Successful self-promotion is critical in today’s competitive, hyper-social work world. Especially for women looking to get ahead and make their mark in IT, self-promotion is no longer just a professional advantage — it’s become a career survival skill.

“Your career success depends on your ability to promote yourself correctly. Yet many people have a blatant inability to properly express their value to higher-ups and hiring managers. Employers must know your real value. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself on the losing end professionally. You won’t get the job, the raise, the promotion, the respect and recognition you deserve,” says Rick Gillis, career consultant, speaker and author of Promote! It’s Who Knows What You Know That Makes a Career.

Thankfully, self-promotion is a skill that’s easy to master. Here’s how to do it right.