isn't the norm in today's white-collar job market where it often takes months, and scores of applications, to land something. But Struthers is being modest. She was savvy enough to maintain what she called her "yay folder" in her former position. That made it easier to craft a strong candidate profile.

 

There is no guarantee of success, but a running tally of your gold-star moments can be particularly useful as resume rules evolve.

 

More employers are using software to scan for keywords, and applicants are responding with longer entries detailing their impact.

 

Filling your folder sometimes means fishing for compliments, which can feel awkward. An employee of a large software company told me she was nervous to ask her manager for a public shout-out recently. She saw a colleague get kudos on Slack for completing a certificate program and, having earned the same certificate, wanted similar recognition on the messaging app used by her company.

 

She made a point of explaining to her manager why the show of praise mattered. It wasn't about glory for its own sake but rather about creating a record of accomplishment, in writing, that senior leaders could reference when making promotion decisions in the future.

 

This is a good place to note that bosses don't have it easy. Middle managers are among the first to go when organizations run leaner, and those who remain have full plates. Handling reviews and promotions can be a drag in the best of times; right now it's even more of a headache than usual.

 

Presenting a rundown of your achievements might feel like boasting, but it may be a welcome assist to your overloaded manager.

 

"If you're cringing about writing one performance review, imagine your manager who has to write 15 of them," says executive coach Sabina Nawaz. "Your job at review time is to make your manager's life easier when writing yours."

 

A big reason to keep a brag book is to guard against recency bias. Your boss likely remembers what you did a few weeks ago but probably needs a reminder of that assignment you nailed last March.

 

Maybe you do, too. Recording accomplishments as they happen helps ensure you won't forget to mention them later.

 

Nawaz, who maintains her own "smile file," says qualitative information is particularly important to track. Many companies use performance metrics, so there is a good chance your manager already knows you're killing those KPIs.

 

The glowing thank-you note from a client, on the other hand, is something you can cite as proof of your soft skills.

 

A list of things you're proud of isn't all about impressing others, either.

 

Ally Andrus left a company where she was unhappy last fall. She had no offers or interviews lined up -- just her "brag binder." She started a new sales job 20 days later.

 

Even when she isn't job hunting, Andrus sometimes looks at her binder for a confidence boost on bad days.

 

"I was just saying to a friend, 'Maybe I should start a brag binder for my personal life, too,'" she says.

 

Having good stuff to look back on is one reason so many people keep diaries and journals. We'd all be smart to bring the same habit to the office.” [1]

 

1. On the Clock: Start Tooting Your Own Horn at Work --- Logging your accomplishments in a 'brag book' is one way to guard against rising layoffs and AI. Borchers, Callum.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 02 Feb 2026: A10.