How to Talk About Your Work Without Feeling Like You’re Bragging
TLDR: Your Korean instinct to put the team first is a strength. But in many English-speaking workplaces, managers also need to hear clearly what you did. You don’t have to become a “me, me, me” person. You just need different ways to talk about your work in different situations.
Same Work, Different Story
Your manager:
“Tell me about your role in the quarterly cost-savings project.”
You:
“I worked closely with the team on data analysis and stakeholder coordination. The results came from good collaboration and timing.”
Later, your colleague says in her review:
“I led the data analysis that identified about $200K in savings, coordinated implementation across three departments, and managed the timeline so we delivered two weeks early.”
In many workplaces, someone who talks like your colleague is more likely to be chosen for the next big project.
You think:
“But I handled all the stakeholder management and cross-department coordination. How did that not come across?”
You did the work. It just wasn’t visible in the way your manager needed to hear it.
What You Meant vs What They Heard
Your answers came from healthy Korean professional values:
emphasising the team,
appreciating support,
staying humble about your own role.
In Korean contexts, that’s often the right thing to do.
But English-speaking workplaces (especially individualistic ones) often listen for:
“What exactly did you do?”
“What strengths can you bring to the next project?”
So:
Your intention:
“I’m a collaborative team player. I don’t want to take credit away from others.”Their possible interpretation:
“I’m not completely clear what my specific contribution was.”
That’s a communication gap, not a personal weakness.
Common Patterns for Korean Professionals in English
You might recognise some of these.
1. Team-Only Achievement
Korean instinct:
“Our team achieved good results through everyone’s effort.”What managers often need in English:
“I led X and contributed Y, together with the team.”
Effect: your leadership and decisions stay hidden.
2. Externalising Success
Korean habit:
“We were lucky with timing and had strong support from management.”How it can sound:
“The success mainly came from outside factors.”
Effect: your skill looks smaller than it really is.
3. Collective Success, No Role
Korean style:
“The project went well and stakeholders were satisfied.”What’s clearer in English:
“I delivered the project on schedule and got positive feedback from A, B and C stakeholders.”
Effect: managers can’t see which parts of the success were yours.
4. Humble Positioning
Korean response:
“I just did my part. It was a team effort.”Possible interpretation:
“Maybe I didn’t do that much,” or “I’m not sure how to describe my role.”
Career impact: it’s harder for others to judge your true capability.
Good managers should ask follow-up questions; in reality, they’re busy and often rely heavily on what people say about their own work.
Context Matters: When to Use “I”, “We”, or “We + I”
You don’t have to talk about yourself in the same way in every situation. In fact, using exactly one style everywhere usually backfires. Reviews and interviews often need more “I”, while team meetings and project updates work better with “we + I”.
1. Reviews, 1:1s, Interviews → More “I”
Here, people genuinely want to know what you did.
Instead of:
“I think I contributed to some key projects. It was a team effort.”
Try:
“I led three major projects this year, including the cost-saving initiative that achieved around $200K in savings. I coordinated three departments and managed stakeholder relationships so we could deliver on time. I’d like to build on this and take on more responsibility.”
You still value the team. Your role is just clearer.
2. Team Meetings & Project Updates → “We” as the frame, “I” for your part
In team settings, you’re not giving a speech about how amazing you are. You’re usually either:
- updating someone outside the team about what the team achieved, or
- answering a direct question about your piece of the work.
In both cases, a useful pattern is:
> We outcome + my part (brief) + others’ parts (optional)
Example – speaking on behalf of the team to your manager
“We launched the new process on schedule. Jinny handled the data migration, I coordinated between sales and finance, and Mark led the system changes.”
Here, “we” holds the success, and “I coordinated…” is just one clear line about your role.
Example – when it’s your turn to give your own update
“This week I focused on reorganising the workflow so the support team could test and refine it. Because of that, our response time is now about 20% faster.”
The question here is basically “What have you been working on?”, so starting with “I” is natural. You can still connect it to the team result.
Your team-first values stay intact. You’re not turning the meeting into a solo performance – you’re just making sure your contribution doesn’t disappear inside “we”.
3. Networking / “What Do You Do?” → Clear and Short
Instead of:
“I work in project management at a technology company.”
Try:
“I manage digital projects for international clients, focusing on cross-team coordination and stakeholder communication.”
That tells them what you actually do, not just your job title.
Phrase Swaps: Keeping Humility, Adding Clarity
These examples are mainly for professional contexts where someone:
- praises you directly, or
- asks about your work / your year (e.g. 1:1 with a manager, performance review, job interview).
They’re not for casual small talk with teammates.
1) When Someone Praises You
Context: your manager or a client says “Well done on the project / presentation.”
Old instinct:
“Thank you. I should have prepared more, but my colleagues helped a lot.”
Integrated (team-first, but clearer):
“Thank you — I’m glad it worked well. I led the preparation, and my colleagues’ input really helped me address the client’s main concerns.”
What’s happening here:
- You accept the praise
- You name your role briefly (“I led the preparation”)
- You still recognise the team
2) When Talking About a Project
Context: you’re asked about a project in a review, 1:1, or interview: “How did that project go?” “What was your role?”
Old instinct:
“The project went well. We all worked hard.”
Integrated:
“The project went well. I managed the stakeholder communication and timeline, and the team handled the technical side really well.”
Here you start with “the project” / “we”, then add one clear sentence about your part. This is different from standing up in a team meeting and saying “I did everything”.
3) When Summarising Your Year
Context: performance review, self-evaluation, or “Tell me about last year” in an interview.
Old instinct:
“I did my best, but there’s still a lot to learn.”
Integrated:
“This year I led X and Y projects and improved our process in Z area. I learned a lot, and I’d like to develop further in A and B.”
You still sound modest (“I learned a lot”, “I’d like to develop further”), but you’re also specific about what you actually did.
You’re not using these sentences everywhere in your daily work.
They’re tools for the moments when someone genuinely needs to understand your contribution — reviews, interviews, 1:1s, and direct feedback conversations.
A Small Weekly Practice
This week, choose one recent achievement and practise describing it in two ways. You can do this just in your notebook or notes app – it’s for you, not for performance.
1) Team-first style (your natural default)
“Our team handled it well, with strong support from management.”
Use this when you’re chatting with colleagues or giving a quick, informal update.
2) Integrated style (team + your part)
“Our team handled it well. I managed the communication with management and coordinated the schedule across three departments.”
Use this more in reviews, 1:1s and interviews, when someone really needs to understand your contribution.
You don’t need to use the integrated version in every situation. Use your natural team-first style in everyday chats. Keep the integrated version ready for moments when you need to show your contribution more clearly, like reviews, 1:1s or interviews.
You’re Not Becoming “Jennifer” — You’re Adding a Skill
You’re not choosing between:
Korean team-first values
English individual contribution language
You’re learning how to use both.
You keep:
team awareness,
relationship care,
gratitude for support,
desire to keep improving.
You add:
clear, simple descriptions of what you actually did,
language for reviews, interviews, and career conversations,
confidence to say “I led…” in the right context.
That’s not arrogance. It’s clarity.
And clarity helps good managers see the leadership you’re already practising quietly.
Related reads:
When Korean Nunchi Meets English Workplace Communication
How to use your ability to read the room and then say what needs to be said in simple English.
Impostor Feelings Are Common – A Korean Professional’s Playbook
Why it feels so uncomfortable to say “I led…” even when it’s true, and how to build confidence without losing your humility.